England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Stanley St Andrew

The Parish

The chapelry of Stanley, its mother parish being Spondon, lies in eastern Derbyshire roughly 6 miles northeast of the county town of Derby. Stanley sits about 2 miles east of the A608 road which links Derby with Heanor. Stanley is a rather linear village with most properties lining the main north to south running lane or that trending westwards from that lane. Historically this area was one with coal mining at its core although that has all ceased today, the other main economic means were from brick-making and from pastoral farming. In recent times Stanley has grown slightly from modern developments as commuters from both Derby & Ilkeston have sought a village way of life. Modern developments have come and largely gone from Stanley, a railway line between Derby & Ilkeston has closed and been largely dismantled leaving a legacy of Station Road as its main street's name. Stanley is drained eastwards by small brooks which make their way to the nearby River Erewash, here water turns south to run into the mighty Trent and join that river on its long journey to the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Stanley is sited on rising ground from 70 to 90 metres above the sea, land rises westwards to reach 136 metres at nearby Morley, the highest ground around. Stanley chapelry had almost 1,500 acres of Spondon parish assigned to it which would have supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. Domesday Stanley was a tiny holding of one William's son Robert offering just a single plough backed by a small meadow and some woodland.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits on the eastern side of Station Road roughly midway through the run of properties that line that road. This is a church which is a mixture of original early medieval fabric with an extensive amount from 19th century modifications. Pevsner indicates the southern doorway as the earliest remaining fabric and dates it to the 12th century Norman Romanesque period. The nave shows 13th century styled lancet windows from the Early English Gothic period as well as 14th century windows with y-tracery. An extensive restoration of 1876 made significant changes, adding a new chancel incorporating the 14th century Decorated styled east window, adding the western bellcote and the scissor-braced roof. Further work in the early 20th century added the southern porch. Station Road is of ample width to enable on-street parking outside the churchyard. From the roadside the churchyard appears tree-filled and indeed these are a problem for the photographer removing the favoured southern aspects, all other angles are available, however.