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

The Parish

The parish of Sevington lies in southern Kent roughly 2 miles east of the town of Ashford. Sevington sits just a half mile south of the busy M20 motorway and immediately east of Ashford's eastern bypass the A2070. Sevington is a tiny place of just a few households at the time of this transcript, today it sits on the edge of a a growing town surrounded by the paraphernalia of Ashford's international gateway and home to the Inland Border Facility associated with the Channel Tunnel. The two main properties which make up the parish are its church and the farm of Court Lodge. Early gazetteers estimate that pastoral farming formed the main economic activity with over 70% of the small acreage set to pasture. Modern developments have largely swamped Sevington, it sits between the High Speed Rail route to the Channel Tunnel and the modern M20 motorway performing the same function for road-based traffic. A small tributary of the East Stour River drains the parish westwards to meet that river within the bounds of Ashford, turning north and renamed the Great Stour water passes through Canterbury before turning eastwards to meet the North Sea through the port of Sandwich. Sevington is sited  at around 50 metres above the sea in generally gentle terrain, a few spots north of the M20 rise to near 70 metres. Sevington was one of Kent's smaller parishes covering just 820 acres and supporting around 100 parishioners. Domesday Sevington was equally small, held by Hugh de Montfort it could muster just a single plough, a small meadow but did possess a mill.

The Church

The countryside around St Mary's church has changed irreparably in modern times, at one time the church sat in fields with just Court Lodge for company, nowadays it is squeezed between the bypass and the border facility with just a narrow lane for access. Despite these unprepossessing circumstances in St Mary we have a rather ancient church largely 12th and 13th century in origins. Caen stone quoins in the aisle's fabric are indicative that the nave and southern aisle probably date from thr 12th century Norman Romanesque period, the arch between the two is round-headed too also indicative of such an early date. Either side of the 12th century nave are the 13th century components, to the west is the tower complete with lancet styled windows of the Early English Gothic period, a similar feature graces the chancel to the east. The early features are complemented by a 15th century Perpendicular timber porch and a few windows were also clearly replaced at that time too. A typical restoration of 1878 barely merits a comment from Pevsner proving it to be light and relatively sensitive. Church Lane approaches from the south through a series of 90 degree turns before ending in a dead-end at the path leading to the churchyard, a muddy verge provides safe parking. Whilst the churchyard is compact and bordered with trees the immediate surroundings are clear enabling adequate images without too much head-scratching.