From a very early period this church enjoyed the privilege of a Royal Free Chapel, exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop. This peculiar jurisdiction remained till the recent Act of Parliament (1846) restored it to the Bishop of the Diocese, and was held by lease, at an annual rent of £1 6s. 8d. of the Corporation, to whom Queen Elizabeth granted it by charter, dated 23rd May, 1571. The Minister was usually, though not necessarily, the lessee, and his style was “Ordinary and Official, Principal of the Peculiar and Exempt Jurisdiction of the Free Royal Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” In his Court wills were proved, letters of administration were granted, and all ecclesiastical matters, arising within the parish and its subordinate chapelries, adjudicated. The Official also granted marriage licenses, and licenses to the curacies of St. Mary and its chapelries. The appointment to the living was vested by Act of Parliament, passed in 1801, in the Corporation, who in their choice are directed to give the preference to the son of a burgess who has been educated at the Free School, or to one born in the parish of Chirbury, in this county. The Minister is, _ex-officio_, Public Preacher of the town. The parish of Saint Mary includes about a fourth part of the whole town, nearly the entire suburb of the Castle Foregate, and extends several miles into the country. Within these sacred walls the Pope’s Legatees held their court in 1232, for the adjustment of the differences subsisting between Henry III. and Llewellin, Prince of Wales. In 1642, the unhappy Charles I., during his residence at the Council-House, attended divine service here, received the Sacrament, and made solemn protestations of his fidelity to the principles of the reformed religion. This fine structure is cruciform, and consists of a nave, side-aisles, transept, chancel, two chauntry chapels, and a tower at the western end, crowned with a lofty and elegant spire. In the architecture three very distinct styles are conspicuous: the Anglo-Norman of the 12th century, in the basement of the nave, most of the doors, and other portions; the lancet style of the 13th century, in the chancel and transept; and the more obtuse arch of the 15th century, in the clere-story, side-aisles, chapels, &c. with a few trifling additions of later date. The dimensions of the church are Feet In. Length from east to west, including steeple 160 0 Length of transept 90 0 Breadth of nave and side-aisles 50 0 Height of steeple 220 2 Height of steeple from the level of the river 300 0