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

The Parish

The parish of Panfield lies in northern central Essex roughly 2 miles northwest of the market town of Braintree. Panfield sits about a half mile west of the B1053 road which links Braintree with Finchingfield. Panfield is a rather linear village, ite astern end has the parish church and the Hall, first built in late 15th or early 16th century, to the west the village properties line the main westward running lane for over a half mile, a smaller lane to the south has a few more. Panfield sits in prime arable farming territory, early gazetteers estimated that as much as 80% of the parish acreage was set to crops, cereals dominated but at the time of this transcript a more rotational system would have been in place. Panfield was, until the reformation, home to a priory of Benedictine monks derived from that in Caen, it is only commemorated by the name of Great Priory Farm sitting to the north of the village. Panfield is drained southeastwards by the River Pant which, after passing through Braintree becomes renamed as the Blackwater, its sinuous course alternating between southeasterly and southwesterly takes it to the port of Maldon, its estuary and to the North Sea. Panfield is sited at around 70 metres above the sea in gentle terrain, to its west a few spots just breach the 80 metre contour around nearby Great Saling. Panfield parish covered just under 1,500 acres making it typically sized for this area, it would have supported a population of close to 300 parishioners. Caen Abbey had the majority share of Panfield at Domesday with a secondary holding with count Gilbert's son Richard, the combined assets of 10 ploughs backed by typical meadows & woodland are indicative of a modest farming manor.

The Church

As already mentioned St Mary & St Christopher's church stands at the eastern end of the village on the northern side of Church End which connects the village with the B1053. At it core the church is a product of the 15th century but it was so heavily modified in the 19th as to virtually be a modern church. Much of the nave and belfry together with the southern porch are 15th century Perpendicular in origin, the nave, however, being much restored. The Victorian work of 1858 amounted to an almost complete rebuild of the chancel, retaining its style even if it replaced most of its fabric, it added the northern chancel aisle and restored virtually everything else. The churchyard gates are set back from the rather busy road, a gravelled drive giving safe parking. Whilst not totally engulfing the church there are many mature trees in this churchyard, the photographer will have to search for the best views between the timber.