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

The Parish

The parish of East Stoke lies in southeastern Dorset roughly 4 miles west of the market town of Wareham. East Stoke sits a half mile south of the A352 road which links Wareham with Dorchester. East Stoke is a rather scattered community, of the actual village there is little but a few cottages south of the River Frome, to the north around the former church sits Stokeford, a linear village sitting along the A352 whilst the remainder of the parish has scattered farmsteads and cottages across its extensive area. East Stoke parish covered part of Dorset's heathland, much area to the south of the A352 being managed in common for traditional heathland products and light grazing, a further area, alongside the Frome, was good grazing land on waterside meadows whilst to the north some arable was present on the rather sandy soils. Modern developments have come to the parish, the railway line from Wareham to Dorchester passing through with out granting East Stoke a station. East Stoke is drained eastwards by the River Frome which eventually reaches Poole Harbour and thus to the English Channel. East Stoke is sited at around 10 metres above the sea in its valley setting, away from the river land rises onto the heaths between East Stoke and East Lulworth reaching a little over 50 metres in a few spots in gentle terrain. East Stoke parish, as already mentioned, was extensive, covering just under 5,900 acres it would have supported a population of close to 600 parishioners. By way of contrast East Stoke in Domesday times was a community of just 7 households, held by Count Robert of Mortain it offered just 3 ploughs, some meadow & pasture but did have a mill, presumably on the Frome.

The Church

The church in which most of these marriages were celebrated lies in ruins on the southern banks of the River Frome, only the southern porch and part of the nave's southern wall remains, it was essentially a 15th century perpendicular church. That church was replaced in 1828 by a new St Mary set alongside the A352 at its junction with Church Lane, that church has now been declared redundant, in 1985, sold and converted in 1994 into a private dwelling. Despite the relatively recent construction date there as been time for restoration, the chancel was rebuilt in 1885. A 4-bay nave and slender western tower complete the layout. Obviously given the church's current status views should only be acquired from the public road network and the resident's privacy respected.