Stonton Wyville
Encyclopedia
Stonton Wyville is a small village and civil parish
in the Harborough
district of Leicestershire
, England
. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 21. The village is about eleven miles (17 km) south east of Leicester
. Nearby places include Kibworth Harcourt, Tur Langton
, Church Langton, and Shangton
.
The buildings include a church, a manor house, a rectory and a farm that used to be the Fox and Hounds Inn.
Stonton Wyville parish is 1217 acres (4.9 km²) or 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) in area. Bounded on the western side by a tributary of the River Welland the parish rises from a height of 250 feet (76.2 m) near the river to about 450 feet (137.2 m) in the north and 500 feet (152.4 m) in the south. The soil is loamy clay over clay subsoil. The majority of farmland in Stonton is used for pasture and has been since 17th century enclosures. Stonton Wood, in the north of the parish, covered about 100 acre (0.404686 km²) in 1279.
. Stonton was amongst a hundred manors that had been given to Hugh for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings
.
Hugh did not have rights over all the land in the village, some was controlled by the King's niece. She had interests which included "10 acres of meadow".
There were two mills in Domesday and there were still two in 1605. One of the mills was still working in 1846 but not by 1863. Which is regrettable as they could have used it to power a threshing machine ...
In 1494, the last William Wyville died. Stonton Wyville is named after him and his ancestors who had been instrumental in the village since the Domesday Book where they had been under tenants.
On 25 February, 1628 Thomas Brudenell (whose family had married into the Wyvilles) was created Baron Brudenell of Stonton. There was a move to rename the village Stonton Brudenell, but this never stuck. (Thomas went on to be first Earl of Cardigan
). Edmund Brudenell has an impressive alabaster monument in the church. Alongside the father,a swaddled baby lies on its own tomb
In January 1862 there was an inquest held at the Fox and Hounds Inn into the deaths of several villagers who had died in a dreadful boiler explosion
. Killed in the explosion "on the spot, Thomas Lee, about 40 years of age, was blown over 40 yards (36.6 m) into a ditch. William Woolman, about 65 years of age was blown fully fifty yards..." and Samuel Ashby. George Woolman died of his injuries on the same day. It appears from the inquest that 13 people had been gathered around a steam engine that was being used to power a small threshing machine
that they had hired from a Mr Butcher of Debdale Wharf.
Stonton Wyville must have been much larger in the past. It is officially recognised as a "shrunken or deserted medieval village
".
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Harborough
Harborough
Harborough is a local government district of Leicestershire, England, named after its main town, Market Harborough. Covering , the District is by far the largest of the eight district authorities in Leicestershire and covers almost a quarter of the County....
district of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 21. The village is about eleven miles (17 km) south east of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. Nearby places include Kibworth Harcourt, Tur Langton
Tur Langton
Tur Langton is a small village in the heart of Leicestershire in England.-External links:**...
, Church Langton, and Shangton
Shangton
Shangton is a parish and small village near Tur Langton in Leicestershire, England, and part of Harborough District.-External links:****...
.
The buildings include a church, a manor house, a rectory and a farm that used to be the Fox and Hounds Inn.
Stonton Wyville parish is 1217 acres (4.9 km²) or 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) in area. Bounded on the western side by a tributary of the River Welland the parish rises from a height of 250 feet (76.2 m) near the river to about 450 feet (137.2 m) in the north and 500 feet (152.4 m) in the south. The soil is loamy clay over clay subsoil. The majority of farmland in Stonton is used for pasture and has been since 17th century enclosures. Stonton Wood, in the north of the parish, covered about 100 acre (0.404686 km²) in 1279.
History
In 1086, the Domesday book shows that Stonton Wyville was part of the estates of Hugh de GrandmesnilHugh de Grandmesnil
Hugh de Grandmesnil , also known as Hugh or Hugo de Grentmesnil or Grentemesnil, is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Subsequently he became a great landowner in England.He was the elder son of Robert of...
. Stonton was amongst a hundred manors that had been given to Hugh for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
.
"The same man holds of Hugh 6 carucates of land in Stonton Wyville. There is land for 4 ploughs. In demesne are 2 ploughs and 2 slaves and 15 villans with a priest and 2 bordars have 4 ploughs. There are two mills rendering 5s4d and 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of meadow, woodland 6 furlongs long and 4 furlongs broad.
It was worth 40s now 60s".
Hugh did not have rights over all the land in the village, some was controlled by the King's niece. She had interests which included "10 acres of meadow".
There were two mills in Domesday and there were still two in 1605. One of the mills was still working in 1846 but not by 1863. Which is regrettable as they could have used it to power a threshing machine ...
In 1494, the last William Wyville died. Stonton Wyville is named after him and his ancestors who had been instrumental in the village since the Domesday Book where they had been under tenants.
On 25 February, 1628 Thomas Brudenell (whose family had married into the Wyvilles) was created Baron Brudenell of Stonton. There was a move to rename the village Stonton Brudenell, but this never stuck. (Thomas went on to be first Earl of Cardigan
Earl of Cardigan
Earl of Cardigan is a title in the Peerage of England, currently held by the Marquesses of Ailesbury, and used as a courtesy title by the heir apparent to that Marquessate, currently David Brudenell-Bruce, son of the 8th Marquess.-History of the title:...
). Edmund Brudenell has an impressive alabaster monument in the church. Alongside the father,a swaddled baby lies on its own tomb
In January 1862 there was an inquest held at the Fox and Hounds Inn into the deaths of several villagers who had died in a dreadful boiler explosion
Boiler explosion
A boiler explosion is a catastrophic failure of a boiler. As seen today, boiler explosions are of two kinds. One kind is over-pressure in the pressure parts of the steam and water sides. The second kind is explosion in the furnace. Boiler explosions of pressure parts are particularly associated...
. Killed in the explosion "on the spot, Thomas Lee, about 40 years of age, was blown over 40 yards (36.6 m) into a ditch. William Woolman, about 65 years of age was blown fully fifty yards..." and Samuel Ashby. George Woolman died of his injuries on the same day. It appears from the inquest that 13 people had been gathered around a steam engine that was being used to power a small threshing machine
Threshing machine
The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine , was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. It was invented for the separation of grain from stalks and husks. For thousands of years, grain was separated by hand with flails,...
that they had hired from a Mr Butcher of Debdale Wharf.
Stonton Wyville must have been much larger in the past. It is officially recognised as a "shrunken or deserted medieval village
Deserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
".