Denton
NOTE: There are "Denton" villages and parishes in Cambridge, Norfolk and other counties in England.
- The parish was in the Denton sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
- In an 1890 district re-organisation, the parish was allocated to the new "Grantham South" sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
- Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Andrew and is built from local stone. The tower was restored in 1904.
- The church seats about 300.
- A photograph of the Anglican Church exists at the Wendy Parkinson English Church Photographs site.
- Here are several photographs of St. Andrew's Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
- Parish registers exist from 1538. Bishop's Transcripts exist from 1562 to 1833.
- We have a partial register extract. Your additions would be welcome.
- Parish registers are on file at the Society of Genealogists, covering 1558 - 1837.
- Parish marriages from 1651-1750 are covered in Boyd's Marriage Index.
- The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Grantham Deanery to make your search easier. In the early 1900's, the parish was in the South Grantham Deanery.
- The Independent Methodists had a chapel here in 1865. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
- Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
- The parish was in the Denton sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
- In an 1890 district re-organisation, the parish was allocated to the new "Grantham South" sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
- Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
Denton is both a village and a parish. The parish is about 4 miles southwest of Grantham on the old Melton Mowbray road (now the A607). The parish itself is bounded on the north by Barrowby, on the east by Harlaxton parish, to the west by Woolsthorpe and Harston (Leicestershire) parishes, and on the south by Wyville parish. The parish covers about 2,650 acres.
The village of Denton is about a mile south of the Grantham and Nottingham Canal, which effectively forms the border with Barrowby parish. A rivulet, which rises from near Denton House, supplies a small reservoir and feeds into the Grantham Canal. If you are planning a visit:
- It is probably easiest to take the A607 southwest off the A1 Motorway for about three miles.
- Visit our touring page for more sources.
- In 1705, Richard WELBY was high sheriff of Lincolnshire.
- In 1727, a mosaic pavement, likely the floor of a Roman villa, was found in Denton field.
- In 1841, nearly all of the parish was held by Sir William Earle WELBY, baronet of Denton House, with some land held by Mr. Gregory GREGORY of Harlaxton Manor. A few small landowners also held plots here.
- In 1871, most of the parish was held by Sir Glynne Earle WELBY-GREGORY, baronet.
- In 1913, almost the entire parish was held by Sir Charles Glynne Earle WELBY, baronet.
- Denton House was a handsome stone mansion built on a wooded hill. It was nearly all rebuilt in 1816-17. There is a spring near the house, St. Christopher's Well, said to possess medicinal and healing powers. In 1842, The WELBY family held the manor at Denton.
- In 1913, Denton Manor was the seat of Sir Charles Glynne Earle WELBY, baronet. This manor house was built in the tudor style in 1879-83 to replace the one above.
- The national grid reference is SK 8632.
- An Ordnance Survey "Explorer 247" map will show detail of 2.5 inches to 1 mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- Denton is a common place-name across England. The name derives from the Old English dene+tun, meaning "village in a valley". It appears as Dentune in the 1086 Domesday Book.
A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.
- White's 1842 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: AUGER, BECK, BELL, BREWSTER, BRICE, BURGIN, CABORN, COLLINGWOOD, FERNELLEY, GEESON, GREEN, HILL, HODSON, HOLMES, INGLE, LANE, LEAK, MORRIS, STARKEY, STEVENS, SWANSON, TRYNER, TYLER, WATSON, WINTER and WELBY.
- White's 1872 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: AUGER, AVERY, BECK, BREWSTER, BULLOCK, CABORN, CHAPMAN, COLLINGWOOD, GEESON, GREEN, GREENWOOD, HOLMES, HOLT, INGLE, JACKSON, JOHNSON, LANE, LEAK, MORGAN, POTCHETT, REMMINGSTON, ROSE, STREETON, TYLER, WATSON, WELBY-GREGORY, WINTER and WRIGHT.
- Kelley's 1913 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: BLANKLEY, COLLAR, COOPER, CRASTER, DOVE, GEESON, GREEN, JACKSON, JOHNSON, MALTBY, MITCHELL, OGDEN, PYKETT, SCOFIELD, SMITH and WELBY.
- The parish had an almshouse for six poor people, founded in 1653 by another William WELBY. It was located not far from Denton Manor house. In 1842 each resident received one shilling per week and 22cwt of coal yearly.
- In 1714, Rebecca WELBY left the interest on £10 for the six alms-people above.
- In 1696, the parish purchased a cottage and 13 acres of land in Harlaxton to house a poor family.
- The parish common fields were enclosed in 1789.
- In 1790 William WELBY left a legacy of £12 per year for the schooling of poor children. By 1871 that had been increased to £20.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Grantham Poor Law Union in 1837.
- In 1842, six cottages in the village were given to poor people, but the donor was unknown. There was also an additional cottage and eight tenements, built by the poor, who paid only a ground rent for their use.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
446 |
| 1841 |
626 |
| 1871 |
572 |
| 1911 |
578 |
- An Infant School was erected here by Sir Glynne Earle WELBY-GREGORY, baronet, in 1720. The school was rebuilt as a Public Elementary School in 1855.
- A new Public Elementary School was erected in 1893 to house 125 children. In 1913 it was fearfully overcrowded, with 160 children attending.
- In addition to the "National School" above, the parish had a Congregational School.
- For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
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[Last updated: 5-September-2007 - Louis R. Mills]
