St Mary's Church c.1900.
It is possible that the original church
of St Mary’s was Saxon in origin, although there is
little concrete evidence to this effect. What is certain
is that the church was built on the site of a Roman
structure. The tower and western part of the nave
date from the 11th century. This Norman church was built
between 1066, when Saxon Dover was destroyed by the
Norman invaders, and 1086, when the Domesday Book lists
three churches in Dover. Although not named it has been
assumed that the three churches were St Mary’s, St
James’ and St
Peter’s.
The church is mentioned in a list of
possessions of Dover Priory
in 1180. In 1230 St Mary’s passed into the control of
the Maison Dieu, the Master
providing priests for the church until the Dissolution
in 1537, when the church was closed. The townspeople
petitioned Henry
VIII to let them have St Mary’s as a parish church,
and this was granted in 1544.
In 1581 the Mayor and Corporation moved
their official place of worship from St
Peter’s Church, which had fallen into disrepair,
to St Mary’s. Since then the church has been associated
with civic bodies, the Mayor and Corporation, the Cinque
Ports Pilots of Trinity House, and the Dover Harbour
Board, all have official seats in the church.
The Mayors of Dover and Members of
Parliament for Dover were elected in the church from
1581 until 1826. A barrier was placed down the centre
of the building to keep the rival factions apart, and
often there was bloodshed and the church desecrated
and made unfit for public worship.
St Mary’s present form dates from
the controversial restoration carried out in 1843 by
the then Vicar, Canon John Puckle. It was less restoration
and more complete rebuilding. The church was enlarged,
the south aisle extended to balance the north aisle,
and the roof raised and clerestory windows added. During
the rebuilding, original Norman piers and arches were
taken down, the stones numbered and then re-erected
in their new position. Only the tower escaped relatively
untouched. So the church as it is seen today is mainly
a Victorian construction.
St Mary’s is still very much the town’s
parish church. Many of the stained glass windows, put
in to replace those destroyed in World
War 2, commemorate the various historic associations
between the church and town.
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