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

The Parish

The parish of Pirton lies in the extreme north of Hertfordshire so much so it forms a substantial part of the border with neighbouring Bedfordshire, it being surrounded on 3 sides by that county. Pirton is located about 4 miles northwest of the large market town of Hitchin and sits, in lanes, just over a mile north of the B655 road which connects Hitchin with the Bedfordshire village of Barton le Clay. Pirton is a large and compact village which has grown to surround its Norman motte and bailey site, the castle having disappeared. Pirton would have had a mixed economy at the time of this transcript, farming, principally arable, would have dominated but there was some employment in making of straw plait to diversify the income sources. Today Pirton is a popular village for commuters to nearby Hitchin, it retains much of its services as a result. For hikers its is an important stop on the Icknield Way, a path following the ancient Ridgway's from East Anglia to the Chiltern Hills. Pirton is drained northwards by small tributaries of the River Hiz which is soon joined, the Hiz merges with the Ivel and then the Great Ouse to reach the North Sea through The Wash. Pirton is sited at around 70 metres above the sea and sits at the foot of the nearby chalk ridge with local heights rising to 172 metres on nearby Deacon Hill. Pirton parish was fairly typically sized for the area, it covered around 2,700 acres and would have supported just over 750 parishioners. In Domesday times Pirton was held by one Ralph of Elmesy, the founder of the fortified site, and was an impressively large place even then, it could offer 28 ploughs as well as woodland containing 500 pigs and 4 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at the heart of Pirton occupying part of the bailey site and within a large open area at the centre of the village. The church has its origins contemporary with the motte and bailey e.g. the 12th century as evidenced by the style of interior arches, the former apsed transepts have disappeared and the church largely remodeled since then. The Decorated & Perpendicular style windows of both nave and chancel give evidence of a major rebuild during that great period of church building, the other changes came about as a result of a catastrophe. In 1874 the original tower of the church collapsed but the tower was rebuilt within 3 years as the present spike-topped central tower. St Mary's is approached from Crab Tree Lane along a short lane with some parking, the churchyard is open to the north but a few trees encroach on other angles making for a slightly tricky subject to photograph on a sunny day.