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

The Parish

The parish of Ilminster lies in southern Somerset not too far from the joint border with neighbouring Devon & Dorset. Ilminster is located roughly 12 miles southeast of the county town of Taunton and a similar distance west of the large market town of Yeovil, it sat on the A303 road connecting London with Exeter until that road, thankfully, was transferred onto a bypass to Ilminster's north. Ilminster is a market town and regional centre which mainly consists of two streets at its heart, the northern of the two being the former A303 whilst leaving and then rejoining it to its south lies Silver Street. The east to west route forms the main axis which has been expanded mainly to the south in modern times by new developments. Ilminster has a long history as a market, it is believed by some to have been created as such in Saxon times, before the Norman Conquest, and the presence of the term "minster" in its name suggests those early origins. In addition to being the regional market for the exchange of, mainly, agricultural produce, Ilminster also was an important centre for specialist trades. Ilminster also had its industries with the traditional rural tanning businesses supplemented by wool & silk manufacturing, a local speciality was the construction of those infamous constricting shirt collars beloved by the Victorians. Modern developments came and went from Ilminster, a railway line connecting Ilminster with Taunton & continuing on to Chard is nowadays disused and in places used as a cycle track. Ilminster remains today an important regional market place and boosted by light industries still supports its many market town facilities. Ilminster is drained northwards by the River Isle which heads off into the Somerset Levels, joining with the Yeo to form the Parrett it eventually reaches the outer Bristol Channel through the port of Bridgwater. Ilminster is sited at around 50 metres above the sea, its western edges at the Isle some 20 metres lower whilst its southern suburbs are an equivalent height higher, views southwards are influenced by a steep escarpment rising to 238 metres on St Rayn Hill some 4 miles to the southeast, the local high point in rolling countryside. Ilminster parish was a slightly odd shape, resembling the twin arms of a crab or lobster claw lying on its side and enclosing Donyatt parish within the jaws, the parish acreage of almost 4,100 acres made it one of the larger in its county and within that acreage the town would have supported a population of just over 3,200 parishioners. Even by Domesday times Ilminster was of sufficient size as to be in the largest 20% of settlements recorded by population in that book, held by Muchelney Abbey it was a very wealthy holding offering 23 ploughs, extensive meadows & woodland and had no fewer than 3 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church stands between the twin parallel streets that form central Ilminster, on the northern side of Silver Street from which the grandest views are had. The church is a mighty construct, at 112 feet (34 metres) in length it is built to impress which it certainly achieves. Whilst an earlier building once stood here today's church represents almost a complete single build in the Perpendicular style of the 14th century. culminating it the church's defining central crossing tower standing proudly above the intersection of nave & chancel with the transepts. Pevsner speculates that the design is derived from that used for nearby Wells Cathedral and is clearly intended to produce symmetry in each of its main faces where each is a grid of square-headed panels. The proof of a single build is well illustrated by the consistency in design of the tracery which match across the church. The one exception to the single build is the northern transept which Pevsner describes as "a glasshouse" because of the splendour of its windows. Like most churches restorations in more modern times have reshaped parts, this work began in Georgian times when the aisles were raised in height in 1825 and the upper portion of the nave, including the clerestory was also rebuilt.Further phases followed, the chancel roof was restored in 1882, the reredos was completed in 1912 and the internal roofing was also replaced as recently as 1934. All of this work, however, did little to diminish the splendour of this fine market town Perpendicular church. Parking in the town is difficult due to narrow streets and it is best to find a town car park to make an extended visits to the church. The best approach is by the sweeping pathway from Silver Street which curves away from the small flight of steps leading up from the street into the churchyard, from here there are uninterrupted views for the photographer seeking to record this splendid church.