England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Everton cum Tetworth St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Everton (incorporating the smaller village of Tetworth) lies in an area of complicated and changing borders. Historically within Bedfordshire with Tetworth in Huntingdonshire and a wing of Cambridgeshire's Gamlingay intervening between, the whole was transferred into the broader Cambridgeshire in later reorganisations. Despite its records being at Huntingdon we choose to record the parish within Bedfordshire. Thus Tetworth sits in easternmost Bedfordshire forming part of its eastern border with its neighbours and roughly 4 miles north of the large market town of Biggleswade. Everton sits a little over 2 miles north of the B1042 road which connects Sandy with Potton with Tetworth a further 2 1/2 miles to its northeast. Like most parishes in this area Everton is dominated, today, by arable fields, at the time of this transcript a more equable regime mixing that arable with rotational pastures would have predominated. There is very little surface drainage hereabouts but what there is heads westward to join the nearby Great Ouse and then turn north to reach the North Sea through The Wash. Everton sits on the crest of the Greensand Ridge, which here is petering out as a landscape feature, Tetsworth sits at its base. Everton is sited at around 70 metres above the sea with Tetsworth some 30 metres lower, Everton is something of a local high point with land falling away less steeply eastwards than down the gentle scarp face of the Greensand. The parish containing both villages was thus larger than most in this area, covering just under 3,500 acres it would have supported a population of just under 250 parishioners most within Everton. In Domesday times Everton was held by one Ranulf whilst Tetsworth fails to get a mention, Everton could offer 11 ploughs and the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the northern edge of Everton at Church End. The church makes much use of the Greensand cobbles, giving it an attractive deep brown colour in evening light. The main body of the church is largely Norman Romanesque in style and dates to the late 12th century, the build clearly extended into the period of early English Gothic as mouldings on the southern doorway betray that period's style. Of course like most early churches later modification can be found, the western tower is Decorated in style and early 14th century, the tower met with misfortune in 1974 being struck by lightning and being lowered in consequence, the pinnacles are also a late 20th  century addition. In the late 14th century Perpendicular style a clerestory was added to improve internal lighting and a southern porch was also added. A general restoration took place in Victorian times, in this case in the 1860s to arrive at today's building. Church Road runs northeastwards from the Thornton Arms Inn and splits three ways by the church, parking is limited but possible, the church sits to the east in an expansive and uncluttered churchyard allowing easy access for the photographer.