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

The Parish

The parish of Truro is tiny, it describes solely the cathedral city itself, the capital of Cornwall. The parish is located in the southern part of central Cornwall where the River Allen meets the estuary which eventually becomes the immense natural harbour of Carrick Roads. Although salt water laps at the doorsteps of lower Truro, the estuary only widens about 5 miles away and the open sea is a further 5 miles south. Truro is a crossroads settlement growing up where the A39 (Bodmin to Falmouth) road crosses the A390 (St Austell towards Penzance), as a result Truro has inherited major traffic problems which a by-pass now mitigates allowing much of the mediaeval centre to become pedestrianised. The centre of Truro is around 5 metres above sea level, although its incised river valley means land all around is almost a 100 metres higher. The city centre is largely along the valleys of the Allen and a tributary, the River Kenwyn and there are many steep hills off these valleys. Truro benefits from the sea access so far inland acting as a major port for the products of the tin mining industry which dominated west Cornwall and helping its prosperity. The city charter dates from the mid-12th century and the thriving market is still ongoing today. The parish is small being hemmed in by the rural parishes of Kenwyn & St Clement but its population was high supporting about 3,000 parishioners at the time of this transcript. Strangely given Truro's history there is no direct mention of the city in Domesday Book.

The Church

The parish church and cathedral of St Mary is unfortunately largely a Victorian concoction. The original building, judging by the south aisle which is all that remains, was a highly ornate Gothic structure. The cathedral was built between 1898 and 1910 in the Early English style but with a contrasting Normandy-style spire, a feature somewhat incongruous in Cornwall which lacks such details. Despite its modern age, Pevsner clearly likes the building describing it as "beau ideal", praise itself from the man. The cathedral has a rather strange location, more reminiscent of the location of a mediaeval market hall than a major religious building. For those used to the Cathedral close settings of England's major cathedral its setting in the main shopping street is a little odd. Streets curve either side of the building, lined with shops fronts, whilst the cathedral sits in the middle of what looks like a former market place. The close setting for commerce makes for tricky sight lines and it is only from well away that the soaring spire can be really appreciated without a cricked neck.