Parish boundaries: St Mary-the-Virgin
The original parish boundary of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin remained unchanged until 2009, when it took in the parish of St Cross with St Peter-in-the East, making the parish about three times as big as it was before.
The six inscriptions below all have a St Andrew’s cross.
The first two mark the former parish boundary of St Mary’s with St John the Baptist Church (now Merton College Chapel): its parish incorporated into that of St Peter-in-the-East in 1891. The third marks the boundary of St Mary’s with St Peter-in-the-East (now deconsecrated and used as St Edmund Hall Library). The parish of St Peter-in-the-East was incorporated into that of St Cross. Following the deconsecration of that church, its parish has been taken into that of St Mary-the Virgin, making these boundary stones quite redundant.
E end of All Souls College, High Street
Formerly parish boundary of St Mary-the-
Virgin and St Peter-in-the-East
Latterly boundary of St Mary/St Cross
5 Bear Lane
Formerly parish boundary of St Mary-
the-Virgin and All Saints
Now boundary of St Mary/St Michael
Brasenose Lane
The point where St Mary-the-Virgin,
All
Saints,
and St Michael-at-the-Northgate parish once met
Now boundary of St Mary/St Michael
South side of Bodleian Library, west corner
Formerly parish boundary of
St Mary-the-Virgin and All Saints
Now boundary of St Mary/St Michael
6 Magpie Lane
Formerly parish boundary of St Mary-the-Virgin
and St John the Baptist (now Merton Chapel)
Marked SJB
Latterly boundary of St Mary/St Cross
7 Magpie Lane
Formerly parish boundary of St Mary-the-Virgin
and St John the Baptist (now Merton Chapel)
Dated 1818 and marked CJ?W
Latterly boundary of St Mary/St Cross
Magpie Lane
Formerly parish boundary of St Mary-the-Virgin
and St John the Baptist (now Merton Chapel)
Latterly boundary of St Mary/St Cross
The Church of St Mary the Virgin has other boundary markers inside University, Brasenose, All Souls, Hertford,, and Oriel Colleges: these are not on the public highway and so are not shown here.
The beating of the bounds of St Mary the Virgin Church
In medieval times the annual “beating of the bounds” confirmed the extent of a parish’s jurisdiction and responsibilities. The only two Oxford churches which keep up the custom today are the City Church of St Michael-at-the-Northgate, and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and both beat the bounds on Ascension Day. As can be seen from the chalked “SMNG” on two of the above stones, St Michael’s also marks some of the boundary stones put up by St Mary’s, as the two parishes are contiguous.
Following Ascension Day communion at 8.30am, the Vicar sets out from St Mary-the-Virgin Church with the congregation and some boys from New College School. The procession first stops at the cross on the outside wall of Brasenose College on the High: that happens to be a St Michael’s cross, but all the rest are the diagonal ones of St Mary-the-Virgin, starting with two inside Brasenose College. The procession then moves up to the marker at the south-west corner of the Bodleian Library, and on to Broad Street to the one on a pillar of the Clarendon Building. It then goes back down Catte Street to All Souls College, and beats the markers inside. It then goes on to beat the two markers in University College, and the boys are rewarded with sweets thrown from an upstairs window (it used to be burning-hot coins). One marker gets beaten in Magpie Lane, and two inside Oriel College; and the job is then done.