St Mary's Church, Stafford is a Grade I listed parish church in

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...

, Staffordshire, England.

History

The church dates from the early 13th century, with 14th century transepts and 15th century clerestories and crossing tower. Excavations in 1954 revealed the adjacent late Anglo-Saxon church of St Bertelin. The church was collegiate when recorded in the Domesday Book when there were 13 Prebendary Canons. It became a Royal Peculiar around the thirteenth century, exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop, but this caused conflict and culminated in December 1258 when the new bishop Roger de Meyland came to Stafford with many armed men who forced entry and assaulted the canons, chaplains, and clerks. The church survived as a collegiate institution until the dissolution of colleges and chantries in 1548.

Deans of Stafford

Post reformation history

For several generations the Aston family, who held the Scots title Lord Aston of Forfar, acted as patrons, despite the fact that the entire family converted to the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

faith in the 1620s. When the 2nd Lord Aston, who was very popular locally, died in 1678, hundreds of Protestants attended the burial at St Mary's of a man they all knew well to be a Catholic. The church was heavily restored 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 ...

between 1841 and 1844.

Monuments

The church contains *Chest tomb to Sir Edward Aston d. 1568 *Wall tablet to Thomas (d. 1787) and Barbara Clifford (d. 1786) by John Francis Moore *Wall tablet to Humphrey Hodgetts (d. 1730) *Wall tablet to

Izaak Walton Izaak Walton (baptised 21 September 1593 – 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of ''The Compleat Angler'' (1653), he also wrote a number of short biographies including one of his friend John Donne. They have been ...

(d. 1683)

Other burials

* Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford * Walter Aston, 2nd Lord Aston of Forfar

Organ

The church has large four manual organ by Harrison and Harrison dating from 1909. It has been awarded a Grade I Historic Organ Certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. The second organ dates from 1790 when John Geib installed it at a cost of £820. It was rebuilt in 1844 by John Banfield, and then Hill, Norman & Beard in 1974. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

* George Baker 1794 – 1810 *Edwin Shargool 1841 – 1875 *Inglis Bervon 1875 – 1880 *Ebenezer William Taylor 1880 – 1904 *John Cooper Green

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stafford Buildings and structures in Stafford Church of England church buildings in Staffordshire Grade I listed churches in Staffordshire Former collegiate churches in England Former Royal Peculiars