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

The Parish

The parish of Knebworth lies in the northern part of central Hertfordshire roughly 4 miles north of the town of Welwyn. Knebworth sits about a mile east of the B656 road which links Welwyn with Hitchin. At the time of this transcript Knebworth was entirely an estate village associated with Knebworth House, a 16th century house standing in extensive parkland, the home of the Lytton family since the time of Henry VII. Today the former estate village, which sits on the edges of the park, is known as Old Knebworth, with the coming of the railway a new settlement was developed around the station and has grown to an extensive modern village stretching for a mile north to south and a half mile east to west. Like most parishes where most land is in the hands of a single landholder the needs of the estate would have dominated the local economy with arable farming the main for of income. As time and taxes have gone by the estate has diversified, staging rock festivals and engaging in such delights as miniature railways to pay the bills. Old Knebworth is a rather attractive garden suburb almost a pastiche of such estate villages whilst today's Knebworth is largely a commuter village. Modern developments have come aplenty, the railway line from London to Newcastle passing through and granting the station that drove the modern settlement, in addition the A1 (Great North Road) has been upgraded to motorway standard as the A1M and passes between old and new villages. Knebworth is drained southwards by rather vague drainage until the River Mimram emerges, this heads more eastwards to eventually merge with the Lea in Hertford, the Lea passes through the eastern edges of Greater London to reach the outer Thames estuary and the North Sea. Knebworth is sited at around 120 metres above the sea, the new village is some 30 metres lower, close to St Pauls Walden to the northwest a spot height of 145 metres marks the highest ground in this gently undulating landscape. Knebworth parish was typically sized for the northern half of its county covering just under 2,700 acres and supporting a population of close to 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Knebworth was held by Eudo the steward and was a mid-sized manor offering 10 ploughs, some meadows and extensive pig-filled woodland and it also held a mill.

The Church

St Mary & St Thomas' church stands within the park of Knebworth House and quite close to the front of the house, itself. The church has its origins in the 12th century with the chancel arch some of the earliest fabric in situ, 12th century Norman Romanesque, both the nave and chancel were built during this period but both have been materially altered since then. The nave shows typically 15th century Perpendicular styled windows whilst the chancel was rebuilt during the 19th century. Of more certain dating is the western tower which was begun at the behest of John Hotoft, the lord of the manor from 1412 to 1443, the style is 15th century Perpendicular and it comes complete with battlements, a taller southeastern stair-turret and a short spike on top. The Lytton chapel to the north is the church's standout feature not for its architecture, which is standard 15th century modified during a c1705 rebuild, but for its collection of monuments to the Lytton family of the house, it is dominated 3 impressive tombs. Whilst one can park closer to the church by paying the entrance fee to the park it is also possible to park in Old Knebworth and access the church by public footpaths, it is roughly a half mile stroll. Once at the church there are few obstacles to give concern to the photographer.