England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Christchurch Holy Trinity

The Parish

Up until 1974 the parish of Christchurch was one of the most westerly in Hampshire, in that year it was transferred to Dorset becoming one that county's most eastern parishes. Christchurch is located roughly 21 miles southwest of the port & town of Southampton and stands on the A35 road which links Southampton with Bournemouth forming stretches of not only Hampshire's English Channel coastline but also for obvious reasons the border with neighbouring Dorset. Christchurch occupies a strategic position at the joint mouths of the Rivers Stour and Avon, the original town sat on the promontory between the two but in modern times has expanded greatly. That promontory lead onto a natural harbour, Christchurch Harbour, protected by the curving spit of Hengistbury Head. Archaeological discoveries of a late 6th century Saxon cemetery has confirmed its early foundation, older finds include Mesolithic metal working from the 1st century BC. It was King Alfred the Great who made the town a Saxon "burgh" in the 9th century, one of just 4 in Hampshire. Christchurch was already an important ecclesiastical centre in Saxon times but the rebuilding of the priory for the Augustinian order in 1150 formed an important role in the town. At a similar time the town also acquired a castle home of the Earls of Devon and was granted its market. Throughout the medieval period Christchurch was thus, an ecclesiastical and pilgrimage centre, a port for both goods & trade as well as a noted fishing port specialising in the shell-fishery of the harbour, a market town and defensive site. The dissolution of the priory by Henry VIII created an economic shock to the town which saw contraction from tat event through to the 18th century becoming merely a small fishing & farming community. Further disappointment followed in 1730s as a major storm closed the navigable access from Salisbury further restricting the options of the town, it was in these straightened times that smuggling rose to prominence.  Because of its tricky, shallow harbour entrance ("The Run") and intricate salt marshes, the town became a premier haven for illicit trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. Whole communities participated in smuggling tea, spirits, and tobacco to evade customs taxes, culminating in famous skirmishes with the Excise men as in the infamous Battle of Mudeford in 1784. A curious industry developed in the town, the making of fusee watch chains which employed many and the placing of a military garrison also helped revive the town's fortunes. It was the modern development of the railway that enabled Christchurch to one again flourish, a new role as a coastal resort saw much of the area east of the harbour developed into typical seaside bungalow and B & B land. Today Christchurch is part of a contiguous coastal strip from Barton on Sea in the east for 13 miles westwards to the millionaire's haunt of Sandbanks. The twin river of Stour and Avon merge in the harbour and exit to the English Channel. Christchurch is sited between sea level and the isolated ridge of St Catherine's Hill topping out just short of the 50 metre contour. Christchurch parish was one of the largest in its county covering 30,000 acres which saw a population growth from close to 6,000 in 1831 multiple thousands more today. Already by Domesday times Christchurch was large enough to comfortably be placed in the top 20% of settlements by population, shared between King William and the Canons os the Priory its collective assets of 22 ploughs, some meadows & woodland together with 2 mills indicate its prosperity at that time.

The Church

The church is commonly known simply as the Priory Church, as that was its role at foundation, the formal title is "Priory Church of the Holy Trinity". The church sits almost at the southern end of the promontory formed between the Stour & the Avon and is approached from the north by Church Street. Firstly one must draw attention to the church's dimensions, it is acknowledged as the longest parish church in the entirety of England at 311 feet in length and larger than many English cathedrals. A Saxon Holy Trinity was the first structure occupying this site but that church was completely removed in the 12th century to found the priory church of the Augustinian order, work began in c1094 and the initial phase, the basic Norman cruciform church, central tower, nave, aisles, and quire was completed by c1150, all of these elements being in the Norman Romanesque style. The 13th century saw further expansion in the Early English Gothic style, the aisles were vaulted and a clerestory inserted in the nave. Almost 2 centuries passed before more work took place of any significance, in the 15th century and in the Perpendicular style a new western tower was constructed between 1470 & 1480 and the quire was also rebuilt. Just prior to the dissolution the Salisbury & Draper chantry chapels were added in the early 16th centuries. 19th century restoration began under the Georgian era between 1819 & 1820 both the nave and tower were re-vaulted, further wok under Victorian times was almost semi-continuous and continues in much the same manner today. Like most urban churches Holy Trinity is one to visit on foot after first using a town car park there being little useful parking nearby. Approaches are varied with both Quay Road and Church Street being the usual ways of entry, the churchyard is extensive, as it needs to be to encompass the sheer size of the church, there are trees all around as individual specimens and lines & banks so the photographer will need to scout around to find the optimal views.