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

The Parish

The parish of Chadwell St Mary lies in the extreme south of Essex, indeed it forms part of Essex's coastline with the River Thames Estuary. Chadwell St Mary is located about 2 miles east of the market town of Grays, it sits just east of the A1089 road which connects the port of Tilbury to the busy A13 (London to Southend on Sea road). Chadwell St Mary has grown markedly over the years, what was once a sleepy rural village is now a commuter settlement with properties spreading almost a mile to west, north and east of the original village crossroads. Settlement is restricted to the south by the marshes of Essex' coast, Chadwell St Mary sits very much on the break of slope at the edge of those marshes and the parish extends to the south to include a share of those resources. As a consequence the farming regime would have been decidedly mixed but segregated, grazing of cattle on the marshes and farming of cereals on the higher ground. Very little of the drainage of the parish has not been affected by man's intervention and most drains through man-made channels south to the Thames. Chadwell St Mary stands at 30 metres above the sea (by the church) with a distinct drop to the south of 20 metres to the marshes. The parish was a typical size for Essex, it covered just over 1,700 acres and would have supported around 230 parishioners. In Domesday times the land was shared between the Bishops of London and Bayeux and boasted just 5 ploughs as well as pasture, woodlands and a bunch of noted animals.

The Church

St Mary's church stands at the former heart of Chadwell St Mary, the junction between Brentwood Road & Linford Road in the southeastern corner of that 4-way junction. The church has three distinct ages, the nave being the oldest and in the Norman style which places it into 12th century, a remarkably early date. The chancel and tower are in the Perpendicular style, the chancel on 14th century and the tower later and probably early 16th century. As is usual there was an extensive restoration in the 19th century and this added the southern vestry. The church sits behind a low stone wall and access is gained from the Linford Road side where a wooden gateway allows entry. Because of the tight boundaries to the north the church is probably best shot from outside the churchyard as there are few trees to restrict angles.