England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Enfield St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Enfield lies in the extreme northeast of Middlesex, indeed it forms not only part of the boundary with neighbouring Hertfordshire but also with Essex. Enfield is located about 10 miles north of the City of London and just west of the A10 road which links London with Cambridge, Enfield centre is situated adjacent to the east/west running A110 road. Enfield was formerly a small market town (the market had been granted by Edward I in 1304) bordering the former Royal Forest of Enfield Chace (sic). Nowadays, like much of the former county of Middlesex, Enfield has been engulfed by the growth of the capital and is part of London's contiguous built area. The area grew very rapidly especially once rail travel made it a desirable commuter settlement, there are still two separate rail lines to the city. The centre of Enfield still manages to retain its market town-like ambiance despite the urban sprawl in which it now sits. Of the former forest, nothing remains it being disbanded in the late 18th century. Enfield sits on the western banks of the Lea Valley, the River Lea being much altered by the works of man drains the parish southwards to join the Thames. Enfield is sited at around 30 metres above the se, the valley of the Lea to the east being some 20 metres lower. By the standards of Middlesex Enfield was quite simply an enormous parish, even by the standards of the south of England it was very large indeed, much of the area being taken up the the Royal Forest, it covered over 14,000 acres and the population would have grown from 4,000 to almost 10,000 parishioners during the period of this transcript. In Domesday times Enfield was held by one Geoffrey de Mandeville and was a wealthy place even then, it offered 44 ploughs, a mill, 2 fisheries and around 2,000 pigs.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits in a "close" of land to the rear of Enfield's market place. The setting is definitely a town setting rather than a rural one. The church is very large, as befits a parish with this population. The shape is rather curious as the northern and southern aisles when added to the nave and chancel create almost a rectangle with the western tower projecting from that block. The church is impressive in its length, too, at 120 feet it is indeed a substantial building at the heart of its community. The church has three distinct phases, the tower and fragments of the eastern end are dated to the 13th century, the northern portion of the main building is spread across the 14th and 15th centuries whilst the southern portion was largely rebuilt during the 19th century restorations. Enfield's market place sits on the northern side of the A110, its columnar centrepiece marking the spot. The church is accessed from the eastern side of the market by a pathway opposite the King's Head although there are other entries. The churchyard has many mature trees which do somewhat limit the angles available, especially to admire the 13th century tower.