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England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Keston

 

The Parish

The parish of Keston lies in the far west of Kent quite close to its border with neighbouring Surrey. Keston is located about 5 miles southeast of the London suburb of Bromley. Keston is a dispersed settlement formerly along the line of the A223 road which leads from Bromley to the large village of Westerham. Much of the modern centre of Keston is built to the west of the A road along the B265 which also heads for Bromley although it is clear the original centre was a mile or so to the south where the church lies. Today Keston is almost engulfed by the spread of Greater London, protected by the the Green Belt it is a popular place for walks and other outdoor activities. In World War II Keston would have been rather busy sitting, as it does, less than 2 miles from the base at Biggin Hill airfield. At the time of this transcript Keston would largely have earned its living with a mixed farming regime. A small stream drains the parish northwards through Bromley & Lewisham to the Thames and thence the North Sea. Keston is sited on a distinct knoll of higher ground at around 120 metres above the sea, the knoll is a precursor to the North Downs which lies to Keston's south. Kent parishes to the north of the Downs are rather small and Keston is no different, it covered around 1,400 acres and supported a population of almost 400 parishioners. Keston has a long history and numerous Roman remains have been found within the parish including (the rather fancifully named?) Caesar's Camp which lies just east of the A223. In Domesday times keston was a much more important place, it was largely held by the Archbishop of Canterbury with a small portion in the hands of one Bishop Odo of Bayeux. Keston could boast an impressive 27 ploughs as well as meadow, woodland and 3 mills, a wealthy place indeed.


The Church

The parish church of Keston (there is no known dedication) is sited on Church Road about one and a half miles south of the modern centre of the settlement. Church Road is a short road which leads in a curve away and back from the A223 on its western side. The church has rather early origins being largely in the Early English style which dates from the early 13th century. Having said that the church was extensively renovated and extended westwards in 1878 whence the small bell-turret was added to the extended western end. The church must have been a small one indeed prior to that extension. Within the nave there is a blocked southern doorway which must have led to the original southeastern tower. Church Road is a rather narrow lane but there is parking opposite the church, The churchyard is little bigger than the church itself and bordered with thick hedges and mature trees making for a compact space. A wooden gateway grants access but the tight surrounds, in particular to the west, rather restrict the angles for photography.


The Records

Register No Covering Dates Deposited With Register Style Quality Standard Comments
1 30th July 1754 - 9th June 1810 Bromley Archives & Local Studies Centre - Reference - P/208/1/3
Standard preprinted and self-numbered Marriage register with 4 entries per page Grade 2 Register - not a perfect read but with a low likelihood of misreads None
2 20th July 1818 - 1st May 1835 Bromley Archives & Local Studies Centre - Reference - P/208/1/7 Standard Rose style preprinted and prenumbered Marriage register Grade 2 Register - not a perfect read but with a low likelihood of misreads None


Hayes St Mary the Virgin
Bromley St Peter & St Paul
Farnborough St Giles the Abbot
West Wickham St John the Baptist
Farnborough St Giles the Abbot
Downe St Mary the Virgin
Cudham St Peter & St Paul
Cudham St Peter & St Paul
Downe St Mary the Virgin

1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830

Register Reference Date Groom Forename Groom Surname Groom Status Groom Abode Bride Forename Bride Surname Bride Status Bride Abode
30/07/1754 George LAMBERT Single   Ann WHIFFEN Single  
26/08/1755 George WESTBROOK   Orpington Ann COUFER    
28/09/1755 John PALMER Single   Ann BEVIS Single  
17/01/1757 William DALTON Single   Sarah PROUDLOVE Single  
06/05/1758 William HOOKER     Susannah HAMMAN    
11/10/1758 William WINCHESTER     Ann WRIGHT    
05/02/1759 Robert HARMAN     Ann EATON    
31/08/1761 John PINK     Sarah APPLEBETH    
23/02/1762 John COVELL     Anne WILLIAMS    
13/02/1763 Charles CASSAN   Lambeth, Surrey Meliora LAGRANGE    
28/10/1764 James WACE   Downe Anne LOCKE    
24/10/1765 Thomas BELLSPEAD     Catherine HILLARD    
22/09/1766 John ELEN     Margaret JOYNER    
14/02/1768 Thomas RUSSELL   Chipstead, Surrey Anne DALTON    
11/12/1768 James KING     Mary ALWYN    
28/05/1769 Thomas ARRATER   Titsey, Surrey Rachel WOOD    
24/02/1772 Edmund WELLS     Catherine MUGGRIDE    
26/04/1772 George WELCH   Bromley Elizabeth MANDY    
11/10/1773 John GATTON   Bromley Elizabeth Hester SMITHER    
16/01/1774 John WHIFFEN     Hannah COOPER    
06/02/1774 Richard HUTTON     Mary CURTIS    
31/07/1774 Robert MEAD     Jemima HASELDINE    
10/01/1775 William LEWIS     Mary CURTIS    
29/05/1775 Richard STAPLES     Grace ALLEN    
16/11/1776 Samuel FARMER   Shoreditch, Middlesex Elizabeth MEEKE    
30/03/1777 John WOOD     Mary DANN    
24/04/1777 Steven WICK   Chelsfield Ann BEST    
14/10/1777 Matthew KING   Downe Sarah OWEN    
20/12/1779 Daniel WOOD   Chelsfield Jane WAKELING    
06/02/1780 William WILDISH   Downe Mary MERCER    
22/10/1785 William ASHDOWN     Susanna PENFOLD    
28/05/1786 Edward GRINGE     Sarah MERCER    
08/10/1787 William COMPKIN     Sarah COFFIL    
16/02/1790 John WALKER     Mary POYNTER    
15/09/1790 Robert HILLS     Susanna BELFIELD    
17/09/1790 Robert MARTIN     Sarah COVILL    
30/07/1792 John CRUMPLEN     Susannah WARTERS    
04/02/1793 Thomas MILES     Sarah TURNER    
14/10/1793 Henry BELFIELD Single   Sarah POINTER Single  
04/11/1794 Edmund MERRYDAY     Elizabeth PHELPS    
16/11/1794 William GATES     Fanny ROWE    
10/10/1795 Thomas JUDD     Elizabeth ELLIOT    
18/10/1795 James WOOD     Dorothy WELLS    
27/06/1796 William PIKE     Sarah SWINDELL    
08/08/1796 Thomas NEWMAN     Frances LARNER    
06/11/1796 Thomas DORE   Sundridge Lydia COVELL    
23/04/1797 William MITCHELL     Ann PACKHAM    
12/05/1798 David MUGDREDGE     Margaret TODD    
22/10/1798 William MAY     Mary RANDELL    
29/05/1799 Thomas HATCH     Caroline Matilda ELDRIDGE    
24/06/1799 James GOODCHILD     Sarah JONES    
21/03/1800 William HATTON     Ann DURLING    
21/04/1800 John STAPLES     Sarah PACKMAN    
27/04/1800 Richard DUNMORE     Sarah GLOVER    
05/12/1800 William MALLIAN     Eleanor PORTER    
11/02/1801 Thomas STADEN Single   Sarah DODD Single  
13/10/1801 Henry STAPLES     Sarah BALDING    
28/02/1802 George OSBOURNE     Elizabeth PALMER    
05/06/1804 Joseph GRAY Single   Sarah TOOTH Single  
11/11/1805 Robert ROWE     Sarah HALL    
26/05/1806 George JACKSON Single   Anne WHIFFEN Single  
13/10/1807 Joseph EVANS Single   Cecilia HERRINGTON Single  
22/08/1808 John DENMEAD Single   Mary STREET Single  
09/06/1810 John BOOLCOMB Single West Wickham Anne HEAD Single  
1 20/07/1818 William COURTNELL   Poplar, Middlesex Anne PEMBROKE    
2 10/02/1820 Thomas SMITH     Charlotte STRINGER   Cudham
3 27/01/1823 Richard FREEMAN   Chelsfield Elizabeth GREEN    
4 10/12/1824 Joshua Earle HODGSON Single   Martha Bristow DONEY   St Botolph Aldgate, City Of London
5 16/02/1829 Benjamin CLEAR Single   Anne GREEN Widow  
6 04/08/1833 John DENNIS Widower   Elizabeth CLARK    
7 07/12/1833 James KIRKPATRICK   Southery, Norfolk Elizabeth Anne MARTIN    
8 01/05/1835 James RUSSELL     Mary Anne RAY    

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