St Mary's Church, Southampton
| St. Mary's Church, Southampton | |
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| Church of St. Mary with Holy Trinity | |
St. Mary's Church
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 St. Mary's Church, Southampton
Shown within Southampton
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| 50°54′10″N 1°23′42″W / 50.90287°N 1.39506°WCoordinates: 50°54′10″N 1°23′42″W / 50.90287°N 1.39506°W | |
| Location | Southampton, Hampshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Parish of Southampton (City Centre) |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Mary |
| Consecrated | June 1956 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Listed building – Grade II |
| Architect(s) | G. E. Street |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Early English |
| Groundbreaking | 1878 |
| Completed | 1884, rebuilt in 1954–56 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 200ft |
| Materials | Exterior: Purbeck stone Interior: Bath stone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Southampton (City Centre) |
| Deanery | Southampton |
| Archdeaconry | Bournemouth |
| Diocese | Winchester |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Bishop of Southampton |
| Rector | Revd Dr Julian Davies |
| Vicar(s) | Revd Tim Daykin |
| Curate(s) | Revd Phil Hand |
| Chaplain(s) | Vacant |
St. Mary's Church, Southampton, is the largest church in the city of Southampton, England, and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century. In 1917, the sound of the church bells inspired the writing of the song, "The Bells of St. Mary's", later sung by Bing Crosby in the film of the same name.
The church stands at the southern end of St. Mary Street, on the east side at the corner of Chapel Road, with the buildings of Southampton City College to the north and east, in a quiet oasis of green surrounded by large trees which from a distance hide all but the spire.
The present church is the sixth on the site of the Saxon town of Hamwic (Hamtun).
The first church at Hamwic is thought to have been built around AD 634 when Saint Birinus arrived at the port on his mission to re-convert England to its former Christian faith. About this time, the first small church of St. Mary was built on the present site. During the Viking raids of 994, Olaf I of Norway is believed to have worshipped at the church while camped at Woolston prior to his return to Norway.
The first recorded priest and holder of the benefice was named as Richerius (1086). In the Domesday Book, it is stated that the church is "held by Richerius thd(sic) Clerk, with two other churches near Southampton, dependent on it as the mother-church, and Richerius owns in right of his benefice all the tithes of the town of Southampton and also of Kingsland".
The Saxon town survived many invasions and ravages by the Danes but eventually fell into decline and in the time of King Canute in the 11th century the population moved to the safety of the Norman medieval settlement to the west, with St. Michael's Church being first built in 1070. However, St. Mary's continued to be of significant importance as the Mother Church, with its claims to tithes, burial rights and privileges reflecting its status. A document of 1281 appears to confirm the status of St. Mary's as a collegiate church and as the principal church of Southampton.
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Wikipedia