Leicester St Martin, Leicestershire
Historical Description
St. Martin is one of the six ancient parishes in Leicester.
Church Records
The parish registers are famous, and date from the year 1558.
Findmypast, in association with the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland, have the following parish records online for Leicester, St Martin's:
Baptisms | Banns | Marriages | Burials |
---|---|---|---|
1558-1916 | 1653-1940 | 1558-1931 | 1558-1888 |
Churches
The Cathedral Church of St. Martin, the cathedral of the Diocese of Leicester, formerly St. Martins collegiate church, is a fine cruciform building of stone in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel with aisles, nave, north aisle, two south aisles, north porch and south porch, and central tower with octagonal broach spire, with three tiers of dormers: the tower contains 10 bells dating from 1560 to 1854: the second south aisle was built towards the close of the 13th century: the chancel is the property of the Crown, and it was rebuilt and the present two chapels added to it late in the Perpendicular period: the tower is 106 feet in height, and was built, as a successor to a Norman tower, in 1862: the spire was added in 1867, the total height being 220 feet: the north porch is a famous wooden 15th century porch, restored in 1880: the church was extensively restored in the 19th century under Raphael Brandon, G. E. Street R.A. and J. L. Pearson R.A. at a cost of about £25,000. Before its constitution as a cathedral on November 10th, 1926, it was largely altered and improved under Sir Charles Nicholson bart. all the pews being removed, a chancel screen and west gallery being added &c. The cathedral was hallowed in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury and a vast congregation on February 21st, 1927, and Bishop Bardsley, the first bishop, was enthroned on February 28th, 1927. The Snetzler organ was rebuilt about 1928 at the west end: the sacristy was built in 1927 from funds supplied by the Freemasons of Leicestershire.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Land and Property
A full transcript of the Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Leicestershire is online.
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Leicestershire newspapers online: