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

The Parish

The parish of Frttenden lies in southern Kent roughly 10 miles south of the administrative capital of Maidstone. Frttenden is sited just over 1 mile east of the A229 road which links Maidstone with Hawkhurst. Frttenden is a crossroads settlement in the heart of The Weald, most properties line the main north to south running lane, The Street, running for over a quarter mile along that lane, the two side lanes also carry a few properties. Like most of the Weladen communities Frttenden had its origins as a clearing cut from the ancient forest that once covered the area, the soils of the Weald are notoriously poor so pastoral farming dominated the economy supported by utilising the forest for both woodland products and for raising pigs. The haphazard clearing of the forest has left a landscape of small irregular fields interspersed with relic woodland amounting to over 10% of the parish acreage. Frttenden is drained northwards by small streams which make their way to the River Beult which heads northwestwards to meet the Medway at Yalding before passing through Maidstone to the port of Chatham and the outer Thames estuary and the North Sea. Frttenden is sited at around 40 metres above the sea, land rises gently southwards to local high spots which reach 72 metres close to nearby Sissinghurst. Like most Wealden parishes Frttenden required an extensive area of just over 3,300 acres to support its population of close to 800 parishioners. Also like most Wealden parish Frttenden is not mentioned in Domesday Book which has scant coverage in the area.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the western side of The Street almost at the southern edges of the village and tucked away behind fronting properties, Sadly the church that sits here today is not that in which these marriages took place having replaced the early 14th century Decorated styled church that was its predecessor being completed in 1848. Only the two basal stages of the western tower remain from the old church, they are late-medieval & Perpendicular in style. It was intended in 1844 to merely repair the old church but such was the state of the building that a new church arose. The tower base is in a slabby marble from nearby Bthersden whereas the remainder of the church is in a dull brown sandstone dressed with Caen limestone. The church has nave and chancel with a southern aisle to both and a northern aisle just to the nave. Following completion there was modification in 1861 with the addition of a western porch. The Street is of adequate width to allow on street parking, the church is entered by a slabbed pathway between buildings which leads to a lychgate and a pathway leading to the church, there are a few scattered trees within the southern aspects but these are easily avoided by the photographer.