England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Hatfield Peverel St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Hatfield Peverel, the suffix arises from its landholder from Domesday times, lies almost centrally within Essex and roughly 6 miles northeast of the administrative capital of Chelmsford.  Hatfield Peverel sits on and mostly south of the A12 road which links Chelmsford with Colchester. Hatfield Peverel is a much expanded village, already quite a large village the excellent communications have expanded it into almost a small town, The Street, formerly the course of the A12, now thankfully bypassing to the north, is the core of the village with extensive modern suburbs extending southwards towards the church and enclosing the large recreation ground holding many sporting sites. A few properties cross to the north  of the A12 where a small estate was developed close to the railway station. Early gazetteers state that the parish was well-endowed with forest, a rare sight today in what is an intensively arable landscape. Hatfield Peverel is an extensive parish and within its bounds there are many modern developments, first to arrive, and to the south, was the canalisation of the course of the River Chemer as the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation, to the north runs the main railway line from London to Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich, the A12 has also been developed into a fast dual-carriageway. Hatfield Peverel is drained by the River Ter which runs west of the village down to the Chelmer and then east to the North Sea arriving through the Blackwater Estuary. Hatfield Peverel is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in flattish terrain where only a few metres separates it from the local high point to the northeast reading 47 metres. Hatfield Peverel parish was one the larger ones within its county, covering around 4,700 acres it was 3 times the size of normal parishes in this area, that acreage would have supported a population of close to 1,400 parishioners. Even by Domesday times when Hatfield Peverel was held primarily by Ranulf Peverel it was of sufficient size to be readily counted amongst the largest 20% of settlement by population, its assets were formidable too with 16 ploughs, meadows & woodland and 2 mills.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits south of the main village within the area of a former Benedictine Priory founded in the reign of Henry I. Indeed the church is a remnant of the cruciform 12th century church that supported the Priory. Much of the fabric dates from the 12th century with the church being largely formed from the nave of its predecessor, indeed the chancel eastern wall is also a part of the former central crossing tower. Slightly later is the chancel's southern wall with lancet styled windows of the Early English Gothic era from the 13th century. The traditional church-building era of the 15th century saw some additions to the church, a northern aisle and arcade and at the end of that century the brick battlements and stair turret. Further major change came as part of the Victorian restoration of 1873 wherein there were removed two small towers from the western side, added the northeastern bell-turret and rebuilt the Georgian porch, a small 16th century building on the south side of the chancel was also converted to vestries. Church Road describes a curious course but from its southernmost point stands the driveway to the church and former priory site, the driveway is narrow but opens out to a parking area t the churchyard, the churchyard is compact but has few obstacles to concern the photographer.