In a message dated 17/03/2007 21:45:01 GMT Standard Time, [email protected] writes: St. Mary's Gateshead is the church you require. Microfilmed records of the marriage registers are held at Tyne & Wear Archives, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne and County Durham Record Office, County Hall, Durham City John: While what you say is quite correct, two things might add to the enquirer's understanding of what the full situation is. First, the actual registers are in Durham County Record Office though, of course, you would not normally be able to see them, just the microfilm copies. Gateshead Public Library also has microfilm copies. The BTs are in Durham University Library, Archives and Special Collections. Second, while St Mary's was indeed the sole parish church for Gateshead in 1800 and its registers show it have been a very busy one, with many baptisms, weddings and burials as it served the growing town of Gateshead, nevertheless it has had a long and chequered history, having had no fewer than three disastrous fires. The first was in Norman days when the mob trapped the unpopular Bishop of Durham inside and succeeded in "smoking him out" to meet a rapid end when he emerged. The second was during the "Great Fire" of 1854 when the church was caught up in the general conflagration, which began on Hillgate just a few yards away down the steep slope leading to the Tyne. The church in which the 1800 wedding took place was severely damaged on that occasion and although restored later, the tower had to be entirely replaced. The last fire was in the 1970s, after the movement of population away from the town centre had caused St Mary's to be declared redundant and it was standing empty. It is thought a rough sleeper had ignited a pile of rubbish, and as a result the tower was burnt out and the rest of the building was smoke-damaged. Eventually it was restored again and for a while it became a fine art auction room. For the past few years, however, St Mary's has been a general information centre/museum, publicising Gateshead in general, and basking in the reflected glory of having the Sage Concert Hall immediately on its east side and the Tyne Bridge on its west side. Among the items on display is at least one of the Churchwardens' Books from the 18th or 19th century. No doubt local County Record Offices will have a version of that book on microfilm! Geoff Nicholson