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

The Parish

The parish of Braughing lies in eastern Hertfordshire roughly 7 miles northwest of the town of Bishops Stortford. Braughing sits about a half mile east of the A10 road which links Royston with Ware. Today Braughing is merely a mid-sized village with a small presence on the parallel B1368 but with most properties sitting to its east either side of the lane heading northeast to Furneux Pelham parallel to the course of the River Quin, the settlement has a long history. Today's A10 (Roman Ermine Street) & A120 to the south (Roman Stane Street)  formed an important Roman junction of roads and from the 1st century an embryonic Braughing was set up, initially to guard that junction but becoming a small Roman town. Even by the reign of King Stephen, the early 12th century, Braughing was of sufficient importance to be granted a market. Over the centuries Braughing's importance has waned, the market closing following competition from nearby Ware and the settlement becoming merely one of many farming parishes in this area of the country, a mixture of both arable and pastoral methods in place.  Modern developments have come and mostly gone from the parish, a branch railway line linking Ware with Royston has closed and been largely dismantled but the A10 has been upgraded to modern dual-carriageway highway. Braughing is drained southwards by the River Quin which soon joins the Rib and eventually the Lea before passing through eastern Greater London to the outer Thames Estuary and the North Sea. Braughing stands upon a valley side with land rising from 70 metres above the sea at the Quin to 110 metres at its easternmost properties, to the northeast a few spots approach the 130 metre contour as the highest spots around. For a southern English farming parish Braughing was quite extensive covering around 4,300 acres which would have supported a population of close to 1,350 parishioners. In Domesday times Braughing was a holding of Count Eustace of Boulogne offering 14 ploughs, meadows and woodland and a mill.

The Church

St Mary's church sits almost on the banks of the Quin, it is accessed by the out-and-back lane of Church Lane from The Street, the main village lane, it is surrounded on two sides by neat rows of early cottages. The bulk of the church is standard 15th century Perpendicular but the chancel is earlier showing a 13th century origin and a 15th century rebuild. The Early English Gothic chancel has lancet styled windows to its northern wall to confirm its early origins. Both nave and western tower seem to have been built in the early 15th century replacing earlier versions, the western tower has will bequests confirming its construction was ongoing in 1416, it has 3-stages and is topped with a short spire. The nave comes complete with clerestory and aisles which were a later 15th century addition. The church has an elaborate southern porch of 2-storeys with much decorative work ornamenting it. All of these features being 15th century in origin. The 17th century saw the addition of the northeastern chapel. There are several phases of Victorian work mentioned, in 1853 the tower was restored, in 1888 many windows replaced and the organ chamber added, the sundial was a modern addition of 1971. Church Lane is well-used by locals for parking outside the churchyard which has no obstacles for the photographer whatsoever.