England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Chart Sutton St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Chart Sutton lies in central Kent about 5 miles southeast of the town of Maidstone. Chart Sutton sits a little over a mile west of the A274 road which connects Maidstone through to Tenterden. Chart Sutton has two distinct centres, the larger at Chart Corner is more modern in origin and sits on the B2163 whilst there is also a smaller cluster of properties gathered on the crest of the Greensand escarpment at Chart Hill and around the church. It is that escarpment which dominates the local landscape, forming a northern barrier to the Great Weald on Kent, Chart Sutton parish is elongated from north to south to take in a transect of the local land-forms and their uses. The northern Weald is the heart of Kent's famous fruit & hop growing region and Chart Sutton parish was dominated by these farms, on the ridge some sheep grazing would have varied these regimes. The local greensand was also quarried for local building usage. Chart Sutton sits on a local watershed, the streams running north making their way to the outer Thames estuary via the Medway directly to Maidstone whilst to the south the Boult is the target which joins the Medway further south. Chart Sutton is sited at around 100 metres above the sea, the Greensand ridge forming a notable escarpment as land drops away into The Weald som 65 metres lower. Chart Sutton parish was fairly typically sized for this area, covering a little under 2,200 acres it would have supported a population of around 600 parishioners. In Domesday times Chart Sutton was one of the many holdings of Bishop Odo of Bayeux, a modest place offering just 7 ploughs and the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Michael's church sits almost in the neighbouring village of Sutton Valence and almost a mile away southeast of the main modern settlement of Chart Corner. The church has its origins in the 14th century and perhaps earlier but Pevsner is suspicious of the shallow roof line, an early feature and a lancet which may have been added in Victorian times. Sadly the church was the victim of a major fire in 1779 which destroyed not only the main body of the church but also the "beautiful spire" which once adorned the western tower. That tower is genuine 14th century of the local greensand, the remainder is from the late 18th century rebuild. All, however, has been modified by an extensive restoration of 1897. The stained glass replaced at that time is a stunningly powerful set and well worth a visit in themselves. Church Road, which meanders toward the church is narrow with few options for parking, a narrower lane leads to the churchyard where, with extreme care, a single car can escape outside the wooden gates. Once within there are no obvious obstacles to the photographer in a clear and uncluttered churchyard.