England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Sutton on Hull St James

The Parish

The parish of Sutton on Hull lies in the extreme southeast of Yorkshire forming a short stretch of Yorkshire's coast with the outer Humber Estuary. Sutton on Hull is located about 3 miles northeast of the port of Hull and sits on the B1237 road which marks the outer boundary of Hull's northeastern suburbs. Once a distinct and sizeable village Sutton on Hull became subsumed into metropolitan Hull in 1929 and nowadays is merely part of the port's suburbs, an urban area which stretches for almost 8 miles from west to east as a contiguous sea of housing and industry. Prior to the growth of its larger neighbour Sutton on Hull would have been a largely agricultural village, the broad flood-plain of the River Hull providing rich grazing as the dominant form. The landscape would also have been much man-modified with drains taking the water away from the low lying landscape, the main Holderness Drain forming the eastern boundary of the parish. A brief dabble with modern developments occurred when a branch rail line from Hull to Hornsea was constructed but this has since closed and now forms part of the Trans-Pennine Trail, a walking and cycling route crossing northern England. Today Sutton on Hull retains its village centre but is dominated by the vast modern Bransholme estate to its west. A mixture of the River Hull and man-made drains take water the short distance to the Humber Estuary. Sutton on Hull is sited at around 5 metres above the sea, land is at or even below that height for some considerable distance. Sutton on Hull parish was fairly extensive for a lowland parish, covering close to 4,500 acres it would have supported a population of almost 6,400 parishioners; today its population is many times that. In Domesday times Sutton on Hull was held largely by Drogo de la Beauvriere with a small holding with the Archbishop of York, collectively their assets amounted to an impressive 18 ploughs and extensive meadows and woodland.

The Church

St James' church sits at the heart of old Sutton, on the northern side of Church Street and with inns and other commercial premises for company. Whilst there was a church here from early days much of the present church dates from the mid 14th century when it was largely rebuilt following being made collegiate. Documentary evidence places the re-dedication as 1349 and both nave and chancel were rebuilt close to that date. The western tower, however, is later and Perpendicular in style. This is, however, a church which has been extensively restored over the centuries, unsightly roughcast was applied to the church in 1793 but has been largely removed, a significant restoration of the 1860s made many changes whilst in 1883 a vestry was added to the northern side of the chancel, finally in the mid to late 20th century the clerestory and southern sidle parapets were rebuilt and a southern porch removed. Church Street has street parking both to the east and west of the site allowing an easy visit. The churchyard is bordered by a railing-topped low brick wall with wooden gates granting entry. Strangely the church occupies the extreme southern edge of what is a vast churchyard stretching almost through to Robson Way in the north, as a consequence the best views are actually from across the street rather than within the churchyard.