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

The Parish

Sited in the heart of the ancient city of Exeter, the parish of St Mary Major physically occupied just a few blocks to the south of the Cathedral close. Roughly oblong in shape the parish extended southwards to the Quays on the River Exe. Nowadays this is a much redeveloped area of the city dominated by the major road systems of the Western Way and its associated feeders. The parish of St Mary Major was the second most populous parish within the walls of the city. Exeter, itself is an ancient city; certainly Roman and probably existing prior to that date it has traditionally been the capital of Devon (now usurped by Plymouth) and one of the southwest's major population centres. The city lies on the banks of the River Exe and close to the estuary which leads to the English Channel. Most of St Mary Major parish was less than 30 metres above sea level although it did slope down to the Quays. The parish held around 3400 parishioners but its acreage was small as folk crowded into the area within the city walls.

The Church

A church on the site of St Mary Major predates the Norman Cathedral that grew up in its vicinity. The former Minster was turned into the parish church of St Mary Major, however, that church was demolished in 1865 to make way for a new Victorian build. That church, described by Pevsner as "unexciting"is that illustrated in the archive images (with thanks to their authors) that are copied here from other sites. Attendances fell and the church ceased to be an active Anglican church, temporary occupation by the Methodists was short-lived and in 1971 the church too was demolished leaving nothing to merit photographing as a a substitute.