England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Bowers Gifford St Margaret

The Parish

The parish of Bowers Gifford lies in the extreme south of Essex separated from the Thames only by Canvey Island. Bowers Gifford is located about 2 miles east of the vastly expanded new town of Basildon and sits on the B1464 road, the former route of the now, thankfully, bypassing A13 road from London to Southend. Once a separate and rather small village Bower's Gifford is nowadays almost engulfed by the expansion of development along the northern banks of the outer Thames Estuary. Only a narrow strip of greenery separates the new town of Basildon from the developments that are South Benfleet & Thundersley. Modern infrastructure abounds and the London to Southend rail line cuts perilously close to St Margaret's church. At the time of this transcript Bower's Gifford was a lonely and remote village in the marshes of the Thames estuary, a largely pastoral farming regime would have been supplemented by coastal activities such as shell fisheries, reed harvesting and wildfowling. Most drainage in the parish has been modified by man's efforts to drain extra land for farming, most water makes its way to the nearby Thames through creeks and drains. The main centre of property in Bowers Gifford is sited at around 30 metres above the sea, St Margaret's church some 20 metres lower, the land hereabouts is flat with few prominent hills of any description making the former island of Hadleigh Castle Country Park at 72 metres something of a local landmark. Like most Essex parishes Bowers Gifford was rather small, at 2,400 acres it would have supported a population of around 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Bower's Gifford was a relatively small place, albeit shred between no fewer than 4 landholders. The greater part was in the hands of the delightfully named Grim the Reeve with lesser portions with Ranulf Peverel, Walter the Deacon & Westminster Abbey, the whole parish could only muster 4 ploughs albeit the pastures were extensively dotted with sheep.

The Church

St Margaret's church sits nearly a mile to the south of the main centre of property accessed by Church Road which zigzags across the busy dual carriageway of the A13 and heads down to the edge of the grazing marshes. Sadly very little remains of the mediaeval within the fabric of the church. The asymmetrical western tower with its curiously off centre windows and partial buttress has its origins in the 14th century, the top complete with shingled spire having been added in the 16th century. The main body of the church, however, dates from a complete rebuild of 1829 albeit there has been some reuse of original materials. Further restorations in the 1860s & 1910 were followed by the addition of the vestry in 1923 & the organ chamber in 1930. The church sits close to the main rail line to Southend at the southern end of Church Road, it becomes a footpath beyond the rail line. There is room for a few cars to park by the entry which is through an un-gated lychgate. The churchyard is almost completely devoid of obstacles making for a straightforward piece to photograph.