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

The Parish

The parish of Kingston St Mary lies in the western portion of central Somerset roughly 4 miles north of the county town of Taunton. Kingston St Mary sits in an area devoid of significant numbered roads, the closest such road being the A358 linking Taunton with Williton and which runs over 3 miles to the southwest of Kingston St Mary. Kingston St Mary is a rather linear village sitting at the southern end of the Quantock range of hills, most properties run along lanes stretching westwards from the church for a round a half mile, its position gave the parish access to the rough grazing of the Quantocks as well as more productive soils in the Vale of Taunton where a mixture of pasture and arable prevailed. In addition the limestone underlying the Quantocks was exploited by quarrying mainly for local building and road mending. Several small backs drain the parish southwards crossing broken terrain to reach the River Tone to the west of Taunton, the Tone trends east and then northwards to meet with the Parrett and exit as that river to the outer Bristol Channel through the port of Bridgwater. Kingston St Mary is sited at on a rising site from 60 to 100 metres rising from west to east, the Quantocks rise, however, from the northern edges of the village soon reaching 200 metres regularly and summitting at the isolated knoll of Cothelstone Hill topping out at 330 metres on its tumuli bedecked top. By the standards of its county Kingston St Mary parish was a large one, covering some 3.400 acres and supporting a population of close to 900 parishioners. Kingston St Mary is not, however, mentioned directly in Domesday Book but the area of the parish is covered by the manor of Tetton, around 1 1/2 miles to the northwest, a holding of Earl Hugh of Chester offering 3 ploughs plus meadows, pastures and woodland and also by the second manor of Upper Cheddon, a similar distance but to the southeast, held by Roger Arundel that manor held 6 ploughs, the usual meadows, pastures and woodland but also held a mill making it the more wealthy holding.

The Church

St Mary's church stands at the eastern end of the village on the highest ground within that village. Pevsner immediately remarks on the similarity of the western tower, its graceful talking point, to similar features at Isle Abbots, Staple Fitzpaine and Huish Episcopi speculating a common hand was behind all 4. Outwardly the church is a classic example of the later medieval style of the Perpendicular and late within that era so probably 15th rather than late 14th in its design. However, when Pevsner steps inside he reveals a much earlier history as the 4-bay arcades show circular piers and double-chamfered arches that date to the 13th century. Given this Early English Gothic (or Transitional) period it is clear that the church was thoroughly rebuilt in the 15th century to the point where almost all trace of the predecessor was removed, the arcades tell the true story. The western tower is, however, the church's crowning glory a buttressed, battlemented and pinnacled tribute to the glory of mature Perpendicular. A modest Victorian restoration of 1876 served only to replace a few aisle windows as part of a general refresh leaving the Perpendicular intact. Whilst Church Lane which serves the church is narrow the verge is widened west of the main entrance allowing a car or two to get off road. From here a sloping pathway leads to the church for its stands well-above road height. Whilst the churhyard has a few isolated trees dotted around they do not significantly impede the photographer.