England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Middleton St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Middleton lies in the extreme northwest of Warwickshire, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring Staffordshire. Middleton is a compact if somewhat linear village sited about 4 miles south of the Staffordshire market town of Tamworth and about the same northeast of Sutton Coldfield. Middleton sits on an east/west running lane about a mile west of the A4091 road which connects Tamworth with Coleshill, most of the properties sit along that lane or Church Lane which continues west when that lane bends north at the western end of the village. Middleton parish was almost totally held by the various Lords Middleton and the parish is still dominated by the Hall & its grounds although nowadays it is owned by a charitable trust and run as a museum & gardens as well as an up-market wedding venue. Middleton would largely have had an arable farming economy at the time of this transcript. Middleton is drained eastwards by a number of small brooks which join the Tame flowing north to join the Trent east of Alrewas and thence to the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. Middleton is sited at around 90 metres above sea level in an area gently undulating. Middleton parish was of a typical size for the area, it covered around 3,900 acres and supported a population of around 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Middleton was held by Hugh of Grandmesnil & his wife and offered 9 ploughs, small meadows and a mill.

The Church

St John the Baptist's church sits at the western end of the village on the northern side of Church Lane. The church has three distinct ages within it as well as a remnant of the earliest period. The southern doorway shows the zigzag arch characteristic of the Norman (11th century) period. Next is the four bay northern arcade which Pevsner places in the 13th or early 14th century. The bulk of the church, including the rather imposing western tower is Perpendicular and therefore of late 14th or early 15th centuries. Finally the vestry is of the early 19th century. The church sits behind a low stone wall and access is at the western end of the site through a pair of white painted gates. There are quite a few trees but they are along the roadside and do not impede photography once inside the churchyard.