England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Milverton St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Milverton is located in southwestern Somerset close to the border with neighbouring Devon. The village is an ancient market town, the market predates Domesday Book, located about 7 miles west of the county town of Taunton. Milverton is a compact and large village nowadays standing on higher ground above the Hillfarrance Brook to the north, a tributary of the River Tone, and the Vale of Taunton to the south. Milverton is located where two B roads (the B3227 Taunton to Wiveliscombe and B3187 Wellington to Milverton) meet and consists of these two principal roads plus a series of north-south running side streets. The village is set at around 80 metres above sea-level and land drops to the Hillfarrance Brook which lies 25 metres lower. The land is largely used for pastures with a network of high-hedged fields. The parish had an extensive acreage, and is elongated east to west, covering 5,000 acres and it supported a substantial population of over 2,100 parishioners. In Domesday Book Milverton is documented as being a Royal Borough with land for 25 ploughs and a mill, together with the market it was deemed worth £25 to the King.

The Church

St Mary's church is a large church as befits a small market town, the building is located adjacent to one of the crossing streets. The church dates from the late 14th and 15th centuries being built almost entirely in the Perpendicular style of that period. The exceptions to this period are one early, the tower base is deemed to be 12th century, and one later, the south arcade was a 19th century addition. The church is built largely in the local red sandstone which gives it a pleasant glow when the westerly sun strikes the tower in the evenings. The church sits in an expansive graveyard, this is raised through centuries of burials and kept in place by a mid-height sandstone wall. Access is through a pair of wooden gates, one for vehicles the other for pedestrians giving rise to two tarmac paths which cross the graveyard. The site is fairly open with only a few low trees to the north of the building giving uninterrupted views in particular from the west.