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Shenton

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Description in 1871:
"SHENTON, a chapelry, with a village, in Market-Bosworth parish, Leicester; 5½ miles ENE of Atherstone r. station. It has a post-office under Nuneaton, and comprises 1,483 acres. Real property, £2,444. Pop., 206. Houses, 42. The manor, with S. Hall, belongs to Major F. Wollaston. The living is annexed to Market-Bosworth. The church was rebuilt in 1862; and is in the decorated English style, and cruciform. Charities, £5."
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870-72"]./p>

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Census

  • The parish was in the Market Bosworth sub-district of the Market Bosworth Registration DIstrict.
     
  • The 1851 census for Leicestershire has been indexed by the Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society. The whole index is available on microfiche. The society has also published it in print.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2263
1871R.G. 10 / 3239
1891R.G. 12 / 2506
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist (sometimes given as "St. John the Devine").
     
  • The church was built in 1861 (or 1862) on the site of a former chapel on Bosworth Road.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of St John's Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2013.
     
  • John SALMON also has a photograph of St John's Church on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2012.
     
  • The churchyard contains some headstones from the 1700s.
     
  • The church is still in use and in normally kept unlocked.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1625.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Sparkenhoe (second portion).
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Market Bosworth sub-district of the Market Bosworth Registration DIstrict.
     
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Description & Travel

Shenton is a small village, a township and a parish about 102 miles north of London, just 2.5 miles south-west of Market Bosworth and 5 miles north of Nuneaton.

If you are planning a visit:

  • This place is just off the M1 at the southern end of Leicestershire. The "Bosworth Field" battle visitors' center is located in the village.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2008. Perhaps you could offer a more artistic or elegant sign for the village.
     
You can see pictures of Shenton which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

Bosworth Field is just east of Shenton. There is a Memorial to King Richard III, photographed by Bill SIBLEY on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2007.

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Manors

Shenton Hall is an ancient manor built in the Elizabethan style, in a pleasant park, with a fine sheet of writer in front; and near to the centre of the village.

William WOLLASTON purchased the manor in 1625.

Mat FASCIONE has a close-up of the Manor House on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2008.

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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK387003 (Lat/Lon: 52.598877, -1.430454), Shenton which are provided by:

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Military History

  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2013.
     
  • John SALMON has a photograph of the memorial to Admiral Alexander D. Y. ARBUTHNOTT on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2012. Spelling of the last name varies from source to source. The Admiral had served as a midshipman on the HMS Mars at the Battle of Trafalgar. The Admiral died here in 1871 at age 82.
     
  • Col. Frederick William WOLLASTON (1762 - 1849) of Shenton Hall was an officer of the 22nd Light Dragoons. The Colonel lived in Shenton Hall in 1849.

Here are the WOLLASTONs in 1861 (in Shenton, LEI):

RelationshipNameSexAgeWhere born
HeadFrederick WOLLASTONM56Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
wifeJosephine WOLLASTONF33France
daughterCatherine WOLLASTONF9Shenton, Leicestershire
sonFrederick E. WOLLASTONM7Shenton, Leicestershire
daughterJosephine E. WOLLASTONF0Shenton, Leicestershire
brotherHenry J. WOLLASTONM55Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Father In LawAlexander D ASHENHURSTM64Hampshire
Mother In LawCatherine ASHENHURSTF56Ireland
servantThomas BROWNM42Hickling, Nottinghamshire
governessFrances MOGGF29Somerset
servantJoseph BROADSTOCKM19Stretton, Leicestershire
servantSusanna DIMBLEBEEF24Leicester
servantSarah JACQUESF44Lount, Leicestershire
servantElizabeth PERRYF23Atherstone, Warwickshire
servantHarriot BROOMF25Loddington, Leicestershire
servantGeorge ASHLEYM36Wentworth, Yorkshire
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient Chapelry in Market Bosworth parish in the county and was incorporated as a separate modern Civil Parish in December, 1866.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Sparkenhoe Hundred in the western division of the county.
     
  • On 1 April, 1935, this Civil Parish was abolished and all 1,547 acres were amalgamated with Sutton Cheney Civil Parish.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Sparkenhoe (Market Bosworth) petty session hearings each week, alternating between Hinckley and Market Bosworth.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, Shenton became part of the Market Bosworth Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

For the most part, these figures are for the township of Shenton, not the parish.

 YearInhabitants
1871273
1881210
1891201
1901170
1911181
1921141
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Probate Records

Frederick WOLLASTON left a Will in 1879 that mentions: Edward Ottley WOLLASTON.