England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Wisbech St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Wisbech St Mary, a separate village from the town of Wisbech, lies in the extreme northeast of Cambridgeshire forming a short stretch of the border with neighbouring Lincolnshire. Wisbech St Mary is located roughly 3 miles west of the town of Wisbech and covers a large are of the Cambridgeshire Fens. Wisbech St Mary is a large village which sits a mile south of the B1169/B1166 road which heads westwards across The Fens from its larger neighbour. Most of the village properties lies alongside a lane which parallels both the above roads and also the busy A47 which lies a couple of miles further south, the township of Guyhirn sits on that road and was considered part of Wisbech St Mary at the time of this transcript. The landscape around here is very flat, many areas having been reclaimed very early from the Wash which lies well to the north today. The rich alluvial and peaty soils make it ideal for market gardening and small specialist vegetable fields alternating with glass houses dominate the local landscape, the whole being crisscrossed by numerous drains. The River Nene, which lies beyond the A47 is the destination for most of that man-made drainage network, turning north to meet The Wash through the port of Sutton Bridge. Wisbech St Mary is sited at just 2 metres above sea level, a height which is maintained for most surrounding land with only the zero contour to marr the contour maps. As the rural equivalent to the market town of Wisbech, Wisbech St Mary covered an extensive area, reminiscent of an upland parish, the parish covered almost 9,500 acres and within that acreage would have been supported a population of just over 1,900 parishioners. Unlike its larger neighbour Wisbech St Mary is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book, it is likely its assets were recorded under its big brother.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the northern side of Wisbech St Mary, on the northern side of Church Road which parallels the main route through the village. Whilst there has undoubtedly been a church here from early times most traces have been removed by both a substantial rebuild in the 14th/15th centuries and by later Victorian restoration. Pevsner's forensic eye spots the traces of Norman Romanesque work remaining, albeit built upon in the 14th century, in the piers of the arcade. That 14th century date, and the Perpendicular style that was fashionable at that date, can also be found in the western tower. The 15th century saw a typical clerestory added to the church to improve internal lighting, at the same or similar date most windows were replaced. The church has, however, received much change in more recent times, the chancel was completely rebuilt in 1872 and two thorough restorations, in 1894 & 1902, compete the alterations. Church Road is amply wide enough to permit street parking outside the brick-wall enclosed churchyard which has a set of arched metal gates for entry. The southeastern corner is sadly crowded with foliage but this merely reduces the full-scale landscape view, enough of which remains for an adequate image.