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

The Parish

The parish of Stratford St Andrew lies in eastern Suffolk not too far from its eastern, North Sea, coast. Stratford St Andrew is located about 3 miles southwest of the market town of Saxmundham. Stratford St Andrew is a small and compact village built either on or just west of the A12 road which connects Ipswich with Lowestoft where it makes its crossing of the River Alde. The area around Stratford St Andrew would have had a mixed farming regime at the time of this transcript, pastoral grazing on the levels surrounding the Alde whilst on drier ground arable farming would have dominated. The River Alde drains the parish southeastwards reaching the North Sea through the estuary which sits behind Orford Ness. Stratford St Andrew is sited at a mere 10 metres above the sea but as it sits in a valley the local land level is some 20 to 30 metres higher. Even by the standards of eastern Suffolk where parishes are rather small, Stratford St Andrew is relatively tiny, it covered barely 300 acres and would have supported a population of around 200 parishioners. In Domesday times Stratford St Andrew was shared between Messrs. Robert Malet & Walter Giffard, the parish could offer just 5 ploughs, a tiny meadow, various animals but did possess a mill.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits just west of the A12 road and tucked away behind properties bordering Great Glemham Road. Pevsner is a little reticent in dating the church mentioning only the Norman nave and attributing much to later restorations. The church is more or less out of bounds these days as it has been deconsecrated and sold as a private home. Views of the building can be had from the road but they do not grant the best angles.