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

The Parish

The parish of Henley (commonly called Henley on Thames) is located in the extreme south of Oxfordshire, indeed it forms part of the boundary with both neighbouring Berkshire and also Buckinghamshire. Henley is, as its common name suggests, sited on the banks of Thames at the point where the A4130, Maidenhead to Wallingford road, crosses that river, it is roughly 23 miles southeast of Oxford and only 25 miles west of London. Henley is a substantial market town which has grown up at the river crossing and today is famous for its aquatic links, the Henley Regatta taking place annually on the straight stretch of the Thames to the north of the town (Henley Reach). With the construction of a branch line off the main Great Western Railway Henley grew substantially as it became a desirable place to live within commuting distance of London. Prior to this growth Henley was a local market for produce covering not only southern Oxfordshire but also adjacent parts of Berkshire & Buckinghamshire just across the river. It would have also have had a substantial area of arable crops within the parish. Henley is sited at around 40 metres above the sea and sits on the terrace above the level of the Thames which is 10 metres lower than the High Street. Henley parish was quite small and compact, it covered almost 1,600 acres making it small by Oxfordshire standards but supported over 3,500 parishioners. Strangely for such a large market town there is no specific mention of Henley in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church sits alongside the A4130, here named Hart Street, just above the crossing of the Thames and in a rather urban setting. Pevsner is rather unclear as to the dating of St Mary's and suggests its origins in the 13th century have been masked by later rebuilding and restoration. The original church has certainly been replaced externally almost completely during the passing of the centuries. There was in all likelihood substantial rebuilding of the church in both 14th & 15th centuries as Perpendicular style features were added to the Early English original and indeed much was also changed during the normal Victorian restorations. What stands today is a large, rather substantial, church which dominates the view of the town from the nearby Thames. The cheery chequer-board pattern is notable. St Mary is separated from the A4130 only by a low wall and is open to the street at both eastern and western ends. Given the proximity of buildings it is tricky to get far enough away and photography is best from the opposite side of the A4130.