England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Beckbury St Milburgh

The Parish

The parish of Beckbury lies in the extreme east of Shropshire forming a short stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Staffordshire. Beckbury is located roughly 10 miles west of the Staffordshire industrial town of Wolverhampton, roughly between there and the new town of Telford. Beckbury sits about 3 miles east of the A442 road which connects Telford with Bridgnorth. Beckbury sits on the eastern banks of the River Worle with its properties lining the limbs of an inverted "Y" shape of lanes, the main crossing land holding the church at the notional centre. Like most parishes in this area it was pastoral farming that underpinned the local economy, the local red sandstone also made good building stone (see the church as an example) and was quarried for that purpose. Beckbury is drained southwards by the Worle which turns sharp left at Worfield to meet the Severn and join it for the long journey southwards to meet the sea at the Bristol Channel. Beckbury is sited on rising ground, the river being at 55 metres whilst the eastern parts of the village stand at 90 metres, a spot height of 93 metres immediately northeast is the highest land for some distance in gently rolling countryside. Beckbury parish was toward the smaller end of Shropshire's scale covering only a little more than 1,300 acre which would have supported a population of close to 300 parishioners. Domesday Beckbury was an even smaller place having a mere single household, a poor manor for its landholder a hunter named Roger with only the potential for 2 ploughs if grown.

The Church

St Milburgh's church sits on the southern side of Badger Lane, the main focus of the village and from which the various access lanes distribute. As can readily be seen it is a great example of the use of the local Old Red Sandstone. Whilst the church has early origins much of the fabric dates from much later times, there was 3 phases of Victorian restoration as well as much 18th century building. The earliest and remaining medieval fabric is the chancel which Pevsner gives the tentative dating of c1300, this places the build within the short-lived Transitional era rather than the earlier Early English Gothic period despite the presence of lancet styled windows on both northern and southern faces. The remainder of the church is later, the nave and tower being constructed shortly after 1731 and showing much crisper stonework. The first phase of Victorian work, in 1856, added the southern aisle whilst the second on 1879 -1880 was more ambitious adding the northern aisle, the clerestory and a northern transept. Finally a thorough restoration of 1884 rebuilt the chancel arch as well as conducting the usual refresh, a northern porch was an afterthought of 1888 to complete today's church. Badger Lane is well used by villagers for on-street parking opposite to the churchyard, there are some trees within the churchyard which take away some aspects but enough remains to adequately record the church.