England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Worcester St Clement

The Parish

The city of Worcester lies in the southern portion of central Worcestershire and is the county town and an ancient cathedral city. Worcester is located roughly 30 miles southwest of Birmingham and 60 north of Bristol and straddles the River Severn at the crossing point of the A38 (Bristol to Birmingham) road with the A44(Oxford through Worcester to Leominster) road. The presence of the "cester" in its name indicates its prominence as a Roman settlement but was probably founded prior to their conquest. Its position by a fordable part of the Severn enabled it grow into a regional market centre and inland port of some consequence. Worcester was already one of the country's major cities by the time of the Norman conquest who immediately fortified the city and built the cathedral that defined its city status. The city's market was granted by Henry I and growth continued through medieval times as a major centre for weaving. Those industries became cheaper in other areas and trade moved into the making of gloves and fine porcelain, for which the city is noted. Worcester is divided into 12 parishes, most within the heart of the city others containing areas that were once rural. Today's Worcester is a large city sprawling for some 4 miles from north to south and a similar distance from west to east. All of the usual modern developments are here, railway lines lead to the surrounding major cities and the M5 motorway almost defines the eastern edge of the city. The city is drained, and occasionally flooded, by the River Severn southwards to the Bristol Channel. Worcester is sited at between 10 and 60 metres above the sea, the river being at 10 metres whilst the southeastern suburbs are at 60 metres, a height which is seldom exceeded for many miles in fairly gentle terrain. St Clement parish was one which contained an area of rural countryside historically and sat west of the Severn serving the southwestern portion of the city, it would have had a population of close to 2,200 parishioners. Worcester, like many large places, is mentioned in Domesday Book as a holding of both the King and of Evesham Abbey but its assets were not detailed merely indicating its great wealth to the King, in particular.

The Church

St Clement's church sits on th eastern side of Henwick Road in the western portion of the city across the Severn from the main centre. As can readily be seen the church is a 19th century replacement built in 1823 to replace a prior church in which the majority of these marriages would have occurred. The building features the red sandstone of the area and is built in a Neo-Norman style. Pevsner describes the western tower, which faces Henwick Road as being "blunt" . As the church stands on sloping ground with its eastern end hiding an undercroft built to ensure the building is level, Despite its relatively recent build there has been time for change, the sandstone chancel being added in the late 1870s. Henwick Road has no street parking so side-roads have to suffice for a visit. The church stands flush to the pavements with its tower looming above, the compact churchyard is beset by trees making for a challenging subject from any other angle.