England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Swanton Abbott St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Swanton Abbott (the latter word often rendered with a single "t") lies in northeastern Norfolk. Swanton Abbott is located about 3 miles south of the market town of North Walsham. Swanton Abbott is a small and compact village sitting about a mile west of the B1150 road which connects North Walsham with the city of Norwich. Much of the property in Swanton Abbott sits along or around a broad lane running from northwest to southeast through the parish. Much of the area today is used for arable farming and, indeed, that would have predominated at the time of this transcript, a small population of weavers would have diversified the income of the parish. Swanton Abbott is drained to the southwest by a small tributary of the River Bure which it joins just north of Lammas, from there it makes its way to the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. Swanton Abbott is sited at just 15 metres above sea level and the land rises gently to local heights of less than 40 metres nearby. Norfolk parishes, particularly in the area of The Broads, were small and Swanton Abbott was no exception, it covered just over 1,100 acres and would have supported a population of about 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Swanton Abbott was held by St Benet's Abbey and could offer 6 ploughs plus small meadows and woodland.

The Church

St Michael's church sits a little way from the village, to the north and accessed along the partially motorable Church Lane, it becomes a footpath beyond the church. With the exception of a few Decorated style windows the church is almost totally of the Perpendicular period and probably of the 15th century. The church follows the classic layout of that period with a western tower (Pevsner states 14th century so it is probably the start of the build), nave & chancel. A minor restoration of the 19th century replaced some windows and a major roof restoration was performed in 1953. The church stands at the junction of lanes and paths behind a neatly clipped hedge, a pair of metal gates at the southwestern corner of the site grants access. The church sits fairly closely to the southern edge of the churchyard which somewhat restricts the photographic angles available.