England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Mildenhall St Mary & St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Mildenhall lies in the extreme northwest of Suffolk, indeed it not only forms part of the boundary with neighbouring Cambridgeshire but also is only a mile or two from neighbouring Norfolk. Mildenhall is a small market town lying roughly midway between Thetford and Newmarket and it sits just west of the busy main A11 road which connects Norwich with London. Mildenhall originally was a riverside market town sitting on the northern banks of the River Lark, in recent times it has expanded northwards as a result of modern developments. Mention of Mildenhall would be incomplete without mentions its air-base, created in 1930 its was an important bomber base during World War 2 and in recent times it became the operational centre for US Strategic Air Command; today the base is experiencing decline as intentions to close in the future begin to take effect. It's impact on this small market town is immeasurable, a little slice of the USA in East Anglia. During the period of this transcript Mildenhall would have acted as a market town for its hinterland as well as having extensive farming within the broader parish, its location at the border between the sheep & rabbit ranges of Breckland and the extensive deep peat soils of The Fens would have guaranteed a diverse farming economy. The River Lark drains the parish westwards, making its way across The Fens to join the Great Ouse and reach the North Sea through The Wash and the port of King's Lynn. Mildenhall is sited at just 10 metres above the sea and the landscape around it is low-lying and only gently undulating to local heights of less than 30 metres. Mildenhall parish was extensive, the largest by area in Suffolk, with extensive acreage of Fenland, it covered 16,000 acres and would have supported around 3,700 parishioners. In Domesday times Mildenhall was shared 3 ways, the majority in the hands of King William, himself, as well as smaller holdings for Gilbert son of Richere and Richard his son; collectively the parish was an extremely wealthy place, it could boast 24 ploughs, meadows, had 2 mills and 3 fisheries.

The Church

St Mary & St Andrew's church is located at the heart of the market town on the western side of the High Street as it heads southwards to cross the Lark. Pevsner describes the church as "the most ambitious church in the northwestern corner of Suffolk" and its dimensions certainly support that statement. The church measures 168 feet in length and the western stands 120 feet tall an impressive statement for Mildenhall. The church's earliest parts show that build commenced whilst the early English Gothic style was still fashionable, stepped lancets show these characteristics. The early work is dated from 1240 to 1300 (both dates approximate) by Pevsner. A break or, perhaps more likely, a significant rebuild makes much else of the Perpendicular period. The tower is characteristic of this period as are the arcades between nave & aisles and the clerestory. For once Pevsner makes no mention of extensive Victorian restoration so perhaps this was either light or nonexistent. The church sits behind a knee-height brick wall with its glorious eastern window almost flush with the pavements of High Street. The extensive grounds, oblong in shape, are dotted with trees which do get in the way a little but still with adequate angles for the photographer.