England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Willingale Spain St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Willingale Spain lies in west central Essex based in the village of Willingale which its shares with its northern neighbour Willingale Doe, so much so that the two churches share the same churchyard. Willingale is located about 4 miles northeast of the market town of Chipping Ongar. Willingale sits, in lanes, about 2 miles east of the B184 road which links Chipping Ongar with Great Dunmow. Willingale is only a small village, hardly requiring two distinct parishes (they are a legacy of manor holdings) and most is located along "The Street" which runs north to south through the rather scattered village. The area is largely dominated by arable farming and it was also thus at the time of this transcript. The parish is drained westwards by a few streams and drains to form the infant River Roding which makes its way towards and through eastern Greater London to reach the Thames Estuary through Barking. Willingale is sited on a rising slope at around 70 metres above the sea, the northern part being the lower end of the village. The landscape is only mildly undulating with few contours. Willingale Spain parish was small even by Essex standards, it covered just 1,200 acres and would have supported a population of around 200 parishioners. In Domesday times Willingale (Doe & Spain) was shared four ways and could offer 8 ploughs, small meadows & woodlands, notably one small part was still in Saxon hands - Swein of Essex was clearly a survivor.

The Church

St Andrew's church, along with its neighbour, stands on the western side of The Street within its large joint churchyard, it being the southernmost of the two churches. St Andrew's is very much the older church, indeed there is evidence of the reuse of Roman material in its construction and several features of the Norman style which indicate a very early church. The Norman features are confined to the nave as the chancel is a 15th century rebuild and the smart wooden belfry is also of that period. As is usual the Victorians added there usual restoration which in St Andrew's case included rebuilding the southern porch and adding a northern vestry. The joint site is surrounded by a low brick wall and a metal gateway, sited between the two churches, grants access. Whilst St Andrew has the more trees around it they do not inhibit too much the photographic possibilities.