England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Petersfield St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Petersfield lies in eastern Hampshire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Sussex. Petersfield is located roughly 16 miles northeast of the port of Portsmouth and stands on the former route of the A3 road linking Portsmouth with London, that road now bypasses to the town's west. Petersfield is a regional market town for eastern Hampshire and adjacent Sussex, it received its charter for a market as early as the 12th century which was renewed by Queen Elizabeth I. For much of its medieval and early modern existence Petersfield was built upon the market, a centre for trade and specialist skills, and on the wool & cloth industry, a largely cottage-industry. Like many such market towns, the industrialisation of production on northern mill-towns largely ended that industry in Petersfield. Its location on one of the major roads of the land gave it much prosperity from the coaching trade, the High Street having at one time 9 such coaching inns to deal with that business. The arrival of the railway from London in 1859 saw renewed growth to the town with commuting to both the capital and Portsmouth becoming prevalent. Today the town remains the principal market town for its regional farming produce, a much sought after commuter town and supported by mainly light industry and services. Originally a compact small town around its market square Petersfield has grown to cover a diameter of roughly 2 miles constrained eastwards by the course of the River Rother. Modern developments have taken the A3 to a bypass which has been upgraded to fast dual-carriageway highway further improving the communications of this market town. Petersfield is drained eastwards by the Rother until that river reaches the Arun at Pulborough from where water heads south through Arundel to reach the English Channel at Littlehampton. Petersfield is sited at around 60 metres above the sea at its parish church land rises to both west (reaching 198 metres to the west of Langrish) and to the east (162 metres on Comb Hill) in undulating terrain. Petersfield sits at the western end of The Weald an area where parishes are often extensive due to the poor soils, Petersfield covered almost 3,400 acres and would have supported a population of around 1,800 parishioners. Like much of The Weald Petersfield is not mentioned in Domesday Book which has sparse coverage in this area.

The Church

Until the coming of the railway St Peter's church and the market square on which it sits formed the centre of the town, the railway station now draws the town westwards. The church was founded in Norman times and was clearly intended to be a cruciform church typical of the Norman fashion but the initial build was interrupted by the 12th century Civil War between the descendants of William the Conqueror. Once building resumed a less lavish church emerged on the linear design format of nave, chancel and western tower. The scars of that design church are reflected in the remains of both the intended transepts and the abandoned crossing tower. The basic structure of the church was in situ by the end of the 12th century with Norman Romanesque features readily shown in the western tower, the southern aisle and the northern doorway. Throughout the later medieval periods minor changes occurred such as the replacement of windows in the Perpendicular styling, it was not until the Victorian restoration of 1874 that major change occurred, that restoration saw the chancel rebuilt, the northern vestry & organ chamber added, the clerestory inserted and battlements added to the structure, further work in 1887 added the northern porch. Like most town churches this is a church to visit after finding one of the town's car parks, it stands to the south of The Square, with its equestrian statue of William III, facing the commercial heart of the old town, the churchyard is surprisingly compact for such a large church providing the main obstacle for the photographer, nevertheless there are views from St Peter's Road to the east even if the southern aspects are impaired.