England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Temple Sowerby St James

The Parish

The parish of Temple Sowerby is situated in the extreme north of Westmorland, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring Cumberland. Temple Sowerby was formerly a chapelry in the large parish of Kirkby Thore but was created a separate parish in 1753. Temple Sowerby is located about 6 miles southeast of the market town of Penrith and sat on the line of the A66 road, until recently bypassed, which runs from Penrith across the Pennines to the A1 at Scotch Corner. Temple Sowerby is a compact but linear village with most properties along the old A road or in side turnings immediately off it. The village sits on the eastern banks of the River Eden and just south of the crossing by the A66 of that river. The reference in the village name to "Temple" is related to a preceptory created here by the Knights Templar. The area would have been dominated by pastoral farming at the time of this transcript, wet pastures taking cattle in the river valley and sheep on more dry ground. The Eden drains the parish northwestwards eventually reaching the Irish Sea through Carlisle. Temple Sowerby is sited at 110 metres above the sea in the valley of the Eden but to the east within 3 miles the Pennines start to rise to reach 848 metres on Great Dun Fell. By the standards of Westmorland the acreage covered by Temple Sowerby parish was small at just under 1,200 acres, it would have supported a population of just under 400 parishioners. There is no specific mention of Temple Sowerby in Domesday Book which has scant coverage of this area.

The Church

St James' church sits on the northern side of the road which was formerly the A66 but set well back from it behind a row of properties. The church is relatively modern being erected in 1754 and enlarged in 1770 by the addition of an aisle. The western tower was also replaced or added in the early 19th century and the church thoroughly restored in 1873. The building is clearly of little architectural interest as Pevsner dismisses it only a few lines largely describing these changes. The church sits enclosed within a low local stone wall access is by gates at northwest and southeastern corners joined by a path across the churchyard. There are few obstacles within the churchyard to photography.