St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent is the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

Newark-on-Trent Newark-on-Trent () or Newark is a market town and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is on the River Trent, and was historically a major inland port. The A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road bypasses th ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

, England. It is dedicated to

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

and is the tallest structure in the town. There has been a church on this site for 1,000 years. The present church is built in the Gothic style, with parts dating from the 12th century. St Mary Magdalene's is one of the largest parish churches in England and is regarded as one of the finest. It is a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. St Mary Magdalene's is an active parish church, with nine services per week and serving the community with youth and children's programmes. The church has a ring of bells, fine organ and a choir founded in 1532. In his 2009 book ''England's Thousand Best Churches'',

Simon Jenkins Sir Simon David Jenkins FLSW (born 10 June 1943) is a British author, a newspaper columnist and editor. He was editor of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1976 to 1978 and of ''The Times'' from 1990 to 1992. Jenkins chaired the National Trust f ...

awards the church four stars, saying: "Built over the two centuries of

Perpendicular In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', � ...

ascendancy after the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

, it piles high above its constricted urban site. A style so often dull is here exhilarating, the vistas mystic, the furnishings rich... The Nave is a wonder of proportion. Pevsner attributes this to the old Decorated plan, giving the aisles breadth, while the later masons added height."

History

The present church is the third on this site.Pask, B. M. (1995), ''The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene'', The District Church Council of The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark, In about 1180 the church was substantially rebuilt, with a crypt that still exists. The piers of the crossing, and the west tower, date from around 1220, and the spire from about 100 years later. The greater part of the church (the nave with its aisles and clerestory, and the chancel) are 15th century, with transepts and chapels added in the early 16th century. The mid 19th century saw a thorough restoration by Sir

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

, and there was further restoration in the 20th century by Sir

Ninian Comper Sir John Ninian Comper (10 June 1864 – 22 December 1960) was a Scottish architect, one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival architects. His work almost entirely focused on the design, restoration and embellishm ...

and others.

Architecture

The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark, is a large Gothic church, with aisled and clerestoried nave and chancel, transepts, and a single tower topped by a spire, at the western end. On the south side is a two-storey porch with a library over it. There is a vestry to the side of the south chancel aisle. The exterior has crenellated parapets, except on the south aisle, where the west end terminates in a large gable and is set with a tall window, making the west front asymmetrical. The material is ashlar masonry.

Tower

The west tower rises at the end of the nave, framed by the ends of the aisles. It dates from about 1220, and is in the

Early English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed a ...

style, with simple lancet openings and arcading but set with a later large window with

tracery. The tower is 115 feet (35 metres) high, topped by a tall, octagonal spire some 117 feet (36 metres) high, making a total height of 232 feet (71 metres) to the base of the weathervane. There is a visible hole in the spire which is claimed to have been made by a

musket ball A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...

during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. The tower holds a peal of ten bells by

John Taylor & Co John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell (instrument), bell foundry. It is locat ...

of Loughborough, dating from 1842. The tenor is in C at 533.5 Hz and weighs 31cwt, 1qr, 11 lb (). For many years the clock in the church tower was the only chronicler of hours in the town, except for one at Nicholson's foundry. By the end of the 19th century it was erratic, and a new clock was gifted by the Mayor, Alderman B. Tidd Pratt, and set going on 14 July 1898. It has three diameter and one diameter dials and a mechanism by Joyce of Whitchurch, dated 1898. It sounds Westminster Quarters. It was converted to electrical power in 1971 by Smith of Derby.

Interior

The central piers remain from the previous church, dating from the 11th or 12th century. The upper parts of the tower and spire were completed about 1350; the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

dates from between 1384 and 1393, and the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

from 1489. The sanctuary is bounded on the south and north by two chantry chapels, the former of which has on one of its panels a remarkable painting from the

Dance of Death The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory from the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of death, summoning represen ...

. There are a few old monuments, and an exceedingly fine

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

of the 14th century. The library above south porch was presented by Bishop White in 1698. On the north wall hangs the oil painting ''The Raising of Lazarus'' by William Hilton RA. It was previously used as an altarpiece for the high altar. The chapel of St George was decorated by W.D. Caroe around 1920. The chapel of the Holy Spirit was decorated by

Sir Ninian Comper Sir John Ninian Comper (10 June 1864 – 22 December 1960) was a Scottish architect, one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects. His work almost entirely focused on the design, restoration and embellishment of churches, and the desi ...

in 1930. The

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

, given in 1937 in memory of William Bradley and his wife Elizabeth, was also designed by Comper. The church was designated a

, being of outstanding architectural or historic interest, on 29 September 1950.

Restoration

The roofs of the whole of the south aisle, nave and chancel were restored between 1850 and 1852. The whole of the west window was revealed when the floor of the ringing chamber, formerly on a level with the transom of the window, was raised. The church was heavily restored between 1853 and 1855 by

Sir George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

. The plastered ceilings were removed, and replaced with oak. The galleries and pews were removed, the stonework of the pillars, arches and windows was cleaned and repaired. The floor was levelled and concreted and in the nave laid with black and red Minton tiles. The chancel was fitted with encaustic tiles. A new

Ancaster stone Ancaster stone is Middle Jurassic Oolite, oolitic limestone, quarried around Ancaster, Lincolnshire, Ancaster, Lincolnshire, England. There are three forms of this limestone: weatherbed, hard white and freestone. Ancaster stone is a generic term f ...

replaced Hinton's picture, which was moved to the north transept. The screen had its paint removed, and was restored. The old stalls, miserere seats, and desks were repaired and restored. The organ was moved from the

rood loft The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...

, and placed in the south chancel aisle, with an entry to the vestry through the middle of it. The windows of the nave and transepts were renewed with Hartley's rough plate glass in quarries. The walls of the nave were lined to the height of six feed with oak panelling. It re-opened for worship on 12 April 1855 The spire was damaged in a lightning strike in May 1894. The weather cock was re-instated on 22 August 1894 witnessed by a large crowd of spectators. The nave roof, south porch and spire were restored in 1913.

The Magnus Bequest

The church is supported by the Magnus Bequest, a charitable foundation created in the early 1530s by

Thomas Magnus Thomas Magnus (1463/4–1550) was an English churchman, administrator and diplomat. Life Archdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire 1504, Magnus was employed on diplomatic missions 1509–19 and 1524–7. He was present at the Field of the Clo ...

, who gave farms and lands in south

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

and Nottinghamshire for a fourfold purpose: * The establishment and endowment of a free grammar school; * The provision and endowment of a song school to ensure the maintenance of a high standard of worship in the parish; * the provision of a sufficient sum to guarantee the efficient administration of the bequest and proper upkeep of the farms and lands from which the income was to be derived; * the provision of occasional sums to be used for the general well-being of the church or the town (if there be any surplus after the first three objects had been fully accomplished).

Vicars of Newark

*1301 Walter Adam de Coddington *1320 William de Lincoln *1322 Rocelinus or Roslyn *1333 John de Leverton *1349 Thomas de Silkeston *1359 Thomas de Westburgh *1360 Roger de Leverton *1367 William de Nesse *1371 Roger de Leverton *1375 John de Seggefield *1378 John Sharp *1421 John More *1423 Thomas Marshe *1425 Robert Crosslande *1425 Nicholas Ferriby *1445 John Burton *1475 Nicholas Laughton *1476 John Tristrop *1479 John Smythe *1521 Edward Fowke *1521 Sampson Lorde *1532 Henry Lytherlande *1540/2 Robert Chapman *1550 Christopher Sugden *1554 John Taverham *1559 Christopher Sugden *1561 Edward Roodes *1573 Nicholas Clayton *1581 William Smythe *1585 Lawrence Staunton *1588 Edward Holden *1596 William Pell *1597 Bryan Vincent *1601 Joseph Batts *1612 Simon Jacks *1618 Edmund Mason *1628 Samuel Keemel *1629 John Moseley *1642 Henry Trewman *1655 Samuel Hawkes *1660 Thomas White, afterwards

Bishop of Peterborough The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire (including the Soke of Peterborough) and Rutland. The see is in ...

*1666 Richard Pearson *1667 Henry Smith, Prebendary of

Southwell Minster Southwell Minster_(church), Minster, strictly since 1884 Southwell Cathedral, and formally the Cathedral and Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Church of England cathedral in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. The cathedral is the s ...

*1702 Eli Stanfield *1719 Bemard Wilson, D.D. *1772 Hugh Wade *1776 Charles Fynes *1788 Davies Pennell *1814 William Bartlett *1835 John Garrett Bussell, B.A., Canon of

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, also called Lincoln Minster, and formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, is a Church of England cathedral in Lincoln, England, Lincoln, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Lincoln and is the Mo ...

*1874 Josiah Brown Pearson, LL.D. afterwards Bishop of Newcastle (Australia) *1880 Marshall Wild, M.A., Canon of

*1908 Walter Paton Hindley, M.A., Canon of

*1919 James Manders Walker, M.A., D.D., Canon of

*1929

William Kay William Kay may refer to: Politicians *William Kay (politician) (1829–1889) businessman and politician in South Australia *William A. Kay (1864-1931), American politician *William Frederic Kay (1876–1942), Canadian politician Sports *William ...

, DSM, M.C., M.A. Canon of

, afterwards

Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin with Saint Paul, is an Anglican (Church of England) cathedral situated in the heart of Blackburn town centre, in Lancashire, England. The cathedral site has ...

*1936 Alfred Parkinson, B.A., Canon of

*1944 Lewis Mervyn Charles-Edwards, afterwards

Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary (officer), head of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Worcester, Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title can be traced back to the foundation of the diocese in the ...

*1948 George William Clarkson, M.A., Canon of

, afterwards

Bishop of Pontefract The Bishop of Wakefield is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. Th ...

*1955 John H.D. Grinter, B.A., Canon of

*1963 Eric J. Kingsnorth, F.I.A., Canon of

*1975 Benjamin Hugh Lewers, M.A., Rector from 1980, afterwards Provost of

Derby Cathedral The Cathedral Church of All Saints, Derby, better known as Derby Cathedral, is a cathedral church in the city of Derby, England. In 1927, it was promoted from parish church status to that of a cathedral, creating a seat for the Bishop of ...

*1981 George Miller McMillan Thomson *1988 Roger Anthony John Hill, M.A., Canon of

*2003 Vivian John Enever *2014 Stephen Morris (Priest in charge) *2017 David Pickersgill (Priest in charge) *2021 Chris Lion (Rector)

Music

Organ

At the beginning of the 19th century a new organ, by

George Pike England George Pike England (ca.1765 – February 1815) was an English organ builder who was among the most prominent in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Life He was the son of organ builder George England and Mary Blasdale. He m ...

, with three manuals, was provided by the trustees of the Magnus, Brown's and Phyllypott's charities at a cost of £1,300. It was opened on 11 November 1804 by Thomas Spofforth. It was placed on the west gallery from where the choir sang services. In 1814 the organ was re-located on the chancel screen and the choir returned to the chancel. In the 1850s the organ was rebuilt by

Forster and Andrews Forster and Andrews was a British organ building company between 1843 and 1924. The company was formed by James Alderson Forster (1818–1886) and Joseph King Andrews (1820–1896), who had been employees of the London organ builder J. C. Bisho ...

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

, provided with a new case and again re-located, this time to its present position in the south choir aisle. In 1866 the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by

Henry Willis Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in bus ...

. Willis virtually doubled the size of the instrument and its case, creating a large Romantic four-manual organ. The organ was again rebuilt by

William Hill & Sons William Hill & Son was one of the main organ builders in England during the 19th century. The founder William Hill was born in Spilsby, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, in 1789. He married Mary, the daughter of organ-builder Thomas Elliot (organ buil ...

in 1910 at the expense of Mrs Becher Tidd Pratt and family, and subsequently by

Hill, Norman and Beard William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Limited (commonly known as Hill, Norman and Beard) were a major pipe organ manufacturer originally based in Norfolk. History They were founded in 1916 by the merger of Norman and Beard and William Hill & So ...

in 1924, 1938, 1964 and 1978 when it was rebuilt and more voices added. It is now electrically operated by the Ellen Dynamic Transmission system which allows much greater mobility of the organ console, providing more direct contact with the congregation and the choir; it is the first four-manual instrument in the country to be so equipped, enabling a live performance to be electronically recorded and replayed automatically.

The choir

The Choral Foundation was set up by Thomas Magnus in 1532 and was said to be the only existing pre-reformation choir outside cathedrals and Oxbridge colleges. Girl choristers were admitted into the main choir from 2008. In February 2012 choral services stopped after a former Rector disbanded the choir. The choir was refounded in 2015. It has an emphasis on the training of young people, supported by the Magnus Bequest.

Masters of the Song School

There have been appointments since at least 1532. * Robert Kyrkbye 1532–1574 * Peter Newcombe c. 1590 * Edward Manestie until 1596 * George Fishburne 1596–1636? * Thomas Kingstone 1636–1641 * Thomas Heardson 1642–1649 * John Hinton 1649–1668 * John Barlow 1668 - * Roland Barlow 1679–1682 * William Farrow 1682–1709 * Thomas Farrow 1709–1712 * John Spencer 1712–1731 * John Murgatroyd 1731–1741 * Walter Cottingham 1741–1749 * Richard Justice 1749–1751 * Samuel Wise 1751–1754, latterly organist of

and

St Mary's Church, Nottingham The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest parish churchDomesday Book: A Complete Translation (Penguin Classics) of Nottingham, in Nottinghamshire, England. The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Spo ...

* Lloyd Rayner 1754–1756, later organist of

* Bailey Marley 1757–1758 * John Alcock 1758–1768 * Thomas Jackson 1768–1781 * John Calah 1782–1784 * William Hunter 1784–1802 * William Brydges 1802–1835 *

Edward Dearle Edward Dearle (2 March 1806 – 20 March 1891) was an organist and composer based in England. Life He was born in Cambridge in 1806 the son of John Dearle and Harriet Harrison, and was a chorister at King's College, Cambridge by John Pratt, the ...

1835–1864 * Samuel Reay 1864–1901 (formerly organist of St Thomas the Martyr, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne * Sydney Harry Franz Weale FRCO LRAM 1901–1903 * William Thompson Wright ARCO RCM 1903–1928 (formerly organist of St Leonard's Church, Newark) * William A Hall MusDoc 1928–1930 * Edward Francis Reginald Woolley MA ARCO 1930–1954 (assistant organist at

1926–1930) * Colin Ingleson FRCO 1954–1974 * Robert Edward Gillman 1974–1980 * Michael Overbury 1980–1986 (later organist of

Worksop Priory Worksop Priory (formally the Priory Church of Our Lady and Saint Cuthbert, Worksop) is a Church of England parish church and former priory in the town of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham and under the ...

) * John Webster 1986–1992 * Roger Bryan 1992–2006 * (''interregnum'') 2006–2008 * George Richford 2008–2012 (later Director of Music Portsmouth Cathedral, Professor of Music, Royal Marines School of Music) * (''interregnum'' 2012–2015) * Stephen Bullamore 2015 (Director of Music) -

Concerts

The church hosts several concerts, including a "Music for Market" series at lunchtime on Saturdays.

Assistant organists

* Henry Bramley Ellis ???? - 1864Lincolnshire Chronicle - Friday 11 March 1864 * Sydney Weale 1901–1903 (formerly assistant of

St David's Cathedral St Davids Cathedral () is a Church in Wales cathedral situated in St Davids, Britain's smallest city, in the county of Pembrokeshire, near the most westerly point of Wales. Early history A monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot o ...

, afterwards assistant at

) * Colin Ingleson FRCO, 1932–1954 * Mike Manners 1982 * Craig Nathan ARCO 1984 * John Shooter ARCO 1985 * Robert Sharpe 1989–1991 (formerly Assistant Organist of

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Chad in Lichfield, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Lichfield, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Lichfield and the principal church of the diocese ...

, Director of Music at

Truro Cathedral The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Truro, Cornwall. It was built between 1880 and 1910 to a Gothic Revival design by John Loughborough Pearson on the site of the parish church of St Mary. His ...

and now Director of Music at

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

.) * Charles Harrison 1991-1992 (formerly Assistant Director of Music at

and now Organist and Master of the Choristers at

Chichester Cathedral Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in West Sussex, England. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of th ...

.) * Donald Hunt 2011–2012 (formerly Organ Scholar of

(2009–2010) and

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

, Assistant Organist of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh) (2012-2017) * Harry Jacques ARCO 2015-2017 * Michael Dutton FRCO 2017-2023 * Elizabeth Harwood 2023-

Gallery

File:St Mary Magdalene's church, Newark 013.JPG, The

File:St Mary Magdalene's church, Newark 014.JPG,

panels File:St Mary Magdalene's church, Newark 012.JPG, Chancel roof File:St Mary Magdalene's church, Newark 016.JPG, The organ File:St Mary Magdalene's church, Newark 017.JPG, West window File:St Mary Magdalene's church, Newark 006.JPG, West tower and spire, from the Market Place File:St.Mary Magdalene's church - geograph.org.uk - 332736.jpg, From the east, tall seven-light chancel window flanked by two five-light aisle windows, all three from 1498 File:Newark, St Mary Magdalene church, s2 detail 2e (43307558245).jpg, 15th-century stained glass, south aisle, depicting The Ascension File:St Marys Newark.JPG, St Mary's from Kirkgate

References

Other sources

* ''The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire'',

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (195 ...

External links

holytrinitynewark.org

at interment.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Newark-on-Trent, St Mary Magdalene Church of England church buildings in Nottinghamshire Grade I listed churches in Nottinghamshire Major Churches Network

St Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...