page_title: St Mary's Church, Hitchin
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: St Mary's Church, Hitchin / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The baptismal font of St Mary's Church in Hitchin
context_page_description: St Mary's Church is a Church of England parish church in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England.
  St Mary's Church is the largest parish church in Hertfordshire, and is remarkably large for a town of the size of Hitchin—this has been cited as evidence of how Hitchin prospered from the wool trade. The present church stands on the site of two previous churches and dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, with its tower dating from around 1190. The church has been Grade I listed since 1951.
  During the laying of a new floor in the church in 1911, foundations of a more ancient Saxon church building were found. In form, they appear to be a basilican church of a 7th-century type, with a later enlarged chancel and transepts, perhaps added in the 10th century. These may have been the remains of a Benedictine monastery said to have been first on the site and to have been founded by Offa, King of Mercia.
context_section_description: In 910 the church and its adjoining palace were burnt down and the monks left Hitchin for St Albans Abbey following which local people used stones from the ruined church to build a new parish church. In the Domesday Book of 1086 St Mary's is listed as the most important church in the Deanery of St. Albans. The church was partially destroyed during the 'Great Wind' of 1115 after which the nave had to be completely rebuilt; the church was struck by lightning in 1292 which caused great damage, while in 1298 the centre of the church collapsed as the result of an earthquake. Six years later in 1304, possibly weakened by the earthquake, the roof collapsed damaging monuments and relics inside the building. The church was rebuilt with flint, rubble and stone from Totternhoe in 1305. In 1220 the nuns and Bishop Hugh of Lincoln endowed a vicarage at the church.
  The present church building dates mostly from the 14th and 15th centuries and was originally dedicated to St Andrew, but came to be known as The Church of St Mary due to the powerful and influential Guild of our Lady founded in the 15th century. The south porch, with its original door and described as "the chief glory of the church", was added in about 1450.
caption: The baptismal font dates from about 1470
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