England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Crick St Margaret

The Parish

The parish of Crick lies in the extreme west of Northamptonshire forming a short stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Warwickshire, whilst Leicestershire is also not too far away to its north. Crick is located roughly 6 miles east of the Warwickshire town of Rugby and a similar distance north of Daventry. Crick is a large village which sat, the road nowadays bypasses the village to its north, on the A428 road which connects Rugby with Northampton. The former course of the A428 through the village forms its spine, most village properties either lining it or the twin lanes that head to north and to south from the main crossroads. At the time of this transcript Crick's economy would have been primarily agricultural with a mixed farming economy in place, in addition a number of people were employed in the manufacture of worsted stockings, a trade that has since disappeared, whilst the local rough limestone was extracted for use as flag-stones and local building stone. Crick is surrounded by modern development, it sits just over a mile east of the ancient Roman route of Watling Street and the natural gap in the landscape has meant most other routes have followed it closely. The Grand Union Canal passes the village to its east in a 1,500 metre tunnel, the London to Birmingham rail line passes to the west and that same route is followed by the modern M1 motorway. This central position and good transportation links has made the area attractive to distribution companies and the district is littered with their vast warehouses and the roads congested with their trucks. That the canal was forced to take to a tunnel is indicative that Crick stands on something of a watershed, water to its north heading via the Avon & Severn to the Bristol Channel whilst rain to its south reaches the Nene and hence the North Sea through The Wash. Crick is sited at around 130 metres above the sea, a relatively modest height for a watershed between West & East coasts of the nation, land reaches a height of 155 metres juts west of the M1. Crick parish was relatively extensive for a southern agricultural parish, covering close to 3,300 it was twice the expected area of such a parish, within that acreage it would have supported a population of around 1,000 parishioners. In Domesday times Crick was altogether a more modest place, held by one Geoffrey de la Guerche it had merely 8 ploughs and a small meadow as reportable assets.

The Church

St Margaret's church, St Margaret of Antioch to give its fullest title, sits on the eastern side of Church Street, the northern lane leading away from the former crossroads at the heart of the village. The church is a rather rare example of a church largely from a single architectural era and style that has been subjected to little change thereafter. Whilst the ever-forensic Pevsner points to some circular piers in the 13th century Early English Gothic style which sit within the southern arcade, the majority of the church dates from the early 14th century and is largely built in the Decorated style of the first half of that century. There is every indication that the church was raised in a single campaign running from  c1280 to c1340. The major exception to this period is that of the Astley family chapel within the chancel which is of the later 14th century and is Perpendicular in style. Whilst a nominal Victorian restoration of 1840 is recorded it did not make significant changes to the church which is a good example of the Decorated style as a consequence. The only poor feature of the church is the use of both pink & grey Warwickshire stone which has not weathered too well needing frequent "tlc" to maintain. Street parking may be found to the north & south of the actual site which sits upon a bend, both ends having entrances through the brick walling that surrounds. Whilst the rather spacious churchyard is ample to the photographer's needs, a large tree dominates the southern aspects and consequently only those less favoured aspects from the north are available, a challenge on a sunny day.