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

The Parish

The parish of Marston lies in southwestern Lincolnshire not too far from its border at a 3-counties meet with Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire. Marston is located roughly 5 miles north of the market town of Grantham and sits just under 2 miles northeast of the A1 (Great North Road) linking London with the northeast. Marston sits on the southern banks of the River Witham and is built around an oval of lanes with a short tail leading to the bridge across the river, both church and hall, now merely remains of a 16th century building, sit close to the course of the river. Like most Lincolnshire parishes Marston's economy was underpinned by arable farming although the rivers water-meadows granted a few pastures to leaven the dominance. Modern developments have come to the parish, the East Coast railway line between London & Newcastle cuts through the east of the parish whilst the A1 is now a modern fast dual-carriageway lying to its west. Marston is drained west and then north by the Witham which performs a complete loop through Lincoln to head back southeast and reach the North Sea through the port of Boston. Marston is sited at around 30 metres above the sea, views to the southeast are marked by the rise of Lincolnshire's modest Jurassic escarpment which here rises to 110 metres at nearby Great Gonerby. By Lincolnshire standards Marston parish was fairly extensive, covering close to 2,500 acres it would have supported a population of around 400 parishioners. Marston's Domesday entry reveals a much larger settlement at that time, large enough with 38 households to place it just into the largest 20% of settlements by population in the land, the manor was shared by 5 landholders including a Saxon survivor Kolsveinn of Lincoln with assets of 11 ploughs, meadows and no fewer than 4 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the northern edges of the village sitting just northeast of Bridge Street and accessed along a short dead-end lane from that road. There are traces of Norman 12th century stone reused in the piers of the southern arcade but this has a style of the Early English Gothic and is clearly of the 13th century. Also 13th century is the southern doorway both indicating a rebuild of something from earlier times. Whilst the southern arcade is pure Early English Gothic its northern equivalent dates from c1300 within the period often referred to as the Transitional era between that style and Decorated which follows in the early 14th century. That the build was still ongoing is shown by the latter style shown by the elaborate western tower complete with its slender broach-spire. It is likely that the remainder of the windows of the church originally dated from a similar period but for intervention during Victorian restoration. The medieval content is completed by the southern porch in a Perpendicular style from the late 14th century. The restoration, here in 1878-80, not only replaced many windows and refreshed generally it also rebuilt the chancel in a style derived from the 13th century with the new east window of a triplet of stepped lancets reminiscent of the earlier styles shown in the church. The short lane, passing what appear to be almshouses, lacks easy parking so better to find a place in the village and approach on foot. Frustratingly for the photographer the church sits tight in the embrace of trees to its south in the southern corner of the churchyard, most other angles are available, however.