England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Neston St Mary & St Helen

The Parish

The parish of Neston lies in northwestern Cheshire, within The Wirral, roughly 11 miles northwest of the city of Chester. Neston sits about 1 mile west of the A540 road which links Chester with West Kirby at the end of the Wirral peninsula. Neston is a town of some size forming an extensive urban area lining the banks of the Dee Estuary for some 2 miles from the northwestern end of Parkgate to the southeastern edges of Little Neston. The wider parish also included the separate settlements of Ledsham, Leighton, Ness, Little Neston, Raby, Thornton-Hough, and Willaston, whilst most are mere hamlets Willaston, in particular, is a sizable village in its own right. Neston's growth was occasioned by the unfortunate silting of the Dee estuary which resulted in ship's being unable to reach Chester, the solution was the new dock at Parkgate, from the 16th to the 19th century Parkgate's quay operated a prosperous trade in particular with Ireland before further silting confined it to today's high-and-dry situation whereby only the highest tides reach its quay. The wider parish sits upon infertile red sandstone which was largely used for pastoral farming given the proximity to the salty breezes of the Irish Sea. By the turn of the 19th century Neston was the most populous settlement on The Wirral, exceeding even Birkenhead, that position was enhanced by the modern development of a railway line linking Chester with Birkenhead and granting Neston a station. The salubrious environment of Neston saw it sought out as a dormitory for the wealthy of Liverpool and modern growth expanded the town still further. Sundry creeks drain the parish into the nearby Dee Estuary. Neston is sited at between sea level and 50 metres on a rising site climbing away from the estuary, 55 metres being about the highest reached along the spine of The Wirral. Various estimates of the parish acreage are listed on the internet but the parish probably covered around 11,000 acres which would have supported a population of close to 3,800 parishioners. Within the area covered by Neston parish 6 manors were recorded with entries in Domesday, Great Neston offered 5 ploughs, Little Neston 3 more, Leighton had just 1, Raby 2 more, Ness a further 3 whilst Hadlow for Willaston had none and just a single household; 14 ploughs made for a mid-sized farming area held by various landholders.

The Church

St Mary & St Helen's church sits on the southern side of the town's High Street within an extensive chruchyard spreading through to the parallel road of Church Lane. Sadly little of the medieval remains with the church following almost a complete rebuild of 1875. The tower, at least its basal stages, is genuinely early with reused Norman masonry built into its 14th century construction. It carries a plaque dated 1697 but as Pevsner indicates that must refer to a restoration rather than the original construction date. The style of the Perpendicular indicates a build towards the latter half of the 14th century, the presence of Norman masonry that of an earlier version of the church. The topmost story, like the remainder of the main body is late 19th century and presumably was added when the entire church main body was rebuilt. The Victorian used a style of the 13th century early English Gothic, whether this was just fashionable or a nod to the original style is unknown, early gazetteers refer to the church as "a handsome and spacious edifice of considerable antiquity" without reference to its era. Parking bays sit southeast of the church but are popular so a short walk from further away may be necessary. The main entrance sits at the southern end of the commercial High Street where metal gates grant entry, apart from a large tree occupying the southeastern corner all other aspects are available for the photographer.