England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Southminster St Leonard

The Parish

The parish of Southminster lies in the extreme southeast of Essex forming a stretch of the county's North Sea coastline. Southminster is located roughly 3 miles north of Burnham on Crouch and stands on the meandering B1021 road which links Burnham on Crouch, through Southminster, with Bradwell on Sea. Southminster is a large village in the centre of Essex's Dengie Peninsula. The B1021 performs a complex set of junctions through the village/small town and most properties either line its course or sit between its tight curves. Southminster was granted a market in the 13th century and for much of its existence it has been the centre for trade and specialist skills for the Dengie Peninsula, the wider parish, and it is extensive, covers much of the interior of the peninsula with the higher and drier parts set to arable whilst the fringe along the North Sea comprises grazing marshes protected by tall sea-banks. Modern developments have arrived with a railway line linking it through to London, that line expanded the village somewhat as it brought it within commuting time for the capital. Southminster is drained eastwards by a plethora of man-made drainage channels and ditches carrying water across Dengie Marshes, the main channel is that of Asheldham Brook which reaches the North Sea at Grange Outfall. Southminster is sited at around 20 metres above the sea with most of its parish lying below 5 metres and in some areas actually below sea level. Southminster stands on a low ridge of land to its north there sits another holding the village of Steeple where a spot height of 39 metres marks the highest ground around. As already mentioned Southminster parish was extensive, covering a little under 6,100 acres it is more reminiscent in size to a norther upland parish, the extensive acreage would have supported a population of close to 1,450 parishioners. Even by Domesday times Southminster was an important settlement large enough to comfortably sit in the top 20% of settlements by population, held by the Bishop of London Southminster had assets of 21 ploughs and pastures extensive enough to hold 1,300 sheep making for a profitable manor indeed.

The Church

St Leonard's church stands on the southern side of the main east to west running main street, the B1021, at its junction with Burnham Road and directly opposite the Kings Head Inn. The church has the cruciform layout typical of churches founded in the early 12th century Norman period and, indeed, the church retains fabric from this period, the rather plain round-headed south doorway is 12th century Norman Romanesque whilst portions of the nave walling remain from the same era. Rather than the typical crossing tower St Leonard has a tower at the western end, it sits on a 12th century base so was established there from the founding, like much else of the church it was completed or rebuilt during the 15th century Perpendicular era. The walling of the nave also shows signs of being increased in height and a typical Perpendicular clerestory was also inserted in the 15th century. One of the church's main features it its stone-vaulted northern porch complete with an upper parvis room. The eastern end of the church is an area with a complex history, the chancel was obviously founded at the same time as the remainder in the 12th century but in 1702 a licence was granted to rebuild it as a smaller structure, in turn that early 18th century chancel was again rebuilt in 1819. The result of that rebuild was a 5-sided chancel and transepts, in addition to the chancel and transepts a further height was added, in brick, to the nave. Further extensive reorganisation occurred in 1891, the western gallery was removed, the transepts converted, the northern to a vestry & organ chamber, the southern to a chapel, and the chancel was raised including an elaborate stone reredos. On-street parking can be found on Burnham Road south of the site, the churchyard is open and uncluttered with no significant obstacles for the photographer.