England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Lewes St John sub Castro

The Parish

Lewes is a market town and the administrative capital of East Sussex, the town is divided into 6 parishes of which St John sub Castro is just one albeit the largest in terms of population at the time of this transcript. Lewes is located within a gap in the chalky ridge of the South Downs at the point where the River Ouse has created a breach on its way to the English Channel at Newhaven. Lewes is about 8 miles inland from the coast and roughly the same northeast of the seaside town of Brighton. Lewes is also an important junction where the major routes A27 (east to west) meets the A26 (north to south). The parish of St John sub Castro, is as implied located in the town below its Saxon castle, a feature subsequently adopted and expanded by the Normans following the conquest. The parish is curious in that it consists of the north west of the town plus a detached area of countryside further northwest but separated by Hamsey parish. The area of the parish today is covered by residences, an area around the church itself being dominated by terraced and semidetached housing. The parish centre stands at about 40 metres above sea level but land quickly rises to the west to above 200 metres as the South Downs encroach onto the town. The main drainage is the River Ouse which has created (probably in the Late Ice Age) a large breach in the eastern end of the South Downs. Despite its relatively small size St John sub Castro was Lewes' most populous parish supporting around 2,500 parishioners. In Domesday times Lewes was held jointly by the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury but the entry is surprisingly lacking in detail beyond stating there were 127 households across the 6 parishes.

The Church

St John sub Castro is located at the junction of St John's Hill and Lancaster Street in the northwest of the town. The church is a Victorian replacement for the ancient church which stood a little to the north of the current site. The building was completed 2 years after Victoria came to the throne so only just into the Victorian age. A few pieces of the ancient Saxon building have been incorporated into the new church which is functional if not totally inspiring. Pevsner restricts himself merely to a description although his description of the window tracery as "Ignorant" perhaps reveals his true belief. The church sits surrounded by housing and tightly confined. It is only from the west that any substantial views (and photographs) are possible. The low flint and brick wall reflects the construction of the building itself which lacks an obvious graveyard.