THE CHURCH AND PARISH OF 
S. /AARTIN-CU/A-GREGORY. 
By George Benson, a.r.i.b.a. 
HE portion of York lying on the western bank of the 
-*■ river was a flourishing district in the time of the Roman 
occupation of Britain, for excavations have revealed extensive 
Roman baths, temples, villas and graves, showing the area was 
occupied by a civilian population. It is known from remains 
that the walled-in military station was on the eastern side of 
the river. 
When Christian missionaries visited Roman Y 7 ork, they 
naturally came to the civilian suburb and took their stand on 
the top of the ground rising from the river, and there preached 
the gospel of Christ. The missionaries made converts and 
founded a Christian church, and in course of time the district 
was organised and a Bishop placed over it, with his seat at 
York, for in 314 it is recorded that the Bishop of York was 
present at the Church Council at Arles. That there were 
Christians in York at that period has been proved by the 
finding within a Roman stone coffin of a Latin inscription 
signifying “ Sister, farewell, live in God.” 
The cathedral and residence of the Bishop of Y'ork was on 
what is still called the Bishop’s Hill. The greater part of the 
tower of Bishophill Junior is built of Roman masonry. The 
foundation of S. Martin’s tower is also built of Roman masonry 
(Plate I. Fig. 1) evidently taken from a Roman temple, but 
unfortunately in the reign of Edward VI. the whole of the 
Tower above the plinth was taken down. 
S. Martin, to whom the church is dedicated, served in the 
Roman army which he left when forty years of age to devote 
himself to the service of God. He became Bishop of Tours 
and subsequently retired to a cell a short distance from 
Tours, and hence arose the famous monastery of S. Martin at 
