England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Upton by Duston St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Upton, given a suffix of "by Duston" to distinguish it from the other Upton in Northamptonshire, lies in the southwestern portion of central Northamptonshire roughly 2 miles west of the county town of Northampton. Upton sits immediately south of the A4500 road which links Northampton westwards to the M1 motorway. Upton is a tiny place, an estate village and closed parish with all land in the hands of a single landowner who discouraged inbound migration. The parish is dominated by the parkland of Upton Hall estate, mansion home of the Samwell family from 1600. Today, however, the ever-expanding urban area of Northampton has crept ever closer such that only 400 metres separates the gates of the estate from the modern suburbs, a situation which could change to engulf the parish in the near future. Like most estate parishes the economy, chiefly arable farming with riverside pastures, would have been dictated by the needs of the "big house". A mile south of Upton sits the River Great Ouse which drains the parish eastwards on a long journey which ultimately reaches the North Sea through the port of King's Lynn and The Wash. Upton is sited at around 80 metres above the sea with land rising steadily but gently away from the Great Ouse to local high points of around 110 metres to the northwest. Upton parish was a small one at only 939 acres and would have supported only around 50 parishioners. In Domesday times Upton was retained by King William and was a typical rural holding offering 7 ploughs, a small meadow but there was a mill.

The Church

St Michael's church has an unenviable position sitting directly south of the speeding traffic along the A4500 rushing towards the motorway. Like many small isolated rural churches St Michael has ancient origins still remaining amongst its fabric today. Both nave and chancel, despite later work, both retain 12th century Norman Romanesque styled windows and all 3 main doorways, the priest's and both northern and southern doorways, are all relics of that early era. The major change came in that great church-building era of the 14th century when today's western tower was built, cutting into the pre-existing nave as it did so. Today's chancel also dates from the same century showing 3-light windows with trefoil decorations common to the period. Late Perpendicular styled windows on the side walls are either signs of improvement or yet later changes, they date from the very late date for that style of 1594. A typical Victorian restoration of 1893 completes the work, whilst refreshing the church it also replaced the internal fittings of pulpit and bench-ends. Visiting is made possible by a lay-by cut into the verge at the site, a welcome respite but only if heading westwards. Sadly for the photographer the church is tightly enclosed on 3 sides, west, south & east, by thick forestry leaving a much reduced set of angles available for imagery.