Anglican Church of St. James
Serving Oporto, Portugal
A SHORT HISTORY
The Chaplaincy of Oporto was founded in 1671, when the Revd John Brawlerd, a priest of the Church of England, was employed by the British merchants of Oporto to provide religious services for the British community and to provide for the education of their children. At the time the religious atmosphere of Portugal did not allow Protestants to have a fixed place of worship or to worship openly, so services were held in the homes of various members of the community.
The second Chaplain of Oporto was the Revd Dr. Samuel Barton who came out in 1682 to continue the spiritual and educational support to the British community. Unfortunately, Dr. Barton was discovered by Portuguese authorities and expelled from the country in 1683, having served for less than a full year. From that time until well into the 18th century, pastoral coverage was on-going but with long interregnums between chaplains.
The Strong influence of the Roman Catholic Church during that period also meant that protestants could not be buried in Catholic cemeteries and as no Protestant cemetery was allowed, burial took place along the banks of the Douro River. 
It was not until 1787 that the British Consul John Whitehead was able with the support of the King of Portugal, to aquire a piece of land outside the city to be used as a burial ground. The first burial took place about 1790. Today, Consul Whitehead's burial urn stands at the centre of the British cemetary which he had been so instrumental in securing.
In 1815, shortly after the conclusion of the Peninsula War, the British community was given permission to build a proper place of worship on the property that had been acquired for a burial ground.
The church 
building was completed by 1817 but was not formally dedicated and named St. James until 1842, when the then Bishop of Gibralter, George Tomlinson came to Oporto to consecrate the structure. However, there were restrictions put on the British community by the Portuguese authorities as to how the church could be constructed. The church building proper had to be surrounded by a high wall and could not have a spire, cross, or bell. In fact the building was constructed to look something like a meeting hall.
The appearance of the church building has changed over the years and what was once a rather plain, rectangular structure had aquired north and south transepts and now is cruciform in shape.
Visitors wishing to see St. James' Church can find it still behind its high walls in the Largo da Maternidade, beside the maternity hospital. The old church and even older cemetary is well worth a visit. Among the interesting things to see are the burial urn of Consul Whitehead and the tombstone for Baron James Forrester, who does not lie in there as he was drowned in the river Douro and his body never found.
A beautiful war memorial cross stands in a small garden in front of the church and records the names of members of the British community of Oporto who lost their lives in the two great wars of the 20th. century.
Office Address:
Largo da Maternidade Julio Dinis
Porto
Portugal
4050-371