England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Stokenchurch St Peter & St Paul

The Parish

The parish of Stokenchurch is one of those parishes which has changed county over the years, historically one of the easternmost parishes of Oxfordshire it is now part of Buckinghamshire, the complexity of parish boundaries hereabouts is also impacted by detached portions of parishes which have been somewhat smoothed in our contiguous linkages. We place it within Oxfordshire as that was where it was considered to be at the time of this transcript's events. Stokenchurch is located about 7 miles west of the Buskinghamshire town of High Wycombe and sits on the A40 road which connects Oxford with London. Early gazetteers state that Stokenchurch was only a "a few scattered houses" but this is certainly not the case today whereby Stokenchurch is a large village  spreading for well over a mile along A40 & the B482 which heads for Great Marlow. Stokenchurch stands on some of the highest ground of the Chiltern Hills, surrounded by lush beech woods, a pleasant and popular place to live. Modern developments have come to this area as the modern M40 motorway carves its way across the chalk hills on the southern edge of Stokenchurch's properties en route to Oxford, a modern day replacement for the old coaching route of the A40. Whilst much land was farmed, mainly by sheep on the poor chalky soils, the beech hangers provided raw materials for the local industry of chair making, High Wycombe was that industries epicentre but Stokenchurch's residents were also heavily involved in the making of chairs. Most of the valley's surrounding Stokenchurch are dry, a typical feature of porous chalk landscapes, where water eventually emerges it forms the River Wye which meets the Thames to the east of Great Marlow, thence through the capital to the North Sea. Stokenchurch is sited at around 220 metres above the sea, land rises gently to the escarpment's edge where it reaches a further 20 metres higher before plunging to the Oxfordshire Vale below. Stokenchurch parish was one of the more extensive in Oxfordshire, covering just over 5,900 acres it was more typically sized like an upland parish, within that acreage it would have supported a population of just over 1,300 parishioners. Stokenchurch is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Peter & St Paul's church sits just north of the A40  accessed by a half circular lane and sitting behind fronting properties. The church certainly has ancient origins but, like so many has seen significant alteration over the centuries. The striking shingled bell-turret is reputedly Norman Romanesque in origin with as 12th century date, Pevsner is sceptical as it was extensively modified in the mid 20th century asking clear dating detail. Also of this early date is the chancel arch, often the first point of construction of a church with nave and chancel being built in opposite directions from this central point. Here again Pevsner prevaricates as to whether it is Norman and early to mid 12th century or Transitional of the latter quarter of the 12th century. The 13th century Decorated style appears in both nave and chancel albeit with later work overlaid. Several phases of modern work have added to the detail, a rebuild of the northern transept in Tudor times was followed by a significant restoration of 1847, the northern aisle added in 1893 and a modern room to the northwest added in the late 1980s to result in today's building. Church Street curves in ahalf circle away and back to the A40 and has ample parking, at its apex a flagged pathway cuts between properties to a lychgate granting entry. There are trees robbing the favoured southeastern aspect but otherwise there is ample angles for adequate photography.