St Mary’s

Gazing upon St Mary’s, imagine Cambridge buzzing with medieval life. The year is 1205. King John grants St Mary-by-the-Market, as St Mary’s was then known, to Thomas de Chimeleye. This marks the first documented mention of this church, a cornerstone of Cambridge history. Fast forward to 1209. Oxford scholars arrive, seeking refuge and finding it in Cambridge. They adopt St Mary’s, transforming it into the heart of the burgeoning university. Lectures, debates, and ceremonies fill its hallowed halls for two centuries, until the Senate House is built in 1730. St Mary’s remains vital, serving both town and gown. It acts as a stage for both joyous celebrations and simmering tensions between townspeople and university members. This friction ignites during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. The mayor leads a charge into St Mary’s, destroying precious university records. Sadly, this explains why Cambridge’s archives are less extensive than Oxford’s. Tragedy strikes again in 1290 when a fire engulfs St Mary’s. The surrounding thatched roofs and market stalls offer no resistance to the flames. Rebuilding commences in 1478, resulting in the magnificent perpendicular style we admire today. John Wastell, who also worked on King’s College Chapel, crafts the church’s intricate stone tracery. Henry VII donates oak for the roof, though it later emerges he took them from the Abbot of Westminster without permission. A new roof is later built above the original, preserving both. The Reformation dramatically reshapes St Mary’s. Martin Bucer, a prominent Protestant reformer, preaches here and is buried in the church in 1551. His funeral draws an enormous crowd, a testament to his influence. However, during Queen Mary’s reign, Bucer’s body is exhumed and burned. His remains are later returned to the church under Elizabeth I. The church tower is finally completed in 1608, almost a century after the nave. The bells, previously housed in the churchyard, are moved. The Society of Cambridge Youths, founded in 1724, continues the bell-ringing tradition to this day. The clock, installed in 1577 and still functioning, marks time with the famous “Cambridge Quarters,” later adopted by Big Ben. St Mary’s stands as the official center of Cambridge. From the tower, the first English milestones are measured. Additions are made, including the University Organ, acquired from St James’ Church in Piccadilly. Galleries are added in 1735 to accommodate larger congregations, though some are later removed. Through the centuries, St Mary’s, has been a witness to history. Its walls echo with the voices of scholars, reformers, and townspeople. St Mary’s continues to serve as a vital hub for the university and the city of Cambridge, connecting the past with the present.