England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Hipswell St John

The Parish

The chapelry of Hipswell, its mother parish being Catterick, lies in northern Yorkshire not too far from its border with County Durham. Hipswell is located roughly 3 miles south of the market town of Richmond and sits around a half mile north of the A6136 road which links Richmond with Catterick. Modern day Hipswell is surrounded by the paraphernalia of the Catterick Military Garrison such that it is tricky to identify the early settlement, early maps show a small and compact village largely lying south of its church with most properties lining modern day's Hipswell Road. Like most settlements this far north growing cereals was difficult because of the climate and pastoral farming dominated the farming regime, minor exploitation of coal measures is recalled by local names such as Coalpit Hill some 4 miles to the west and certainly employed a few of the villagers. The expansion of Catterick Garrison has almost overwhelmed the former village with troop accommodation stretching for many miles around. Hipswell is drained the short distance northeast to the Swale by the Colburn Beck, the Swale, one of the great Yorkshire Dales' rivers eventually merges with others to reach the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Hipswell is sited at around 130 metres above the sea whilst land rises steadily westwards onto the forerunners of the Pennine range rising to 311 metres on Seat How to the west. Hipswell chapelry at just over 2,500 acres of the extensive Catterick parish acreage was fairly typically sized for its area, within that acreage it would have supported around 300 parishioners. Hipswell was almost at the northern limit of Norman influence but is recorded in Domesday Book as a holding of Count Alan of Brittany with assets of just 3 ploughs it was typical of such settlements this far to the north.

The Church

St John's church sits to the east of Hipswell Road and would have been almost the northernmost building in the former village area. Sadly the church that sits here today is a Georgian rebuild dating from 1811 and thus not the venue for some of these marriages. The previous church was on a differing site closer to Hipswell Hall and is recorded in documents dating to the 13th and 14th centuries, nothing remains of that church which some authorities state was dedicated to St Martin. As that early church fell into ruin it became inevitable that it was demolished and the present church built to replace it. Today's church is a simple design with a continuous nave and chancel only augmented by its western bellcote. Despite the late build date of 1811 there has been time for a typical Victorian restoration, here it fell in the early 1890s and rebuilt the chancel as well as refreshing the tracery of the windows. The church is set back from the road with a sandy track, lined with stone blocks to prevent car-damage to the extensive grassy areas, leading to the entrance, parking can be had in that track or along Hipswell Road. The site is open and uncluttered with no obstacles for the photographer.