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

The Parish

The parish of Axminster lies in the extreme east of Devon forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Dorset. Axminster is located roughly 5 miles northwest of the Dorset coastal resort of Lyme Regis and stands on the A358 road, which follows the ancient Roman road of Ermine Street, which links Seaton with Chard in Somerset. Axminster is a market town, the market being granted as early as 1204 by King John,  sitting at the confluence of the rivers Yarty and Axe, the town parallels the course of the latter river with most properties lying either side of the course of the A358, several smaller townships also lie within the area of the wider parish. To the southwest of the town sits the site Newenham Abbey which was influential in the development of the town by controlling farming in the town's hinterland. For much of its existence Axminster has been the regional market for eastern Devon & western Dorset, a centre for trade at its weekly market and a location holding specialist skills & trades. The Cistercian abbey was founded shortly after the town's charter in the 13th century and encouraged farming of sheep for wool, this surplus of fleeces gave the foundations of Axminster's cloth weaving trade and also enabled the transition to the manufacture of carpets with which the town is associated. The first carpet factory was opened in 1755 following the invention of knotted carpets, it was associated with high-end quality and ran until 1835. The arrival of the railway in 1860 prompted a diversification in Axminster's industrial base with iron foundries, precision engineering and brush making all contributing to its continued prosperity. Carpet manufacturing had transferred to Wilton in Wiltshire but was resumed in 1937 and continues to employ many in the town. The livestock market has closed in recent times but Axminster continues to be the regional centre for trade and specialist skills together with support for the tourism trade that occupies the area. Modern developments arrived in 1860 with the railway linking Axminster with both Honiton & Yeovil which grants a station still today. Axminster is drained the short distance to the English Channel by the combined Yarty & Axe reaching the coast at Seaton. Axminster is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in its valley setting, eastwards land rises onto moderate and rolling hill-country several hill-tops just breach the 200 metre contour. Axminster parish was an extensive one covering just over 7,600 acres which would have supported a population of around 2,850 parishioners of whom some 75% were residents of the town. Even by Domesday times Axminster was a significant settlement, its 40 households sufficient to place it into the top 20% of settlements recorded by population, held directly by King William it offered 23 ploughs, meadows, pastures and wood land together with 2 mills making for a wealthy holding for the King.

The Church

St Mary's church stands at the heart of the town at the junction of West & Church Streets. The church has a cruciform structure typical of 12th century church layouts, it was allegedly founded earlier than that as a Saxon minster by King Athelstan who took the crown in 927. Little remains of the early fabric of the 12th century, a single reset elaborately carved doorway has been reset, at some time, to the eastern end of the southern aisle. The 13th century saw the church take much of its present footprint, work funded by the prominent De Mohun family, both the central crossing tower and the western parts of the chancel show masonry from the early 13th century Early English Gothic period. In the early 14th century the sedilia & piscina were added in the Decorated style and the former transepts appear to have been removed. Another prominent local family, the Yonges, added a southern chancel aisle in the Perpendicular style in c1480 whilst in the 16th century a northern aisle & porch were also added. 19th century work is complex and involving several phases of changes, beginning in 1800 with the replacement of the Drake family chapel with  a northern aisle. In 1834 the clerestory windows & western window were finished, a more general restoration followed in 1870, roofs were replaced in 1903 and further restoration was added in 1923 to complete the church we see today. Given the church's location within the commercial heart of the town this is probably one to visit on foot after using one of the town's car parks. The church sits within a triangular area formed by West, Church & Silver streets, the southeastern corner of which is also occupied by commercial properties, a prominent tree to the southwest of the church does impede the favoured angles as does the close buildings to the east but all other angles are available to the photographer.