England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Earls Barton All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Earls Barton lies in south central Northamptonshire, not too far from the borders with both Bedfordshire & Buckinghamshire. Earls Barton is located, in the valley of the River Nene, about 4 miles southeast of the town of Wellingborough and 6 miles east of the county town of Northampton. Earls Barton sits on rising ground on the northern side of the Nene about a mile north of the busy A45 road which runs from Thrapston, south of both Wellingborough & Northampton, through to the M1. Earls Barton is a substantial village, almost a small town in itself. Most buildings sits either side of the B573 road which forms Earls Barton's High Street or along the lanes leading north and south from it. At the time of this transcript the area's economy would have been underpinned by the rich agricultural soil of the Nene valley but there was also some industry in the form of shoe & mat making within the village. The Nene drains the parish eastwards, eventually reaching the North Sea through The Wash. Earls Barton is sited at around 90 metres above the sea and sits on a shelf of land some 50 metres above the Nene, local heights reach little more than this height in gently undulating countryside. Earls Barton parish was fairly typically sized for the county, it covered just over 2,300 acres and would have supported a population of around 1,100 parishioners. In Domesday times Earls Barton was held by one Countess Judith, it could offer 8 ploughs, small meadows and 3 mills.

The Church

All Saints' church sits at the heart of Earls Barton on the northwestern side of its main crossroads junction of the B573 with north and south running lanes. The church's crowning glory is its Saxon tower described by Pevsner as a "mighty piece". There are relatively few pre-Conquest churches remaining and the tower is a rare and precious survival of the 10th century. The importance of the tower cannot be understated, Pevsner devotes long and detailed description of its features for those with an interest. Setting aside the ancient tower, the remainder of the building has its roots in the 12th century and the Norman Romanesque style. There are of course later additions in both Early English Gothic and Decorated styles but the building is very much a showcase for early church building and as such is a national treasure. The church sits in an elevated position, dominating the road junction on which it stands, entry s by steps rising from High Street albeit there are other entries and path crisscross the churchyard. There are relatively few obstructions to adequate views for photography.