England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Godmanchester St Mary the Virgin

The Parish

The parish of Godmanchester lies in eastern Huntingdonshire, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring Cambridgeshire. Godmanchester is an ancient settlement and market town on the banks of the River Ouse, it grew up at the crossing point of the Roman Ermine Street and that river and has been occupied since the Bronze Age at the least. Godmanchester sits about a mile south of Huntingdonshire's county town of Huntingdon. The roman road is now replaced with the modern dual-carriageway of the A14 which forms a major highway across England from east coast to the main motorway network. At Godmanchester this road is met by Ermine Street coming up from the south. The market at Godmanchester dates back to the time of King John and was reconfirmed by the Stuart monarchy in the 17th century. The town sits on the southern bank of the River Ouse and the parish includes substantial areas of arable farmland to the south as well as pastures along the river floodplain, it would also have possessed the normal agricultural service industries commensurate with market town status. The Great Ouse is here flowing from west to east and ultimately headed for The Wash. Godmanchester, as a valley settlement, is quite low lying, the town centre being sited at just 10 metres above the sea level, the land rises gently to the south of the town but is never more than gently undulating. The parish was substantial for a southern parish, covering around 3,000 acres it and the town would have supported over 2,100 parishioners. In Domesday times godmanchester was equally wealthy and consequently was held directly by the King, himself. The parish boasted an impressive 26 ploughs, meadows, woodland and 3 mills - a wealthy place indeed.

The Church

St Mary the Virgin's church sits at the heart of the town, it stands in a tree-packed close of land surrounded by properties and accessed through narrow alleyways. The spire of the western tower is the church's most notable feature, however this was quite a late addition being from the Stuart period. On the contrary the chancel is the earliest remaining piece and is in the Early English style of the 13th century. Much else is Perpendicular and probably 14th/15th century, this period was the main church building era of this part of England and the earlier building was clearly modified extensively at that time. The church is probably best accessed after finding parking in the town, many alleyways grant access to the surrounding oblong close of land. An issue is that the height of the steeple makes it tricky to get sufficiently far back to gain an adequate image of its glory, may mature trees also restrict angles around the site too.