England &
Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index |
The ParishThe parish of East Mersea lies in eastern Essex forming the eastern half of the island of Mersea and thus part of Essex's North Sea coast. East Mersea is situated around 9 miles south of the town of Colchester but only a little over 2 miles southwest of the port of Brightlingsea across the River Colne, a land journey of many miles. East Mersea is a rather scattered community with farms dotted across much of the parish which can be found at the end of a dead-end lane running eastwards from the B1025 which forms the causeway across to Mersea Island. Situated in much reclaimed land East Mersea would have had a diverse economy, grazing marshes, arable farming as well as all the benefits of the sea, fishing & shell-fishing, the oysters are a local speciality, as well as wildfowling. Today East Mersea has some tourism attracted by the wild and open landscapes of the island, a haven for wildlife. As a coastal community numerous small man-made drains take water off to the nearby North Sea. East Mersea is sited at between sea-level and a maximum of 16 metres in a rather flat landscape, it is only in the western half of the island that a 20-metre contour can be found. East Mersea parish was typically sized for its county, covering just over 1,800 acres it would have supported a population of around 300 parishioners. In Domesday times East Mersea was unusual in still being held by a Saxon, one Swain, reflecting its remote location away from mainstream activity, the parish could offer 8 ploughs as well as small woodlands and meadows but did possess 4 fisheries reflecting today's activities through the ages. |
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Register No | Covering Dates | Deposited With | Register Style | Quality Standard | Comments |
1 | 1754 - 1837 | Essex Record Office | Bishop's Transcripts on loose-leaf folios | Grade 4 Register - there are notable quality issues with this register which may have resulted in many misreads | Sadly all the marriage registers prior to 1837 were destroyed by damp in 1940, the few entries listed are all that are available on the extant BTs which are markedly deficient in their preservation and coverage |
Langenhoe
St Mary
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Langenhoe
St Mary
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Brightlingsea
All Saints
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West Mersea
St Peter & St Paul
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St Osyth St
Peter & St Paul
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Corrections to Tinstaafl Transcripts