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

The Parish

The parish of Whitegate lies almost centrally within Cheshire being roughly 3 miles southwest of the industrial town of Northwich. Whitegatevillage is a small place, indeed, the wider parish being more heavily populated. Whitegate village sits roughly 2 miles south of the A556 road which connects Chester through to Altrincham, it is a small and quiet row of properties sitting within a dell made by a small stream. This area is, however, dominated by the estate of Lord Delamere with almost 3/4s of the parish land held by him and including the lands of Vale Royal Abbey. Whilst much pastoral agriculture went on the main focus of the local economy lies with the underlying salt deposits for which this area of Cheshire is renowned. Extensively worked brine springs as well more modern techniques involving injection of water into the rich beds to then evaporate and retrieve the salt from solution. Modern developments created initially the Vale Royal Cut , a canal linking the area with the wider river network and later a short spur branch railway line from the Chester to Manchester line to transport out the finished salt, today the latter has disappeared. Small streams drain into the nearby River Weaver making its way northwestwards to join the Dee and reach the Irish Sea through its estuary. Whitegate is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in fairly gentle terrain, local heights rise to just 70 metres within a mile or so. Cheshire parishes are often extensive and divided into chapelries, the construction of Whitegate, however, from Over parish in 1541 saw a patchwork of detached areas embedded within each other's areas (in the links below this patchwork has been simplified for ease). The parish that was created was still extensive covering almost 7,900 acres within which some 1,600 parishioners were supported, very few, indeed, within the village which gives its name to the parish. Whitegate is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the western side of the main lane (Witegate Lane) running from north to south just to the north of the stream crossing. Today's church is probably the third iteration on this site a medieval predecessor having been replaced in the 18th century only to be replaced again in 1875 by the present building, it was that interim building in which these events occurred. The portal and gate piers of that 18th century church remain together with some fabric incorporated into the Victorian replacement. DEspite being a relatively modern church it presents a pretty sight set into its tree-clad churchyard. Extensive parking may be found to the south of the site from where a stepped path rises to the churchyard, opposite Vale Royal Drive a splendid timber lychgate grants an alternative entrance. Despite trees all around they do not unduly restrict the views of this pretty church which Pevsner describes as "the perfect, comforting picture of the Victorian village church".