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St Mary's Centre
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St Mary's is situated on top of a Hill behind the castle , to the south west of the city, inside the city walls. It is one of the nine original medieval parish churches. It is in the Perpendicular style dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. The church contains many fine memorials. St Mary's is no longer a church. It is now owned by the County Council. It is now used as a meeting place/venue and education centre. St Mary's is not normally open to the public.
The church was given to the abbot of St Werburgh's by Ranulph the forth Earl of Chester.
The first record of a Church on the site comes after the Normal conquest in 1153.
The roof is supposed to come from Basingwerke Abbey in Flintshire after its dissolution in 1536.
Full-length effergies of Thomas Gamul (Died 1613) and his wife (Died 1640).
A young Sir Francis Gamul depicted reading on the family tomb in St Mary's.
If you walk up St Mary's Hill you can access Chester Crown Courts and Chester Castle. Click on the picture for more information.
At the west end of the church is the tower and ditch, separating the church from the castle.
The church is surrounded on all sides by a small graveyard. The headstones have been removed and broken up to form a wall along the path.
The graveyard of St Mary's was used to bury execution victims from the near by Castle.
The following entries appear in the parish records :
1631 - 'Thomas Laceby, a prisoner, pressed to death, buried in the churchyard on the north side of the steeple on the 23rd day of April. John Johnson, Joan Broome and Katherine Crosse, three persons that were executed, buried at the west end of the steeple in the churchyard the 25th day of April'.
1656 'Three witches hanged at Michaelmas Assizes, buried in the corner by the Castle Ditch in the churchyard 8th of October'.
Here lies the body of Richard Monksfield, Butcher.
Who died on the 27th December 1644.
Tim Oee Buckle
1647
Memorial to Edmund Gamul
The Tomb of William Brock
Memorial to Philip Oldfeld, who died in 1616.
The board reads
William Troutbeck and xxxxxx Esquire.
Chamberlain of Chester.
Sir William Troutbeck and Grandson.
Sergeant of the Bridge Gate.
And the other members of the Family.
Who Here Lie Buried.
The Tablet is Placed By
The Reverend John Troutbeck D.D.
Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen.
And Minor Cannon of Westminster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Mary-on-the-Hill,_Chester
Ringing in Chester, by Phil Burton
Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers
http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/HOD000231E
http://www.parascience.org.uk/articles/chester.htm
http://www.ents24.com/web/venue/27501/Chester/St_Marys_Centre.html