Oxford St. Martin was one of the oldest parishes in the city, and the most central, being situated at the crossroads long known as Carfax (hence the church was often known as Carfax Church).
From at least the 12th century, St. Martin developed very close links with the city government, analogous with those between St. Mary the Virgin and the University. The Corporation had reserved seating in St. Martin, attended special services there, and in addition subsidised the church considerably, such as with its endowment of 'City Lecturers', who were to preach sermons on Sunday afternoons, an institution begun in 1585/6.
The original church of St. Martin underwent several changes. One of the most important was that in front of the east wall had been a covered seating area known as 'Penniless Bench', once used for meetings of the Mayor and Corporation, but later a haunt of beggars. This no doubt led to its removal in 1747.
As for the church itself, by the early 19th century its condition had deteriorated so badly that in 1819 it was decided to demolish it and build a replacement, keeping only the bell tower. The new church was built between 1820 and 1822 to designs of Harris and Plowman, and was larger than its predecessor.
This was, in the long run, to the parish's disadvantage, because the new larger church constricted traffic at Carfax. In 1890, therefore, the Oxford Corporation Act declared that at the next vacancy in either St. Martin or All Saints, the church of St. Martin should be handed over to the City Council, and the parish united with Oxford All Saints.
In 1895, a vacancy took place, and on 15 Mar 1896, the last service was held in the church before it was completely demolished, save for the medieval bell tower, which is still in place. Several monuments from St. Martin's church were moved to All Saints, and human remains from the church and the churchyard were removed to the St. Martin portion of Holywell cemetery. All Saints now became the official city church for Oxford (for records on this area after 1896, therefore, PAR189, the records of Oxford All Saints, should be consulted).
The records of Oxford St. Martin were all handed over to All Saints, and were deposited from there with the Bodleian Library in 1967, before being transferred here. PAR207/4/F1/4 was however not deposited there until 1978, by which time All Saints had itself been closed, and its parish incorporated with St. Michael at the Northgate. An appendix gives a concordance of old and new references.
Catalogued by Robin Darwall-Smith in November 1997.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
C.J.H. Fletcher 'A History of the Church and Parish of St. Martin (Carfax), Oxford' (Oxford 1896).
The Victoria County History of Oxfordshire, Vol. IV (Oxford City), pp.384-387.
There are frequent references to St.Martin's church in the Acts of Oxford Council.