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

The Parish

The parish of Framlingham lies in eastern Suffolk roughly 18 miles northeast of the county town of Ipswich. Framlingham sits a little over 2 miles southeast of the A1120 road (which in places traces an ancient Roman Road) which links Stowmarket through to the A12 (Ipswich to Lowestoft) road at Yoxford. Framlingham is a mid-sized market town spread along twin axis roads, the B1119, running west to east, and the B1116, from north to south. Each route has properties lining and gives the village a star-like structure. Framlingham has an ancient history, reputedly one of the strongholds of the Iceni tribe in Roman times, the most notable feature of its historic content is the town's motte-and-bailey castle. Originally built in 1101 by Roger Bigod, that castle only remains as earthworks as a the family fell into dispute with royalty and it was dismantled at royal instruction, A second castle, once favour was restored, was started in 1189 and completed c1213. The principal survival of that castle is its curtain-wall of 13 towers in a rough oval shape, a noted tourist attraction for the town. Framlingham's market lead to it becoming an important regional trading centre and coupled with Suffolk's traditional wool & cloth trade prosperity grew to the town's present size. In its rural Suffolk setting Framlingham has never had substantial industry, malting & brewing being the notable trades. Like most of Suffolk the wider parish would have been dominated almost totally today & at the time of this transcript by arable farming replacing the medieval sheep-runs that lead to the cloth trade. Modern developments have come and gone from the town, a branch railway line connected it into the wider Suffolk lines from 1859 but closed to passenger traffic in 1959 and totally since then. Framlingham is drained southeastwards by the infant River Ore which eventually joins with the Alde to make its way to the North Sea through the latter's estuary. Whilst the town's Ore bridges sit at 30 metres above the sea the town's western suburbs rise to a little above 50 metres in gently rolling countryside where local high points rarely rise a further 10 metres higher. Framlingham parish was probably the most extensive in eastern Suffolk, covering almost 4,700 acres it would have supported a population of around 2,500 parishioners. As one would expect of such an historic town Framlingham was amongst the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday Book by population, having over 70 households even then. Four landholders shared the manor with Earl Hugh of Chester having the lion's share of the town's assets, these were extensive with an impressive 36 ploughs recorded alongside typical meadows & woodland dotted with innumerable livestock including 7 beehives making quite a buzz.

The Church

St Michael's church sits on the northern edge of the town betwixt town and castle and on the northwestern side of Church Street. As Pevsner notes it is a "large and stately church" as befits a market town once wealthy with wool & cloth merchants. That wealth from trade together with the wealth of the Duke of Norfolk lead to a substantial rebuild in the late 15th and 16th centuries replacing an earlier church of the 12th century. That 12th century fabric lingers on only in the chancel arch of Norman Romanesque styling. All else is determinedly Perpendicular and from the 15th century onward. Documentary evidence is frequent allowing Pevsner to note that the clerestory was in progress between 1464 & 1521 and that the western tower was built between c1483 and 1534. All was seen to be to glorify the 3rd Duke of Norfolk who sadly predeceased the completion in 1554 when the church was still incomplete. The remains of the old church had been demolished in 1547 but work was still ongoing on today's structure. The 96 foot high western tower is the showpiece with battlements topped by lions rather than pinnacles and much decorated flushwork. The nave arcades of 5-bays and the chancel chapels of 4-bays each indicate the size of this impressive church. The final flourish was the addition of the southern porch from c1775 before two typical Victorian & later restorations were conducted, the first of 1889 targeting the nave whilst the second of 1909 was directed mainly at the chancel. Church Street has a few bays for on-street parking but if full there are town car parks. The broad gateway to the churchyard offers the classic viewpoint for the church but the churchyard is sufficiently broad and only dots of trees make for issues allowing almost free reign to the photographer.