Stoke Minster

Stoke Minster is the Minster Church of St Peter ad Vincula, the town centre and civic church in Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.Name and dedicationThe dedication to St Peter ad Vincula means "Saint Peter in Chains". It is derived from the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. The church was formally renamed Stoke Minster in 2005 in recognition of its role in the civic life of Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. The title "minster" is an honorific, sharing a common etymology with "monastery".HistoryThe first church on the site was built of timber in 670. It was replaced with a stone building in 805 which was extended over the centuries. The remains of this Anglo-Saxon and former collegiate church survive in the churchyard. The re-erected arches date from the 13th century when the chancel was rebuilt. Saxon evidence survives in the baptismal font rescued from use as a garden ornament and restored in 1932 for baptismal use in the church.The church is the burial place of several generations of Josiah Spode's family, as well as Josiah Wedgwood, who is also commemorated inside the church by a marble memorial tablet commissioned by his sons. The church is a Grade II listed building.