England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Papworth St Agnes St John

The Parish

The parish of Papworth St Agnes lies in the extreme west of Cambridgeshire, indeed it occupies part of a peninsula of land that projects into neighbouring Huntingdonshire and unusually includes area within both counties in the parish. Papworth St Agnes is located just over 4 miles south of Huntingdonshire's county town of Huntingdon and sits a half mile west of the A1198 road that links Huntingdon with Royston in Hertfordshire; this dead-straight road follows the line of the ancient Roman Road of Ermine Street. Papworth St Agnes is unusual in itself in that it sits at the end of a small lane with just a single route both in and out, a small village with most properties lining that lane and sitting west of the church. Like most parishes in this area Papworth St Agnes would have been essentially an arable farming village, early gazetteers place almost 75% of the parish acreage to the growing of crops, especially cereals. Given the fertile soils and easily worked flat landscape today extensive fields mown annually by combine are the norm.Small streams draining rhe parish coalesce into the Gallow Brook which heads westwards to meet the Great Ouse at St Neots from whence things turn north to eventually reach the North Sea through the port of King's Lynn and The Wash. Papworth St Agnes is sited at just 20 metres above the sea and whilst land rises gently northwestwards it barely reaches above 50 metres for some considerable distance. Papworth St Agnes was one of Cambridgeshire's smaller parishes, covering only a little over 1,200 acres it would have supported a population of around 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Papworth St Agnes was a tiny place offering just a single plough as asset to its landholder Eustace the Sheriff.

The Church

St John's church, a somewhat difficult dedication given the parish & village name includes St Agnes, lies just east of the main village lane, accessed by a roughly surfaced track and sitting just beyond the village school. Sadly this is not some medieval masterpiece but a work almost entirely reconstructed after the period represented by this transcript. Whilst the northern doorway appears to be genuine 14th century and Decorated in style there is some doubt as to whether it is original, its counterpart to the west is 16th century and genuinely Perpendicular. The remainder of the church would be unrecognisable to the participants in these marriages as the western tower was rebuilt in 1848 whilst the main body, of nave and chancel, followed in 1854. The use of attractive chequerwork in flint & brick makes for a pleasing sight, however. As one arrives in the village a triangular green marks a fork with the left hand route leading to the church, outside the churchyard is a grassy parking area allowing a leisurely visit. Sadly the church barely has sufficient space around for the photographer to gain adequate views, an enclosed churchyard held within a tight square of dense foliage.