England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Canterbury St George the Martyr

The Parish

The ancient city of Canterbury is located about 55 miles southeast of London on the A2 road (a Roman creation) which connects the capital with the major Kent port of Dover, the gateway to Calais and the continent of Europe. Canterbury was probably founded in pre-Roman times but the conquerors certainly grew its stature and turned it into one of their major administrative centres, subsequently its became the Saxon capital of the kingdom of Kent and eventually the major religious centre for Christianity in southeast England. Canterbury became the seat of the Archbishopric following the drive to convert the country in the 6th century. Canterbury remains the administrative capital of Kent (despite Maidstone's pretensions) and a significant market for the whole of eastern Kent. Canterbury, like many of England's ancient cities, is divided into many parishes (in the case of Canterbury - 17) and St George's parish covered the southeastern area of the walled city centred upon the ancient route of Wtling Street, its population was not separately enumerated in early gazetteers but the volume of marriages is consistent with one of around 1,300 parishioners. Canterbury is drained by the Great Stour which flows which flows northeastwards to reach the North Sea through the port of Sandwich. St George's church is sited at around 10 metres above sea level, ground rises northwestwards along the A290 road headed for Whitstable which reaches 70 metres just beyond the University site. As a great city by the time of Norman invasion Canterbury is documented extensively in Domesday Book, too much so to re-document here.

The Church

The remains of St George's church sit, appropriately enough, on St George's Street in the middle of this shopping area. The church was largely destroyed by bombing in World War II leaving only the tower for posterity. The tower shows a Norman 12th century western arch of Caen stone which is indicative of its early age. The remaining arches were widened in 1787 to create a through passageway. The tower sits amongst commercial premises on the southwestern side of the street within the paved walking area, there is no suitable parking except within the city's many car parks and the site is best visited on foot.