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

The Parish

The parish of Walmer lies in the extreme southeast of Kent forming a stretch of the county's coastline with the North Sea. Walmer is located roughly 2 miles south of the port and market town of Deal, indeed such has been the development in the area that the two are now contiguous, and sits on the A258 road which links Deal with Dover. Historically Walmer had two centres, that around the church being initially a purely arable farming parish leavened with some acreage of sheep-run, the sea frontage was dominated by the Tudor castle being largely coastal meadow and wooded slopes of an ancient former cliff-line. Early Walmer, whilst just about separate from Deal, was tied up with its coastal economy with Deal's fishing and trading port nevertheless employing many from Walmer. The modern development of Walmer began in 1540, Henry VIII fearing foreign invasion following the split with Rome built a series of castles and fortification along this stretch of the Kent coast with Walmer receiving one of these. The establishment of the castle lead to a permanent (until recent times) military garrison and consequent swelling of the population. In addition the stretch of water off Walmer's coast, known as "The Downs," became one of Britain's most important safe havens for sailing ships. Servicing hundreds of anchored ships created a boom in provisioning, boat-building, and salvaging turning Walmer from village to town and leading to its join with Deal. Walmer's military role increased significantly in the period of this transcript with the establishment of Walmer Barracks in 1794 (there will be numerous "strays" recorded as military personnel in these records) and the Royal Naval Hospital in 1800  - 1812. Modern developments added a further string to the town's bow with the arrival of the railway line from London leading to Walmer's further development as a coastal bathing resort with the usual rash of bungalow development and foreshore attractions. In modern times the military presence has been removed leaving Walmer as a pleasant coastal resort. As a coastal settlement there are numerous drains to the nearby sea. Walmer is sited between sea level and 40 metres above it, the land rises to shallow chalk downs reaching just over 70 metres in a few spots. Walmer parish was one of the smaller parishes in its county covering merely 885 acres that acreage would have supported a population recorded as close to 2,200 parishioners by the end of the transcript period, the rather few marriages recorded in this transcript reflects the volume that would have taken place at Deal as well as the dramatic increase in military population following 1794 included in that figure. Walmer is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

Old St Mary's church in which these marriages were celebrated stands roughly midway between Walmer's Station and the castle on Church Street. The church has masonry dating to the earliest times, being largely untouched since completion in the 12th century, the Norman Romanesque period. The church is recorded as having been built c1120 as a private chapel for the d'Auberville family, lords of the manor, and comprising a simple 2-cell format of nave and chancel. The Norman details that remain are well worth a visit consisting of an ornate 12th-century south doorway decorated with chevron, billet, and nail-head mouldings supported by heavy shafts with scalloped capitals. The high chancel arch mirrors these motifs with cushion-shaped capitals and extra mouldings. Later medieval improvements were limited to the eastern end of the nave where a piscina and a pair of windows represent the early 14th century Decorated period.A major change made in Georgian times, namely the addition of a deep northern aisle completed in 1826, was short-lived with the work demolished back to the original size in 1898.  Alongside Church Street at the entrance is a short parallel out-back-road which allows for parking outside the gates. The churchyard is extensive but also densely populated with mature trees, the photographer will need to do some scouting around to find the better angles for viewing.