England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Ipswich St Margaret

The Parish

The town of Ipswich, capital of Suffolk, lies in southeastern Suffolk close to its North Sea coast. The town lies on the River Orwell and was a thriving port. The parish of St Margaret was the most northern parish of the town. Ipswich was made up of a number of parishes each with its own small area of the city St Margaret was one of the larger acreages covering much of the north of the town and extending into the countryside to the north where it formed the northern boundary. Collectively Ipswich supported over 25,000 parishioners St Margaret's parish held around 16% of that total and was the second largest by population. Ipswich rises to the north from the banks of the River Orwell and by the time St Margaret is reached the land is some 20 metres above sea level. Although St Margaret's parish was once the edge of Ipswich it has been overtaken by the growth of the town and housing has spread away into the suburbs. St Margaret's parish is now dominated by terrace housing and small shop bordered main streets. Ipswich has a long history and has extensive reference in Domesday Book where it is recorded as Gippeswyc from a tributary of the the Orwell

The Church

St Margaret's church sits at the junction of Bolton Lane and Soane Street in a dominating position at the entrance to one of Ipswich largest open spaces, Christchurch Park. Pevsner was clearly impressed with the building describing it as "the most spectacular church in Ipswich" and its frontage as seen from the junction certainly confirms that. In contrast to many Suffolk churches most of the building is built in the Decorated style which preceded the main church building era in the county. The Decorated style had its dominance during the early 14th century and it is likely that the majority of the fabric dates from that century. The building is lavishly decorated in the Gothic style and is a fine symbol for the town. The church sits behind a low brick wall and the main entrance is effected from Soane Street through an open gateway bordered with short pillars of stone. The site is well dotted with trees that are small and not an issue for photography.