Cardiff Contents

Cardiff St. Mary

Church History

Immediately south of the Norman borough lay a Benedictine priory founded by Robert Fitz Hamon in the 1080s. In 1221 a parochial aisle was added, and other additions were made later. In the early 17th century Speed depicted it as a cruciform buildingwith a central tower. It was then under threat of undermining by the Taff and the parish transferred to St. John's. St. Mary's collapsed c1670. Little now remains at grid reference ST155803
[From The Old Parish Churches of Gwent, Glamorgan & Gower, by Mike Salter.]

Church Records

This Parish was attached to Cardiff St. John from 1607 until 1842

The church is dedicated to Cardiff St. Mary and St. Stephen, is in the Benefice of Cardiff St. Mary and St. Stephen with Cardiff St. Dyfrig and St. Samson, and diocese of Llandaff. Details of the present incumbent of this benefice can be found at the Church in Wales website. The church can be located at grid reference ST186756.

Details of extant records on Archives Network Wales for the following;

• St. Mary Ecclesiastical Parish records     "The first parish church of Cardiff, which was dedicated to St. Mary, was founded by Robert Fitzhammon and situated on the banks of the river Taff in the late 11th century. ........................When St. Mary's church was badly damaged by floods in 1607, the parish was attached to St. John in the centre of the town, until its re-establishment as a separate parish in 1849 after a new site in Bute Street for St. Mary's Church was donated by Lord Bute......"
  ".......... including registers of baptisms, 1843-1993; marriages, 1855-1971; banns, 1902-1910; burials, 1848-1918; services, 1884-1922; miscellaneous and civil records, 1903-1914"

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