St Martin’s Cottage was originally part of The Stone House estate and is thought to have begun life as a stone barn, later converted into two small cottages. Two bricked‑up doorways can still be seen on the side facing The Stone House drive, and a Victorian frontage was added during the 19th century.
By 1914, many nearby cottages were described as being in poor condition, with shared outside toilets, and were recommended for demolition. Local lore suggests that the nurse caring for the scholars at The Stone House may once have lived in St Martin’s Cottage.
In 1958, Mr B. Smart, a keen promoter of village sport, lived there while helping to establish the Welton Table Tennis Club.
Two years later, in 1960, the cottage was occupied by a man named Collingwood.
In 1962, Mr Abbott of The Stone House—the only person known to have referred to the building as “Chetwynd Cottage”—advertised both the main house and St Martin’s Cottage for sale.
When the Cox family purchased The Stone House in 1963, Jean Cox’s mother and aunt lived in the cottage until they died.
Following the deaths of the Coxes, St Martin’s Cottage remained part of The Stone House estate when their children first attempted to sell the property.
When The Stone House was ultimately sold in 1996, the cottage was offered to its tenants and has since then functioned as a separately owned dwelling.
The White Horse is a historic two-storey, thatched-roof inn, believed to be at least 400 years old. Located at the heart of Welton on the High Street, it has served the local community for centuries and remains a quintessential village pub.
Circa 2020
The building is constructed in traditional Northamptonshire stone and features beams and log fires.
Over the years, the White Horse has played an important role in village life. It was frequently used for auctions, selling everything from timber to land, livestock to houses, and in fact was still being used for auctions in the 2000s! Numerous newspaper reports record outings and social gatherings beginning from the pub. ‘Smoking concerts’ are something we hadn’t come across before!
The pub was also used for legal matters and trials, for example, the inquest of poor Thomas Townsend.
The White Horse was offered for sale on 17 April 1817, when the pub with ‘brewhouse’ was occupied by Mr Rogers, and it was up for sale again in 1826. It was advertised once more on 9 January 1833, when the occupant was Mr Farr. Could this be Issac Farr, the wife of Jane Farr who brewed her own beer from her home opposite the pub?
It appears the sale was unsuccessful because here it is again in 1834, still occupied by Mr Farr, stating the sale is to pay off a mortgage. We can also see that there was a butcher’s shop adjoining it.
The White Horse and Northampton Brewery Company
By the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, the White Horse had become a tied house of the Northampton Brewery Company (NBC). NBC was established in 1856 and went on to become a major regional brewer and owner of tied public houses. Its distinctive branding was displayed on many of its houses, including the White Horse.
The photo on the left below dated approximately 1895–1905, shows a prominent NBC sign on the side of the building advertising its “Noted Stout”.
Left approx 1895 – 1905, right approx 1990
The photograph aligns with the period when Thomas Rixon was landlord, which was between at least 1898 and 1902. There is a sad report on how his young son died at the pub in 1902 after having had a fit.
Other landlord/ladies that we are aware of are listed below. If you have any more information please let us know:
Recorded landlords of The White Horse – click here
1808 – Mr Piddington
1817 – Mr Rogers
1833 – Mr Farr
At least 1847–1854 – Henry Harris
At least 1869–1871 – William Harris (son of Henry), his wife Elizabeth, son Thomas and daughters Jane and Elizabeth
1885 – Elizabeth Harris (daughter of William)
At least 1890 – 1892 – Thomas Harris (son of William)
1894 – George Dunkley
At least 1898–1902 – Thomas Rixon, his wife Edith, children George, Edith and Harry, and parents-in-law George and Elizabeth Osborne. Their son Horace died in 1902 as a baby.
1906 – Frederick Green
At least 1911–1920 – John Henry Dench, his wife Mary Ann Dench and daughter Mary Ethel
At least 1939 – 1940 – Percy B. Woodward and housekeeper Ida Lamb
1940 -1947 – Ida Beatrice Lamb (Mr Woodward’s housekeeper)
1947 -1951 – Harry Smith
1952 – Phyllis May Mawby and her husband Wal, a plumber
1953 – Alice Dora Garratt
1955 – Henry Clarke
1958 – Lilian May Smith
1959 – 1960 – Peggie Lizzy Corney
1960 – 1963 – Fred and Pam Cave
1963 – Gordon Ferdinand
1969 – 1976 – Maureen and Colin Brown with sons Stephen and Darren
1976 – ?? – Jill and Martin Pritchard
mid 1980s – ??? Jacobs
1987 – Carol and David ???
1990 – 1994 – Dennis Ellerby
1994 -1997 – Colin and Valerie Whale
1997 – 2005 – Jason and Nicola Stacey
– ?? – 2011 John and Jackie Collier
2011 – 2022 – Margaret Elcock
2022 – present – Ellie Ponder
Interestingly, in 1892, while the White Horse was held by NBC, the pub was reportedly due for closure. This may have due to the death of Thomas Harris, as can be seen by the cutting on the left.
Fortunately for Welton, this did not happen, and the White Horse continued to serve the village.
In 1957, NBC merged with Phipps & Co. to form the Phipps Northampton Brewery Company.
When you could live in the dining room
The part of the pub that is used as the dining room used to be a separate cottage, as can be seen on the painting below. This was around the 1940s/50s, and local woman Barbara Franklin lived in the cottage as a child. This discovery explains the 2nd door that still remains today. Note in this picture the roof appears to be tin.
Disaster strikes for the locals
In 1963 villagers went for three months without beer thanks to a dispute between landlords Fred and Pam Cave and the Phipps Brewery. It seems they felt they were having to subsidise the pub out of their own money. After 3 months the pub got its beer back when a licence was granted to Gordon Ferdinand in May of that year.
“My dad grew dahlias in the day and would adorn the pub. I would walk down with them and the lovely Maureen {Brown} gave me Coca-Cola, crisps, chocolate, raisins, peanuts and all manner of confectionery.”
Resident’s memory from the early 1970s
At some point in its life the original thatched roof was covered with a tin one. The situation was rectified by Dennis Ellerby when he moved from being a tenant to a lessee in 1990. Here’s the pub getting a new thatch during an eight week process, using reeds imported from Hungary, at a cost of £20,000.
The thatch was replaced again after this in the 2010s and still looks beautiful!
The White Horse continues to quench the thirst of villagers today, and has been voted most dog friendly pub in Northamptonshire and in 2026, was recognised for the quality of its beer when it was awarded the regional CAMRA Country Pub of the Year award for 2026.
The original village hall was the “Old School” building, put to this use once the school moved onto its current site in 1915.
It was a substantial stone building, built by the Clarke family around 1820. For many years it served as an important centre for village life, providing a venue for education, meetings, entertainments, religious activities and community events.
Darker buildings next to pub: Old School building and master’s house circa 1955
The first headmaster to lead the school in the new building, Mr Bond, still lived in the master’s house adjoining the old school building, and was followed there by Miss Burrows. The old school could also be brought back into use on occasions when circumstances required it. During one such period, when burst pipes affected the present school, lessons were held in the old building.
The interior
The hall was relatively basic by modern standards. Lighting was provided by oil lamps suspended from the ceiling, while heating came from a central stove, usually fuelled with coke, together with an open fire at the end of the room. The arrangements reflected the limitations of a village building of the period and would certainly not meet modern standards of fire safety.
A small stage was provided for performances and concerts. Although considered inadequate, it was used regularly and provided the setting for many successful village productions. The stage was evidently in poor condition, with local memories recalling performers occasionally disappearing through gaps at the sides before being retrieved and the performance continuing.
Costumes for productions were made locally. Mrs Mary Pimlett’s mother and the caretaker, Mrs Clarke, are particularly remembered for making costumes to suit the different characters and performances.
Welton Players 1920s
Entertainment and social activities
The hall provided one of the principal venues for entertainment in the village. Concerts and theatrical productions were regularly staged, including performances by travelling theatrical companies. The Church Army also visited with its ‘Magic Lantern’ shows, which provided an important form of visual entertainment before modern cinema and television became widely available.
Note:
The Church Army used magic lanterns extensively from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries as a primary tool for evangelism, temperance education, and social outreach across the UK. Operating through dedicated mobile vans and urban mission halls, evangelists projected hand-tinted glass slides to draw crowds and illustrate gospel messages.
Dancing was another popular activity, with music provided by Mr Sam Cox and his players. The hall subsequently hosted old-time dancing lessons and other social gatherings.
The Mothers’ Union, Girls’ Club and, later, the Women’s Institute were all active users of the building. Mrs Garrard of Welton Place was a prominent figure in all of these organisations and in village activities more generally.
The library and Sunday School
A small room adjoining the main hall served several purposes. It housed the crockery and other equipment required for refreshments, but also contained books used by the Sunday School.
The Sunday School itself was held in the old school building. It was initially taught under the guidance of Miss May West who in later life became Sister May West – a nun – and lived in Plympton. And later by Mrs Joan Gulliver, who continued to teach generations of local children for approximately thirty years.
Religious and community events
The building was also used for religious purposes when St Martin’s Church was undergoing renovation, with services being held in the hall during the work.
May Day was an important village occasion. Following activities around the village and the outlying farms, children were welcomed back to the hall for tea. The day’s collection was divided as part of the traditional celebrations.
May Day celebrations 1920s
Photographs of village events were also taken at the hall. One recollection describes villagers proceeding down the stone steps into the yard to have their photographs taken by Mr Long, using an early camera.
The hall played a role in charitable activities as well. During the winter, food was distributed to those in need, while the annual Harvest Festival included a sale of donated produce and goods, orchestrated by Mr Gil Tebbit.
The hall during wartime
During the Second World War, the building continued to serve the community. Dances were held as part of fundraising activities for Salute the Soldier, a wartime savings campaign.
The hall also provided temporary accommodation on at least one occasion. During a miners’ strike, striking miners passing through the area were reportedly allowed to stay overnight in the building.
Later uses
In later years the hall continued to accommodate a wide range of village activities, including first-aid courses, dancing classes, fêtes and wedding receptions. Notices advertising forthcoming events were displayed in the hall windows, and at Christmas the building was decorated with a Christmas tree.
The annual fête was among the regular community occasions associated with the building, with local volunteers taking responsibility for organising and running events and sales.
A centre of village life
The old school and village hall therefore served a much wider purpose than its original educational role.
Its importance reflected the close-knit nature of village life at the time. Families knew one another, children attended activities together and many organisations relied on the same building.
The old building remained an important part of Welton’s community life until the provision of a new village hall.
The new village hall
During the 1960s it became apparent that the Old School was not really fit for purpose and a Village Hall Committee was established, led by the vicar Rev Pilkington, with the aim of fund raising to pay for a new one.
An initial time scale of 12 years was envisaged, but the village was extremely grateful to Lady Reddish (of Welton House), who donated the whole cost of building a new hall. Her generosity had brought down the waiting time to 12 months.
It was built during 1966, on land donated by Sir Halford Reddish and was opened in April 1967 by Mary Pilkington, wife of the vicar. It is clear from the press cutting below that the whole village was involved in getting the project completed.
Fortunately Welton had a resident builder, and the physical build was conducted through the ‘skilful hands of Mr Frank Emery and his son’. Frank is seen, left, working on the project.
The Emerys are a long established Welton family, still residing in Welton today. Frank also built Kiln House, which he then lived in, and the next door bungalow for his son John as well as many other buildings in the village.
Today’s hall remains at the centre of village life with a full diary accommodating exercise and sports, theatre, bridge, brownies and guides as well as hosting parties, celebrations and wakes over the last 60 years.
The Old House, located halfway up Churchill Road on the corner of Kiln Lane, has a long and interesting history and as such has always been of interest to Welton residents. So much so that, in 1986, the then Welton History Group set about studying the structure and history of the building.
For centuries it served as a communal oven, a vital facility in a time when most homes lacked the means to bake their own bread. We can imagine it was a real hub where women would have brought their dough and socialised with the others baking there.
Origins and early structure
We know the house is over 400 years old and the original History Group found it is evident that many features dated from the second half of the 17th century. It is acknowledged that some 18th century masons and carpenters could be quite conservative, so some features may have been executed in a manner suggesting they were older than they truly were.
It is also possible that at the heart of this building there remains a medieval core. To further explore its origins, in 1986 the History Group sent a set of scale drawings of the property to the Historic Buildings Commission. To date, the current History Group does not know the outcome of this.
C 1600-1610 – Richard and Thomas Clarke
Four hundred years ago the property was called The Bakehouse. We know this from records held at the Northampton Records Office. In 1610. Richard Clarke, of The Bakehouse, died and left his house to his son Thomas Clarke, who was a shoemaker.
We believe that the house at this time was one of a small number in the village that had a large oven, which was available for community use. A sketch we have seen suggests that a large oven, possibly partly external, was located on the far end of the property near where the current garage building sits.
Communal ovens were an important feature in many villages from the Middle Ages and on into later times,
when few houses had an oven. For daily cooking families would be reliant on a hearth within the house,
but for the baking of bread or pies, access to a communal oven would be required. We know that even as
late as the early 20th century, some Welton cottages still lacked access to a baking oven.
We have not yet been able to trace details about Thomas Clarke, however the records and later census registers show us that, in addition to the hugely wealthy Clarke family who had come originally from outside Welton and invested in huge areas of land, there was also a sizeable number of Welton born and bred Clarkes across many generations, many called William, Richard or Thomas.
In the 17th century the house was what we would call today a freehold property – in other words owned by its holder. However, an annual rent was still payable to the Lord of the Manor, which was paid in kind until the 18th century. In the case of The Old House, rent was paid in hens, and as the only ‘two hen’ house in the village, it is possible to trace the house through the Manorial Records.
1707 – 1717: Rev. Richard Nicholls: The vicar’s home
Above the door of the Old House is a tantalising date stone – with a clear 17, but not the following two numbers, and the letter N! The Manorial accounts show that the N on that date stone refers to Richard Nicholls, who was Vicar of Welton between 1707-1717. It appears that during that period Rev. Nicholls used the house as his vicarage, whilst his unfortunate curate was left to live in the by then largely ramshackle official vicarage, which was later demolished to make way for the enlarged park of Welton Place. It is believed that Rev. Nicholls upgraded the Old House, making it a house suitable for a ‘gentleman’ to live in, and recorded his initial and the date of his work above the door. The mark that looks like a W but is made of two overlapping Vs is likely a mason’s mark.
When Rev. Nicholls died, the management of his estate was complicated. Although he died in 1717, his official final will was not fully proved and finalised by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury until December 18th, 1723. The record of his will is currently held at the National Archives in Kew. It records him as a ‘Clerk,’ however this denotes a ‘Clerk in Holy Orders’ meaning that Nicholls was an educated, university educated gentleman who had been ordained into the priesthood.
When Rev. Nicholls died in 1717, the living (the parish income and church property) at St Martin’s fell into immediate temporary legal limbo. A Welton churchwarden, Thomas Duncomb was appointed as a “sequestrator” alongside the incoming vicar, Simon Adams.
The sequestrator’s role was to legally manage the parish’s tithes, glebe lands, and offerings during the
vacancy, ensuring the funds were safely managed and that the deceased vicar’s outstanding debts or final
obligations to the parish were settled before his heirs could claim remaining assets.
The reason why there was this delay was not uncommon. Had Nicholls been a poor priest or vicar, with only minor goods or wealth on his death, his estate would have been settled quickly by a local archdeaconry court. However, because his will had to be handled by the Supreme Prerogative Court of Canterbury, it tells us that at the time of his death Rev. Richard Nicholls possessed significant personal property, land leases or financial debts owed to him at over £5 over more than one diocese.
The 6-year delay may also have been linked to The Dilapidations Act, whereby outgoing vicars or their estates were legally responsible for “dilapidations” (disrepair of the church buildings or the vicarage). Since Nicholls’ curate had been living in a “ramshackle vicarage” during his tenure in Welton, his estate likely faced extensive legal evaluations to determine how much money from his will had to be diverted to fix the properties before his family received their inheritance.
It was only upon the legal finalisation of his administration that ownership and occupancy of this rectory property formally transferred to his successor, Simon Adams.
In summary, in his will opposite, Rev. Nicolls appointed three friends to oversee his will, William Whitman (?) of Dodford, Clerk, Benjamin Francis(?) of Daventry, Clerk, and Simon Adams of Daventry – “aforesaid Doctor in Physith…” father to Simon Adams, below.
Within the will he made provision for his wife, Susannah, his son, William and his daughter.
He wanted his estate used for the education and maintenance of his son and instructed that land he held in Duston should pass to his son, and that in turn his son should, from this, pay his daughter the sum of £400 – somewhere around £1 million in today’s terms.
It is also evident in the will that Nicholls held lands in Oxfordshire.
1717 – 1731- Rev. Simon Adams
Simon Adams was brother to the Lord of the Manor and one of the Adams family who had lived in Welton and Daventry for several generations. It was the Adams family that built the original manor house on the site of what is now Welton Manor and in 1660 the family built the Manor House, now called Old Manor Court, at the bottom of Churchill Road.
Rev. Simon Adams came from a distinguished family and his descendants went on to be closely associated with Ansty Hall in Warwickshire. The tree in summary details:
Adams Family – 17th & 18th Century
Rev Simon Adams (1602–1673) – Rector of Aston‑le‑Walls.
Son of Simon de Adam (d. 1644) of Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, and Cicely Abbis of Bedford.
Simon Adams, gent. (1631–1709) – of Moreton Pinkney.
Eldest son of the above; married twice and had nine children.
Dr. Simon Adams (1667–1748) – of Daventry and East Haddon.
Elder son of the above by his second wife Anne Cooper of Lubbenham.
Married Anne Gilbert, daughter of Rev William Gilbert of Culworth.
Died aged 80 in May 1748 and was buried in Daventry, where he is commemorated by a monument.
Rev Simon Adams moved into The Old House on becoming Vicar of Welton. Born in 1693, he was the son of the Daventry doctor, also called Simon Adams, above. He was educated at Rugby School before going on to Lincoln College Oxford.
In 1717 or 18 he married Anne Clarke, the daughter of John Clarke Esq of Drayton Manor in Daventry and later of Welton Place. He died on 2nd October 1731. His eldest son, Lt.-Col Clarke Adams served in the Northamptonshire Militia and married in 1744 Elizabeth Dobbins, who went on become the heiress to Rev William Taylor of Ansty Hall in Warwickshire.
1748 – 1846: The Gibbons era
By 1748, some years after the death of Simon Adams, the house had ceased to be the Vicarage of Welton, when it was bought by an up-and-coming farmer named Thomas Gibbons, one of the men who put his name to the petition against the enclosure of the open fields in 1754. The house remained in his family until 1846 when his two great-granddaughters put it up for sale, advertising it as:
“A farmhouse (now divided into two tenements) formerly known as the Bakehouse.”
By the early nineteenth century, populations were rising quickly and it was not unusual for larger homes to be subdivided into two or more smaller cottages rented by a number of tenants. The Bakehouse was not the only property divided in this way in Welton – see The Gables for example. Of course, later many divided properties were restored as single dwellings and in other cases pairs of smaller cottages were reconstructed to form larger cottages (e.g. Wisteria Cottage)
1846: Acquisition by the Clarke family
In 1846 the house was bought by the Rev. J.A Clarke and remained in the Clarke family as a pair of rented cottages, until the turn of the 20th century. It was in 1846 also that the Rev. Daniel Darnell became Vicar of Welton, living in The Stone House on the High Street which became the next Rectory of Welton, until his retirement in 1894, when a newer rectory was constructed by the Church on the current site of Harrington House, just next door to the Stone House.
20th century and modern life
Examination of census records does not help to track residents of The Old House from 1851 onwards as house names or detailed addresses are rarely used, however in the 1911 census we find:
Smith Family – Welton Census Snapshot
George Smith (46) – married; born in Flore; grazier, living on own account.
Emily Smith (40) – married for 25 years; 11 children born, 8 living.
Elsie Smith (15) – daughter; single; laundress; born East Haddon.
John Smith (10) – son; scholar; born Welton.
Emily Smith (8) – daughter; born Welton.
William Smith (6) – son; born Welton.
Rosa Smith (3) – daughter; born Welton.
This family reappears in the 1921census wherewe find the following living on The Green at the top of Kiln Lane, which we believe does refer to The Old House:
George Smith (56) – born in Flore; small holder; holds his own tenement at Welton.
Emily Smith (52) – born in Long Buckby; his wife.
John Smith (20) – son; single; born in Welton; groom, currently out of work.
William Smith (16) – son; drover.
Rose Smith (13) – daughter.
Fascinatingly, we can trace the family back to the 1901 census, which records them as living in the ‘Lower Village’ as follows:
George Smith (36) – head; coachman; born in Flore.
Emily Smith (31) – wife; born in Long Buckby.
Annie Smith (10) – daughter; born in Leicester.
Herbert Smith (7) – son; born in Flore.
Elsie Smith (4) – daughter; born in West Haddon.
John Smith (7 months) – son; born in Welton.
The family live just 2 doors away from another Smith family: this time Martin Smith aged 75, a farmer born in Welton, his wife, Elizabeth Smith aged 68, who was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire and their servant Amy Bester, aged 19, born in Welton.
We can trace Martin back to the 1851 census when he is recorded as 25 years of age, working as a coal dealer and living with his widowed mother Temperance Smith who was listed as 55 years old and a schoolteacher and his wife, Mary Ann who is aged 30. Could the two families be related in some way?
It is not yet clear whether this family did go on to occupy the Old House, however we do know that the current residents are part of one of the village’s longstanding families, remain active in the support of the village and are careful custodians of this incredible house.
During the 20th century the house was restored to a single dwelling. The restoration has preserved many of its wonderful historic features such as the thick stone walls, timber framing, stone framed windows and the traces of earlier hearths and partitions.
The Old House is an important part of Welton’s architectural heritage and its long story, alongside those of its various occupants and owners, mirrors the evolution of the village itself.
The Old Post Office stands at the corner of High Street and Well Lane, long serving as the village’s postal hub.
It opened in 1856, issuing an undated postmark that January. This mark was applied to the reverse of letters sent or received, while postage stamps themselves were date‑stamped later at the Head Office in Daventry.
Nationally, undated marks were withdrawn in 1860, and Welton did not receive a date‑stamp until 1896, when a rubber version was supplied, used mainly for postal orders.
The photo below taken around 1890 shows the post office as the tall building on the right with the hanging sign.
Kelly’s Directories of 1890, 1894 and 1898 list Richard Houghton as sub‑postmaster, baker, grocer and beer retailer. Born in 1824, he began his working life as a shoemaker before becoming a grocer by 1881. During his time at the post office, letters arrived from Daventry at 6.55am and were despatched at 6.10pm, with a Sunday arrival at 9.10am.
In September 1902, the office was upgraded to a Telegraph Office, enabling villagers to send telegrams. By 1906, Miss Annie Leeson, a stationer, had become sub‑postmistress, a role she is documented as holding until at least 1931. In 1911 Annie lived with her mother Betsy and brother Charles Benjamin; Annie and Charles were still there in 1939.
It seems that in 1910 there was an attempt to sell to property which has been owned by a Mr Houghton, likely a relative of Richard.
By this period, postal traffic had increased to two arrivals from Daventry at 6.55am and 11.55am, and three despatches at 7.00am, 11.55am and 6.30pm, with Sunday delivery at 9.05am.
By the early 1950s the office was run by Mr F. Woodward, followed by the Knights from at least 1955. Mr Knight is remembered for suffering a sizeable lump on his head after a robbery at the premises. Memories from Mr Knight’s time from villagers include:
“Four fruit salad chews for a penny! He used to moan that people let their dogs pee up his wall outside!”
— Welton Villager
Many villagers remember buying sweets from the post office, and in the photo below, taken in the late 1950s, you can see a Walls ice cream sign outside the building on the left.
Jack and Molly Brown are recalled as later occupants.
In the 1980s the post office was run by Mr and Mrs Doreen Loveridge, before relocating to The Gables at the corner of Well Lane and Ashby Road, when it was operated by Val Hamblin. When Val wished to retire in 1987 there was an attempt to find someone to take over:
For a while it looked like Irene Kitchener of Ashby Road would take on the role as post mistress, having done it on a temporary basis since Val retired, but alas plans must have fallen through as Welton finally lost its post office in 1887.
The original post office building is today known as The Old Post Office and is a family home. Photo below taken 2026.
Kiln Lane some time around 1910, Wisteria Cottage on left
Wisteria Cottage began as two small estate cottages, maybe used for workers from Welton House, (although there is no evidence it formed part of Welton House’s estate) with a third neighbouring cottage later demolished. You can see the three cottages on the photo above on the left. One of the original pair was known as Rose Cottage. The name Wisteria Cottage probably appears only in the second half of the 20th century, as no census records use it.
There is a carved stone, believed to be from the original building and now remounted in the wall of the rear extension. This bears the date ANNO 1637.
The building may have suffered 17th–18th‑century fire damage, and later alterations joined the two cottages, removed the central chimney, added modern facilities, and revealed two saltbox niches beside a fireplace. Before the conversion, one cottage was regularly rented by school teachers or residents awaiting new homes.
Late 1960s showing the building as two cottages
There is a belief that the building may once have operated as a shop.
The cottage appeared in 2003 on the C4 programme House Doctor (Season 6, Episode 11), although sadly this is unavailable to view anywhere at the moment.
What else do we know about the residents?
Mid‑century residents included Mrs Edgar, 1950 who advertised for a nurse for a baby due in October. Mrs Foy, 1952 lived in the house and wanted a second hand hoover. Mr Henry Samuel Songhurst, 1956 lived there and gave evidence in a court case regarding insurance, licence and tax offences by ‘two youths’ who crashed outside his house. And newlyweds Diana Vivienne Bradley Jones and William Gordon Cullen made the cottage their home in September 1958.
In the late 1960s–70s, owner Mrs Clare Kaddy—likely responsible for merging the cottages—hosted local art exhibitions to raise funds for local causes. We believe many of Eric Fleming’s paintings were shown and bought at these events.
Wisteria Cottage in Welton News and views
October 1989:
At the Wine and Cheese Gathering at Wisteria Cottage, The Green, on Monday October 30th at 8pm, we are having one stall only, for cakes. (Please, all our friends, support us, even if you can’t come!) Also please bring, or send with a friend, a small item suitable for an auction. This should take place at about 8.45pm. Proceeds to Church Urban Fund and St. Martin’s Bell Fund.
George and Lil Goodman
In the 2000s it was owned by a family named Patten who moved to the Isle of Man, and later that decade two pilots named Karen and Peter Banner lived there for a few years. They sold to the current owners.
It is believed the door from their kitchen was one of the original doors salvaged after the fire at Welton House. This is borne out by this memory from a villager:
Wisteria Cottage? If it’s the door into the kitchen from the ‘snug’, I got it from the ruined house and had it hung – it weighed a ton to drag(!), even though the journey was short…
For nearly half a century, one particular man helped shape the character and life of Welton: Rev. Daniel Darnell, Vicar of St Martin’s Church for an extraordinary 48 years. His story forms part of a wider family legacy that travelled across Britain and around the globe. The Darnells were a family committed to learning, faith, and public service — and their impact stretched far beyond Welton.
Darnell Family Tree
Click the button below to open the Darnell Family Tree on Ancestry. You’ll need an account to view (totally free to set up).
Rev. Daniel Darnell was born in 1812 into a household where education was central. His parents, James Darnell, a schoolmaster, and Sarah Stevens, married in 1799 in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. The baptism register of St John’s Church, Clerkenwell, shows Daniel and his siblings — Esther, James, William and Sarah — were baptised together on 14 September 1814. Group baptisms were not unusual at the time, often done for reasons of cost or convenience.
This early influence of his father may well have shaped Daniel’s future. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, earning both his B.A. and M.A., before embarking on a career that would take him far from England.
Across oceans: ministry in the Bahamas
Daniel was ordained a deacon in London in 1837 and a priest in Jamaica in 1839. His early ministry unfolded across the Caribbean, where he held several significant posts:
Curate, Christ Church, New Providence (1839)
Headmaster, King’s College School, Nassau (1842)
Commissary and Sequestrator General for The Bahamas
Rector, St Matthew’s Church, Nassau
During these years he married Frances Charlotte Brigman, around 1838–39, and the couple had four children while living in New Providence. It was during this period that Daniel became acquainted with the Hill family, later associated with The Firs in Welton.
Return to England: the Welton years
The family returned to England in 1845, first to London, where another son was born. By 1846 they had settled in Welton where Daniel became Vicar of St Martin’s Church, a role he would hold for nearly half a century, and had a further daughter.
The 1851 and 1861 censuses show the family living at the vicarage/The Stone Housewith their children and a lively household of private pupils. In 1851, seven boys aged 11–16 boarded there to be taught by the vicar; in 1861, five remained. The household also included several servants, including a nurse. By 1881, the school had closed and only family members and domestic staff were listed.
The vicarage and The Stone House were physically joined at this point and it may be that the Darnells lived in the vicarage whilst using The Stone House fully as a school – with the family moving into the The Stone House (which Darnell owned) in later years after the school closed.
He was by all accounts a benevolent man, much concerned for the welfare of his parishioners. Around 1890, he was the driver behind the formation of the “Welton Institute” with the aim of providing a library, lectures and entertainment during the winter for a “nominal charge”.
As president of the Institute, Darnell was supported by Mr George Smith of Coalville who was elected vice -president; Col Clarke was elected treasurer and Mr Quelch, the newly appointed school master, the secretary and librarian. The committee included Mrs Clarke, Mrs Darnell and Miss Stansfield. Its overall aim was to support the youth of the village.
Restoring St Martin’s Church
Between 1866 and 1871, Rev. Darnell worked closely with his friend Colonel Richard Trevor Clarke to restore the interior of St Martin’s Church. Their efforts revitalised the building, preserving its structure and enhancing its appearance for future generations.
The two men oversaw restorations to the roof and floor and the installation of stained glass windows.
The answer to a mystery?
In July of 1858 , an alarming train accident had occurred on the Ramsgate and Margate branch of the South-Eastern Railway, near Chilham station, between Ashford and Canterbury. Several people were killed, and many more injured.
The report includes this paragraph, the first detail is stating where the injured were taken: At the “Saracen’s Head” Inn, Canterbury.—The Rev. D. Darnell, Vicar of Welton, near Daventry, Northamptonshire, arm badly fractured. Mrs. Darnell (wife), contused arm. Master Darnell, contusions. The nurse, with four other children of the same family, escaped unhurt, beyond the shock to the system.
Whilst we can’t be 100% sure, we believe what we are seeing below is a picture taken later in 1858 when Darnell is still recovering from his injuries. The man on the right is Richard Trevor Clarke.
The next generation: teachers, clergy – and loss
Daniel and Frances’ children inherited their parents’ commitment to education and service:
Frances Sarah Darnell (Barrett-Lennard) 1840–1857 — born in the Bahamas
Rev. Daniel Charles West Darnell, 1841–1903 — founder of Cargilfield School; born in the Bahamas
Mary Esther Darnell, 1843–1858 — memorial in St Martin’s; born in the Bahamas
Rev. Henry Arthur Darnell, 1845–1912 — born in the Bahamas
Rev. Francis Aubrey Darnell, 1846–1917 — born in London
Emily Maria Jane Darnell (Soames), 1851–after 1901 — born in Welton
Herbert Brigman Darnell, 1852 – 1855- born in Welton
The Darnells lost three of their children. Mary’s short life is recorded poignantly in the 1851 census: a ten‑year‑old girl living at the Vicarage with her parents, siblings, seven pupil‑boarders, and four female servants. She died aged just fifteen. Their first daughter also died young at just short of 18 years, she had married Charles Edward Barrett-Lennard. And the couple’s youngest son Herbert died before his third birthday.
Later years
Darnell suffered more personal loss in 1867 when his first wife, Frances, died aged 58. Four years later, he married Jane Stansfeld at Sowerby Parish Church in Yorkshire; both were approaching sixty.
Daniel retired in 1894, becoming the longest‑serving vicar of St Martin’s. He continued to live at The Stone House until his death in 1897 at the age of 85. Jane had predeceased him in 1896.
Memorials to Daniel, Frances, Jane, and daughter Mary can be seen on the wall beside the pulpit in St Martin’s Church.
Rev. Daniel Charles West Darnell: from Welton to Portsmouth – via Edinburgh
Born in Nassau in 1841, Daniel Charles West Darnell (known as Charles) followed his father into the church and went on to found Cargilfield school in Scotland.
Charles was a scholarly boy and was educated at Pembroke and Downing Colleges of Cambridge University. Here he was ordained – in 1864 – in preparation for a career in the church.
His early teaching career began at the Stone House School. He later taught at a preparatory school in Hillmorton and then Rugby School under Dr Temple.
Darnell moved to Edinburgh in 1873 aged 32 and, with his wife Elizabeth and their five children. The couple ultimately had seven children, losing daughter Winifred aged 3. The beginnings of the school were when he invited a group of boys to his home, Cargilfield Villa in Trinity. The school opened officially on 19th September 1873 – initially to just a handful of boys.
This was the start of Cargilfield School, Scotland’s first preparatory school. His aim was:
“to provide a liberal education and teach the merits of hard work and honesty under conditions of happiness and well‑being.”
Cargilfield thrived, preparing boys for Fettes College and attracting pupils from across Scotland and northern England. Charles retired in 1898 and became Vicar of St Thomas’s Church, Portsmouth the following year.
He died in 1903 after contracting septicaemia from an injury incurred during church repairs. His obituary in The Scotsman praised his ability to recognise moral qualities in every child. A road in the Trinity area of Edinburgh was named after him in 1904 and is today a highly sought-after side street, lined with traditional, stone-built period terraces and flats.
Dorothy Gwynn Darnell: artist and founder of the Jane Austen Society
One of the most culturally significant Darnells was Dorothy Gwynn Darnell, born in Edinburgh in 1876, youngest daughter of Rev. Daniel Charles West Darnell and Elizabeth Fisher.
Dorothy moved to London and studied art under the renowned (and reportedly very anti-establishment) painter Sir William Nicholson – a rather daring thing to do – and exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts and Paris Salon several times between 1904 and 1914. Her works were mainly of female figures, notably painting musician Emily Daymond, and a few are shown below:
Portrait of Emily Daymond
Study of a female figure
Poor and content is rich and rich enough
She exhibited at least five further works.
Her painting career spanned 1904 – 1922 and for much of this time she lived in Camden House Road in Kensington. By 1921 she was living with her mother and two unmarried sisters, Elizabeth Alicia and Amy Beatrix. After their mother died, the three sisters moved to Pembroke Street in Kensington.
Dorothy had been a staunch ‘Janeite‘ (a devoted fan of Jane Austen) since the age 0f 15. Once whilst driving through Alton in Hampshire, she stopped at Chewton Cottage, Austen’s home from 1809–1817. The cottage was split into three tenements, each rented out for half a crown a week. She vowed that it should be restored and made available for the public.
By the 1939 register the three sisters had moved to Alton – Elizabeth described as an invalid, Amy as retired but Dorothy still described as an artist. Dorothy, who by this time was 63, worked for the Women’s Voluntary Services for Air Raid Precautions. In 1940 she founded the Jane Austen Society, with the aim of preserving and restoring Chawton Cottage, now the Jane Austen Museum. She got to work with appeals for funds to buy the cottage.
The Society attracted the attention of a benefactor, solicitor T.E. Carpenter, who bought the house for £3000, and endowed it to the nation, as a permanent memorial to his son, Philip Carpenter, who had been killed in action in Italy in 1944, aged just 22. Dorothy served as secretary alongside novelist Elizabeth Jenkins, while Amy was treasurer.
Her first act of restoration was to retrieve a cast iron grate, removed to make way for a gas fire and thrown into a heap of nettles. After this, Dorothy worked tirelessly, writing numerous letters to the extended Jane Austen family and to auction rooms, exploring every possibility of recovering objects for the museum and preserving oral histories.
Dorothy had a deep enthusiasm for the project until the end of her life, and practically all the local knowledge and artefacts of Jane Austen recovered for the museum was down to her. Dorothy died at Brook Cottage, Lenten Street, Alton, in 1953, the home she still shared with Amy who lived on to 1970.
A legacy that takes us through Welton and beyond
With a legacy across Caribbean classrooms, Scottish preparatory schools, Welton’s Vicarage and the founding of the Jane Austen Society (yet another literary connection to Welton), the Darnells were a family whose influence crossed continents and generations.
Some of their memorials remain in St Martin’s Church, but their influence lives far beyond its walls — in the schools they founded, the art they created, and the heritage they helped preserve.
We do not know exactly when the first chapel was built on this site, but there was certainly one here in Anglo-Saxon times, the foundations of which are believed to lie beneath part of the church. It began as a chapel attached to the priory church at Daventry, and the Anglo-Saxon font can still be seen in the present building (see later in article).
Because it was a chapel rather than a parish church, burials were not permitted in the churchyard. Instead, villagers paid a “heriot” (burial fee) to the church in Daventry to be permitted to bury their dead there.
Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, life may have remained relatively calm for a few years. However, probably during the 1070s, Osbern de Neufmarche and his forces arrived and “violently seized” the chapel.
This was likely connected to the widespread rebellion in support of Edgar the Ætheling and his claim to the English throne. We can imagine local rebels seeking refuge inside the chapel, although the historical record does not tell us how events unfolded.
In 1135, William de Neufmarche, his son, returned the chapel to the monks of Daventry requesting pardon for himself and his father, as they had “unjustly and forcibly taken” the chapel.
On 2nd February 1141 the chapel was redesignated as the Parish Church of St Martin’s, rather than remaining a chapel of St Augustine’s Church in Daventry, which was attached to the Priory there. Even so, burial rights continued to belong to the Priory. Villagers still had to carry their dead to Daventry and continue to pay a “heriot” for burial. Church Court records show that when people were buried in Welton without permission, the bodies had to be exhumed and taken to Daventry.
Structural history
It is presumed that the base of the tower is oldest part of the current building. The walls of the building, of squared and coursed ironstone rubble are very thick except for a recess at the west end beneath the tower, which may have been the original entrance to the church.
The higher level of the tower appears to have been added later, with windows in the Early English style – i.e. simple, lancet windows with a pointed rather than rounded top.
This may have been when the roof of the nave was lowered. If you look closely at the east side of the tower where the tower wall links to the nave, you can clearly see the pointed inverted V line of an earlier, higher but narrower nave roof from a time when the church was far more modest in size.
The early medieval roof would have been thatch. The church tower had corner pinnacles until 1945 when 2 were removed, leaving the remaining 2 until 1950.
By the 13th century, Welton’s population had grown significantly from the 10 households recorded in the 1085 Domesday Book.
The field records for the late 13th century showed a higher population within the area, indicating the need for a larger church, so it is likely that the nave was widened by the addition of the north and south aisles at this time, although it was still smaller than the present building. A carving of a lion’s head on the west wall dates from this period. Viewed from the side, it appears to have wings, suggesting it may represent the winged lion, symbol of St Mark, and perhaps once formed part of a set of apostolic carvings around the church.
The church was also extensively modified during the late 13th / early 14th centuries in the “Early English / Decorated” style of Gothic architecture: put simply, this is recognised by the introduction of pointed arched lancet windows, although some later windows have more elaborate stone tracery (carvings) within the windows, characteristic of the “perpendicular” style of architecture that developed later in the 14th century.
A document dating from the late 13th century refers to the Alter to St. Mary in the Church of St Martin’s, which was probably situated at the East end of the South Aisle (i.e. to the right of the chancel as you enter the church today.)
The Church and the Black Death
Extending a church is often indicative of increased wealth within the area. Whilst we cannot be sure that applies here, it is certainly reasonable to assume that the building would have been developed prior to the 1348 pestilence, after which reduced population sizes and financial difficulties within the Priory would have made any rebuilding both impossible and unnecessary.
The Black Death devastated Welton, as it did across the country, reducing the overall population by between 30% and 40%. It devastated villages in waves of outbreaks right up to the 1360s.
It is believed that the south porch and vestry are later additions to the building. The nave possibly 19th century and the porch 16th / 17th century.
The Church in the later Middle Ages
Historically, Daventry Priory held the “Chapel of Welton.” In 1526 the Priory was closed on the orders of Cardinal Wolsey, shortly before the Dissolution of the Monasteries led by Cromwell for Henry VIII. Daventry was just one of several priories that Wolsey “dissolved” to generate income, much of which he used to found an Oxford College in his name: initially Cardinal College, Oxford founded in 1525, now Christ Church College. Thus, Daventry Priory’s rights over Welton, along with associated tithe lands, were transferred to Christ Church, Oxford.
The college still holds the silverware of Daventry Priory to this day.
St Martin’s Silver and Plate - click here
Item
Description
Silver paten (c.1700)
Weight: 8.3 oz; diameter 6¾"; foot 2¾"; height 1¾".
Marks: D H in irregular oblong, indistinct, twice repeated.
Gilt upper surface; embossed oak leaf border; closed foot plate.
Silver paten (1809)
Weight: 9.15 oz; same size as c.1700 paten.
London marks.
Made to match the first paten; identical except not gilt.
Silver flagon (1814)
Weight: 18.1 oz; height 9½"; top diameter 3"; foot 3½".
London hallmarks.
Jug‑shaped; embossed oak leaves; flat lid and handle.
Inscription around foot:
“The gift of John Plomer Clarke and Anna Maria Charlotte his wife 1811”.
Silver cup (1878)
Weight: 7.14 oz; height 7"; bowl diameter 2½"; foot 2¾".
London hallmarks.
Small spherical bowl, gilt inside; sacred initials outside; slight knop on stem; plain foot.
Replaced an older acorn‑shaped cup (similar to Fotheringay).
Two pewter plates
Diameter: 9".
Marks:
(1) X crowned
(2) Flower between leaves; “Francis” above; “Piggot” below
(3) Oblong: “Newgate Street, London”
Pewter plate
Diameter: 9".
Marks:
(1) Rose crowned with “London”
(2) Wheel with “In. Watts”
(3) Scroll: “WI…Aldgate”
Pewter plate
Diameter: 9".
Marks:
(1) I.W. in two joined semicircles
(2) Lion passant
(3) Britannia
(4) Covered cup
All marks in small oblongs.
All four pewter plates are plain.
John Plomer Clarke
Son of John Plomer (who took Clarke name and arms).
Born August 1776; married daughter of Sir John Nethorp of Scawby.
High Sheriff of Northamptonshire (1814); Lt. Colonel of Western Regiment of Northamptonshire Militia.
Died 23 March 1826; buried in chancel of St Martin’s.
Monument erected by his wife.
Note
A paten is a shallow precious‑metal plate used in the Eucharist to hold the consecrated bread.
After this transfer, burials were finally permitted in Welton itself, probably following the reconsecration of the “chapel” (as it was still called in some documents) in 1531.
It is believed that there were some burials within the church and there is a family crypt of the Clarke family, but the exact location of this is no longer known. 19th Century refurbishment plans suggest stairs in the nave, north of the tower arch, which may have led to a crypt.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, the Lord of the Manor was Richard Knightley, a committed Puritan. Not unsurprisingly, Welton Church became one of the radical Puritan churches within Northamptonshire.
As a result of the Puritans’ very strict belief in simplicity and lack of adornment – as well as their hatred of all things deemed to be “popeish” and associated with the Catholic Church - the decorated rood screen (a feature of early medieval churches that shielded the chancel from the nave) was likely removed and the walls covered with whitewash to hide decorative medieval wall painting at this time.
Worth a visit: It is worth visiting the church at Ashby St Ledgers, where the remains of medieval wall painting suggest how St Martin’s may once have looked.
Sir Richard Knightly appointed Eusebius Walker as vicar. This was well before Puritanism became widespread in England, and bishops regarded the move with caution. Walker attracted the attention of the Bishop of Peterborough after he excommunicated Joan Green for complaining about the length of services. Sermons at the time could last 3 hours or more!
The 19th century
During the nineteenth century places of religious worship expanded in Welton, with the development of two Nonconformist chapels: a Baptist Chapel at the corner of Ashby Road and Station Road, and a Methodist (Wesleyan) Chapel in Well Lane.
In the latter half of the century, the vicar, Rev. Darnell, who also ran a boarding school from what is now Stone House, together with Richard Trevor Clarke, oversaw major restorations to the church, including repairs to the roof and floor and the installation of stained-glass windows.
At the end of the 19th century the new vicar, Edward Liddell, sought to support unemployed young men by organising woodwork classes to teach practical skills. Their craftsmanship can still be seen in the church, particularly in the intricate fretwork on the pulpit, carved in 1899 by 5 men of the village, and the carved handrail just inside the north door. A brass plaque near the pulpit records the names of those involved.
Sadly, some of the same names later appear in the list of those lost in WWI.
The wonderful wood working skills of men in Welton are also seen in the beautiful alms box. This box for collecting money for the poor of the parish is in the shape of an open hand on top of the box, with the slot for the coin in the palm. The men of the village carved this for Edward Liddell in 1899 as a dedication to his parents.
The 20th century
In 1953 the Aeolian organ was installed, donated by Sir Halford Reddish, and between 1965 and 1968 the beautiful kneelers were created by members of St Martin’s Ladies Guild (and friends), 42 women in total including Olive Hupfield from Welton Manor, Mary Orr from The Manor House (Old Manor Court) and Valerie Reddish from Welton House as well as several members from the same family – Gillott, Kaddy, Lambert, Pilkington, and a few men too: Dennis Stringer and Arthur Robbins!
In 1964 the crucifix above the pulpit was given to the church by Mrs Abbot who was a church warden and had lived at The Stone House.
The roof of the nave was badly damaged by a fire in January 1977. Fortunately, most of the church valuables were able to be saved, however the roof and pews required considerable restoration.
The church bells
The 14th century tower now houses 5 bells, however in 1552 there were “three belles in y steple...” The bells are dated / engraved as follows:
1823 – added by voluntary contribution, cast by W and J Taylor, Oxford
1629 – inscribed with “God Save the King” – a reference to King Charles I (the pledge evidently didn’t work!)
Bell 3 was recast by W and J Taylor, Oxford in 1825; this bell was inscribed “celorum chrste platiat tibi rex sonus iste – 1629” which, Google translate suggests means “Christ, may this sound please you, King”.
1629 – “IHS – Nazar envs Rex..”a variation of the Latin inscription on crucifixes standing for “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum” which translates as “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”IHS being the first 3 letters of the Greek name for Jesus
1627 – “CUM SONO SI NON VIS VENIRE NONQUAM AD PRECES CVPIFS IRE”- translation here is hard but the gist seems to be that the sound of the bells summons you to prayer.
Back in the day as they say, the bells were rung daily at 5am between Lady Day (22nd March) and Michaelmas (29th September) and 6am during winter months, as well as at noon and the 8pm curfew. The death knell bells also sounded: 3 tolls for men and 2 for women (naturally!) and the tenor bell before and after the funeral. The first 4 bells were rung to indicate divine service.
W & J Taylor was a prominent 19th century bell founding firm. Originally from St Neots, they expanded their operation to Oxford in 1821 until they centralised their operations in Loughborough around 1845. The company was developed by Robert Taylor who took over the St Neots foundry in 1784.
They produced a number of bells worldwide including bells at York Minster and St Paul’s Cathedral and focused on making high quality, “true-harmonic” tuned bells – so next time you hear the bells of Welton – enjoy! They are special!
The interior of the church
One of the most striking features is the floor at the east end of the chancel decorated with 19th century polychromatic marble and malachite.
It is believed that the malachite was gifted to Lady Emma Louisa Tulloch, a friend of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, in return for a quantity of lace she had made herself for his personal use.
But who was Lady Tulloch – and what was she doing in Welton?
Lady Emma Louisa Tulloch (1819–1903) was born in Hull, the youngest daughter of Sir William Hyde Pearson and his wife, Elizabeth. She married Alexander Murray Tulloch, a distinguished Army officer and an important military reformer. Tulloch was also a pioneer in the use of medical statistics to demonstrate the devastating effects of tropical diseases on European troops.
Born in Newry, Northern Ireland, in 1801, the eldest son of Captain John Tulloch of Edinburgh, Alexander was educated in Perth before entering the Army in 1826. He served in India with the 45th Regiment and went on to become a leading figure in Army reform. In 1855, he and Sir John McNeill were sent to the Crimea to investigate the management of the British Army during the campaign. Their report was highly critical and was praised for its “faithful exposure of the errors” that had brought the Army into disrepute.
Alexander Tulloch died unexpectedly on 16 May 1864. The Illustrated London News reported that his “remains were interred on the 20th inst. at Welton, near Daventry”. It appears that he had suffered a short illness and had left London shortly beforehand to inspect a newly purchased property in Dorset. After his death, Lady Tulloch settled at Axminster, where she died in 1903 with an estate valued at £31,563 – equivalent to around £5 million today.
So why were the Tullochs buried in Welton?
The answer seems to lie in a family connection. Lady Emma Tulloch was the sister-in-law of Richard Trevor Clarke. The memorial to Alexander and Emma Tulloch pictured above is in the church.
There are over 30 memorial plaques inside the church which are detailed in the scrollable gallery below.
Sacred to the memory of Joseph Clarke Esq
Whose remains are Deposited near this Monument.
He died April 29th, 1773
In the 75th year of his age. Joseph Clarke built the Clarke family seat, Welton Place, in 1758, a grand mansion originally set in 711 acres of landscaped parkland and finally demolished in 1972. He served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire. He died childless, passing the estate on to his brother Richard, below, who also died childless a year later.
Richard Clarke Esq
Departed this life Dec 6th, 1774. Aged 75.
Frances his first wife. Daughter and sole heiress of John and Frances Gardiner died July 20th, 1728. Aged 21. And is buried at Guilsboro’ in this County. John, their only son died May 29th 1729 aged 2 years.
This Mark of grateful esteem is erected by his Grand-Nephew
John, the son of John and Frances Plomer who, in compliance with his Uncle’s Will took the name and Arms of Clarke. Anno 1775
In Memory of Isaac Ashley Esq who died 27th January 173
7 aged 75 Years
Also Mary Ashley wife of the above Isaac Ashley who died 21st October 1738 aged 69 years.
Likewise Elizabeth Clarke widow of Richard Clarke Esq and daughter of Isaac Ashley and Mary his wife
Who departed this life 12th May 1779 aged 63 years
In Memory of John Plomer Esq late of this parish, who died
Dec 18th 1788 Aged 67 years, whose remains are deposited in the Church of Stone , Co Buckingham near to those of his first wife, Frances
Daughter of William Adams Esq of this Parish who died May 29th 1745 Aged 30 years.
William Adams, their second son died in his Infancy – Anno 1774
This monument is erected by desire of their elder and only surviving son, John Clarke
Sacred to the memory of John Clarke Esq, who after a life mark’d by constant and extensive justice, charity and benevolence died Jan 9th, 1805, aged 61, To the irreparable loss of the surrounding country and of his deeply afflicted widow and children by whom as a token of sincere affection this monument is erected.
Mary his pious and affectionate relict closed a truly well spent life on Christmas Day 1816 aged 73.
Henry Joseph their third son died in infancy 1729.
To the Memory of Mary Clarke
Second Daughter of John Clarke Esq
Born March 31st 1774. Died January 19th 1837
And buried in Christ Church Marylebone
“Mary, the wife of John Clarke Esq caused this monument to be placed to the memory of her grandfather James Lidderdale MD who died November 12th 1763 aged 85 , And of his wife Frances who died May 1st 1725 aged 30 and who are buried at Mansfield Co Nottingham.
Also of her Father and Mother Nicholas Child Esq and Helen his wife (only daughter of the above-named James and Frances Lidderdale) who are buried in St Bride’s Church London.
He dying March 19th 1746 aged 43, she, May 15th 1775 aged 69.
Also of her beloved Uncle, James Lidderdale Esq who having tenderly and affectionately supplied the pace of husband and father to his widowed sister and her Daughter. Died July 6th 1775 aged 66 and is buried at Chipstead in Kent.”
“In grateful and lasting testimony of conjugal happiness enjoyed in uninterrupted harmony for a period of twenty years this monument was erected by Anna-Maria Charlotte Clarke to preserve the memory of her beloved husband John Plomer Clarke who closed an useful and beneficient life at his seat in this parish March 23rd 1826 in the 5oth year of his age.
In his public character as a County Magistrate and an able Man of Business his valued services were generally and gratefully acknowledged. In private and social life by the attractive display of qualities singularly mild and amiable he conciliated the regard and esteem of all who had the honour and happiness of his acquaintance. Endued also with uncommon benevolence and tenderness of heart he eagerly sought and diligently improved every opportunity of doing good to his poor neighbours and dependents, constantly adding to their comforts as well as ministering with true Christian liberality to their wants…etc etc”
Anna – Maria Charlotte above named died June 1st 1831 (nee Nelthorp)
John Plomer Clarke was grand-nephew to Richard Clarke and inherited the estate in 1774, a military leader who raised the Daventry Volunteers and commanded the Northamptonshire local militia.
Latin inscribed table commemorating:
Richard Clarke: died 16th December 1829 (born Dec 1777)
and Phillippa (his wife) who died on 26th November 1845
(nee Tymns / born 1780)
Sacred to the loving memory of
Lieut Col Richard Trevor Clarke of Welton Place
Born 20th August 1813. Died 11th April 1897
Also of Fanny Maria, his wife
2nd daughter of Sir William Hyde and Elizabeth Janer Pearson
Died 5th June 1885
RT Clarke was a renowned horticulturalist and founder of the RHS Scientific Committee. He populated Welton Place with many exotic trees and plants.
“Sacred to the memory of Alexander Murray Tulloch, Major-General in Her Majesty’s Army, and Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath who was suddenly called top his rest on Whitmonday May 16th 1864 in the 61st year of his age.
Also of Emma Louisa Tulloch, his wife, who died June 8th 1903.
Emma Tulloch was born Pearson and was the sister to Fanny Maria, who was married to Lieut.Col. Richard Trevor Clarke above.
It seems the Tullochs were visiting Welton when Alexander died.
(For more information see profile of Clarke family)
In loving memory of George Henry Clarke, Captain R.N.
Son of Richard Clarke Esq of Welton Place
(Syrian, Turkish, Burmese and Baltic Medals)
Died at Teddington, April 10th 1899, aged 83 and of
Elizabeth Malone Clarke, nee D’Arcy, of Clifden Castle Co. Galway
Died July 22nd 1909, aged 86. (Elizabeth was a wealthy Irish heiress)
“They were lovely and pleasant in their lives.”
Sacred to the memory of The Reverend John Alexander Clarke MA
Vicar of Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire
Second son of Richard Clarke Esq and Phillippa, his wife
Of Welton Place
Born September 9th 1814, died January 27th 1860
Also of
Mary Emma, his wife
Born January 22nd 1821
Died November 26th 1891
Sacred to the memory of Caroline Charlotte [Clarke]
Wife of Major Guiseppe Trombone and eldest daughter of Richard Clarke Esq of Welton Place and Phillippa, his wife.
Born December 2nd 1817. Died at Turin 29th September 1860.
Also of
Mary Susan, wife of Lieut. Colonel Ottavio Baratti and youngest daughter of Richard Clarke Esq of Welton Place and Phillippa, his wife.
Born November 24th 1819. Died at Milan 12th December 1802.
Major Guiseppe Trombone: An Internet search records a memorial to a Major Guiseppe Trombone: born Vercelli in 1822, he enlisted as a volunteer and died fighting the Battle of Custoza in 1866, at which point his rank was Lieut. Colonel.
Colonel Baratti was an Italian officer and pioneering figure in history of photography and is credited with founding one of the first Italian photographic periodicals “La Fotografia” in Milan in 1863.
In loving remembrance of George D’Arcy Clarke, Commander R.N.R
Eldest son of Captain G.H. Clarke R.N. (see above) who went to his rest on 31st July 1901 and was buried at sea.
Also of his wife Caroline, daughter of Sir George Kellner KCMG, CBI and of Caroline his wife; who died 3rd April 1922 aged 74.
GD Clarke served with the Royal Navy reserves as a Merchant Navy Captain, commanding large passenger and mail steamships for the British India Steam Navigation Company and associated lines.
James Richard Plomer Clarke OBE / Major Welch Regiment – Died 1947
And Louisa, his wife, daughter of the Rev. Nigel Honiss – Died 1944
JRP Clarke: son of Rev John A Clarke, JRP Clarke attended Winchester College (1871-75) before entering the military. After 3 years in the Northamptonshire and Rutland Militia, he joined the 41st Welch Regiment and served in Mauritius where he married Louisa 1885. They had a son, Richard Alexander Owen Clarke, who served as a Lieutenant Colonel. awarded his OBE in Dec 1919. JRP Clarke inherited the Lord of the Manor and estates of Welton following the death of his uncle, Richard Clarke.
The memorial was erected by his son, Richard (1896-1981).
“Mary Smith late of Brock-Street, Bath
Wife of Lewin - John Smith Esq of Manchester Square, London
departed this life very suddenly whilst on a visit at Welton Place
September 4th 1813 Aged 78
And is buried in the Family Vault beneath”
We do not yet know the relationship here with the Clarkes but assume familial as she lies in the family vault.
“To the memory of John The son of John Wafforne
and Damaris his Wife. He was buried near this Place
January the 6th Anno 1715.
Behold thy selfe by mee
Such a one was I as thou
And Thou in Time Shalt be
Even Dust as I am now”
The name Damaris is a feminine name of Greek origin meaning “calf, heifer or gentle” and holds a Biblical connection to a woman in Athens who followed the Apostle Paul.
1914-1918 War Memorial Plaque
“To the Glory of God and in Honoured Memory of the Men of this Parish who fell in the Great War.
Charles William Benjamin
Percy Benjamin
Herbert Leslie Benjamin
Thomas Wooton
Thomas Frederick Surridge
Arthur William Meadows
They Died that we might Live.”
An additional brass memorial below commemorates
George Bernard Facer who fell in World War II.
“Here lyeth the body of
Thomas Frost who departed this life
the 5th day of June 1699”
Linked to this memorial is the inscription :
“May reader shed a tear
On this just many slumbreth here
And whilst y [you] readest, thus on me
Think on the Glass y [that] runs for thee
3 Memorials linked to the Darnell family: from top
To the Memory of Daniel Darnell M.A. 48 years vicar of this parish
Born Sept 6th, 1811, Died July 31st, 1897
In the 86th year of age.
To the memory of Frances Charlotte Darnell, the beloved wife of the Revd. Daniel Darnell M.A. vicar of this parish who died March 6th 1867 aged 58 years.
Also, of Mary Esther their second daughter who died June 16th, 1858, aged 15 years.
To the memory of Jane, second wife of Revd. D. Darnell M.A. and daughter of Robert Stanfield Esq, Field House, Yorkshire
Died Oct 29th, 1896, aged 85 years.
In memory of Frances Sarah the beloved wife of
Charles Edward Barrrett-Lennard, Lieut. in H.M. 5th Regt. of Dragoon Guards and eldest daughter of the Revd. D. Darnell Vicar of Welton
Died at Edinburgh 5th April 1857
Aged 17 years and 10 months
In memory of three children of Revd. John Wilson and Elinor his wife who died in their infancy, namely
John Charles on the 11th of December 1810
Catherine Jane – January 1st, 1818
And John Charles (twin brother of Ashley Henry [John engraved beneath) on 1st February 1823
Sacred to the memory of a lady who was much esteemed and respected by the inhabitants of this parish
Eliza Sarah daughter of the vicar and wife of Revd. Francis Tebbutt
many years curate of Welton.
Her gentle and pious spirit returned to God who gave it on 30th June 1842 in the fortieth year of her age.
Also, in affectionate memory of three of her beloved children, viz,
Lionel Lyde Ward, died 25th October 1842 aged 16
Frances Tyssen, died 7th July 1837 aged 4
Eliza Frances, died 12th July 1837 aged 5.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ Matt. 5.8.
Near this place lie the remains of
John Wainwright A.M.
Thirty years vicar of this parish and a considerable benefactor to it.
He died May 16th, 1778, in the 75th year of his age.
Just above the date of his death the words “the Vicarage” are inscribed, either suggesting this was where he died, or perhaps a suggestion that he helped found / develop the vicarage.
In loving memory of
Sebastian Henry Garrard
Died 23rd February 1946 aged 77 years
And of his wife
May Eleanor died 10th August 1955 aged 87 years.
Major Garrard was a renowned Crown Jewellers who leased Welton Place from the Clarke family in 1906. He continued his work during part of this time and it suggested that Royalty may well have visited the house during this period. His wife was born May Cazenove and they had 2 children: Barbara Joan and Pamela Vera.
After Major Garrard’s death, local builder Frank Emery snr built Welton Brook, set back from Well Lane for widow as she no longer wanted to stay in the large house. Post war building restrictions did not permit the development of properties over the value of £1200, so the property was initially built as 2 semi detached homes, between which a doorway was created – to avoid govt restrictions!
These include 17 that relate to the Clarke family, 8 relating to Welton vicars and / or their family members, 3 of which are linked to the Rev Daniel Darnell, as well as a WW1/2 memorial and others related to deaths within the parish. There are also memorials linked to the Garrard family at Welton Place, the Ashley family and possibly the oldest memorial to Thomas Frost who died on 5th June 1699.
One memorial over the door explains an old Welton custom that features in the Head Teacher Log Books at Welton School during the 19th century. Each year in December the school had to be closed for the annual distribution of the bread. The dark wooden plaque above the north entrance explains this:
John Winterton of Welton Grange, Gentleman, who died July 1st 1855, left by his will the sum of £200 (clear of legacy duty) to be placed out at interest, either upon government or real security; in the names of the Vicar, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the parish of Welton. The income was to be expended, one half in Bread, the other half in Clothing, and distributed at their discretion, on the 21st day of December in every year, to the most needy and deserving widows, widowers, or other poor persons of the Parish.
A list of the known Vicars of Welton is also found in the nave, and these are listed with additional information where known at the drop down below.
The list starts in 1258 with Albredas and continues through to 2022 – a listed total of 52 people. However, this is incomplete – if anyone can fill the gaps ....
Welton Vicars and Clergy - click here
Year
Name
Notes
1258
Albredus
First vicar of Welton between 1258 and 1269, appointed by prior and convent of Daventry.
1269
John de Tilton
Possibly linked to the Digby de Tilton family from Leicester; Sir John de Tilton died in 1269.
1287
Richard de Saddington / Peter de Kelmcote
A John de Saddington lived and held land in Leicestershire. His son Roger held rights to a dwelling and 2 virgates of land (c. 60 acres) in Musele (possibly Mountsorrell). Hugh de Kilborth (Kibworth?) was his tenant.
1349
John Slauston
In 1353 a Peter de Slauston is recorded at Barrowden near Rockingham… though he was accused of trespass of vert and venison in the forest, so maybe not a close relation! He was the son of Robert Horpole of Slawston and in 1369 gave 2 dwellings and lands in Daventry to the prior and convent to provide wax lights.
c1414
John Russell
c1450
Richard Green
1452
Henry Cokkes
1464
Sir John Pysford
Historical records of 14th and 15th centuries refer to a Pysford family, linked unsurprisingly, to the village of Pitsford, 5 miles north of Northampton, Brixworth and Spelhoe hundred. .
1470
Sir Lawrence Aplow
1471
John Scott
1483
Edmund Yginton
1523
Sir William Chapleyn
1561
Ralph Phillips / William Philips
Ralph was presented to Queen Elizabeth I and instituted on 20 June 1561.
1578
Eusebius* Walker
From the Greek meaning devout, pious or worships well, which is ironic really – see opposite!
Possibly name derived from Witsey related to Holcot in Northamptonshire. Sir Richard Knightly appointed Eusebius Walker as vicar. This was well before Puritanism became widespread in England, and bishops regarded the move with caution. Walker attracted the attention of the Bishop of Peterborough after he excommunicated Joan Green for complaining about the length of services.
1611
Richard Amy
1612
Lewis Jones
1617
Richard Patrick
1645
Thomas Cox
1652
James Brown
1662
Jonathan Foster
Thomas Servel was curate.
1671
William Satchwell
William Jackson was curate.
1696
John McQueen
Curates: Edward Haigh, James Lang, William Abel, Knightly Adams.
1707
Richard Nicholls
As vicar he lived in what is now The Old House, but in the early 1700s was the bakehouse. The letter N above the door suggests he made improvements to this property likely sometime after 1707. . His curate lived in what was then a rather ramshackle vicarage on land later used for the enlarged parkland of Welton Place. Nicholls died in 1717.
1717-1731
Simon Adams
And Thomas Duncomb, Sequestrator. Adams moved into The Old House on becoming vicar. On his death the house was bought by a farmer called Thomas Gibbons and remained in that family until 1846, by which time it was subdivided into 2 cottages., later bought by Revd. A. J. Clarke.
1748
John Wainwright
1754 Enclosure Act allocated 65 acres to the Church.
1778
John Rowton & John Campbell
1783
James Preedy
1785
George Laughton
1800
Richard Davies
c1837
Francis Tebbutt
On Friday 21 July 1837 the Coventry Herald and Free Press reported that on Friday 7th July Francis Tyssen, the 4-year-old son of Revd. Tebbutt died of scarlatina, followed on 12th July by his 6-year-old daughter Eliza Frances. These deaths were not noted in the Head Teacher log book.
1842
Thomas William Johnes
1846–1894
Daniel Darnell
On Fri 25th June 1858 the Coventry Standard reported that on the 16th June the second daughter of Revd. Darnell, Mary Esther, died aged 15.
Revd. Darnell also held a meeting in the National Schoolroom to start a society to be called the “Welton Institute” to provide a library, lectures and entertainments during the winter for a “nominal charge”. As President of the Institute, Darnell was supported by Mr George Smith of Coalville (see separate item on WH website) who was elected vice -president; Col Clarke was elected treasurer and Mr Quelch, the newly appointed school master, the secretary and librarian. The committee included Mrs Clarke and Darnell and Miss Stansfield. Its overall aim was to support the youths of the village. Darnell lived in The Stone House with his family and in which he ran a small boarding school for boys. He was obliged to resign in 1894 die to “age and infirmity” but continued to live in Welton until his death in 1897, when the Stone House ceased to become the Vicarage.
1894
Edward Thomas Liddell
The London Guardian carried an advert on Wed 1st Sept 1897 for an unfurnished cottage which would be available to rent for retired clergy of church workers from Oct 11th. It is advertised as having 6 bedrooms, orchard, stabling and being close to the church and post office. This was The Stone House (the “old” vicarage) and the Revd. was now living in the “new” vicarage, a large 3 storey house on the site of Harrington House. Liddell also supported and promoted wood carving by the men of the village and in 1899 donated the hand shaped alms box in memory of his father and mother, which now sits near the north entrance.
1902
Musgrave Hilton
1906
Charles Littledale
Prior to his tenure, Kelly’s Directory records that in 1906 the tenancy was vacant.
1907
James Fearn Sugden M.A.
Previously curate at St Luke’s Old Street EC, London.
1926
William Henry Fearis
Spelled “Ferris” on church list.
1938
S. G. W. Maitland
1942
John Whitehall Cheshire
The Sunday Dispatch of 17th March 1946 reported that Revd. Cheshire’s study at the vicarage was ransacked in a burglary. Telephone wires were cut and one clue was left – a flat bladed knife. One of the items stolen was a brass clock. A Police patrol in Ashby St Ledgers caught one of the men at 4.30am, conducting their 2nd burglary of a vicarage that night. They had in their possession the brass clock. 3 men from Islington were convicted of several burglaries.
1947
H. B. H. Horne
1950
F. W. Weaver
1955
John Gordon Kinnersley‑Taylor
Educated at Rugby School; linked to Sneyd‑Kinnersley family.
1958
James E. Wright
1962
Frederick William Weaver
His career included over 30 years as chaplain to the Mission to Seamen serving in China, Japan, Australia and Canada, vicar of Ashby St Ledgers, and finally Rector of Seavington St Michael’s near Ilminster. Died 1962, estate valued at £1 611 17S and 3d (about £30K in 2026).
1963
Derek H. Pilkington
In Sept 1964 the Birmingham Post reported that Revd. Pilkington barred a bride, Gillian Thorneycroft, from entering the church for her wedding until she removed it from her face. He claimed her face had to be visible to ensure there was no “substitution” – he also did not like the fact a photographer was engaged to take photos of the bride as she walked down the aisle
1970
Walter Leslie Neill
Neill is recorded as officiating across a number of churches including Welton and Ashby St Ledgers, including at the wedding there in 1971 of Frances Ann Guest, daughter of the late Viscount of Wimborne to Ernest Martin Johnson of New York. His 'sudden death' was reported in the press (date unknown)
1976
T. Patrick Hammerton
Thomas Patrick is, according to AI, remembered for his involvement in local history. He was also `vicar when the church was badly damaged by fire in January 1977. He pointed out that if the fire had “gone unnoticed for another hour the church would have been almost totally destroyed.”
1988
Lawrence Gordon Davies
1928-2005; born in Wallasey and attended Downing College Cambridge. Held various posts.
1990
John W. Hargreaves
1999
Ann Slater
Ann was born in Northampton and ordained in July 1995 in Peterborough. She was a member of the Daventry Team Ministry and served in Daventry, Braunston, Catesby, Hellidon, Staverton as well as Welton.
2006
Theresa Davies
In 2008 Welton made the news for all the wrong reasons! On 11th Nov 2008 the BBC reported that Revd. Theresa had been banned from religious roles for 12 years for “conduct unbecoming to holy orders”. A self-confessed swinger, Davies admitted an alcohol problem and an open relationship with her husband. Parishioners complained of her being drunk at 4 separate church services.
2010
Chrys Tremththanmor
Not only once vicar of Welton, but a photographer and writer, and Clergy Training Officer.
2022
Kathryn Evans
The Aeolian organ in the South Aisle was presented to the church by Sir Halford Reddish and installed in 1953 to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was manufactured in 1909 by the Aeolian Organ Company of New York (founded in 1887) and had previously been installed at Hengrave Hall, near Bury St Edmond’s in Suffolk.
This historic house was bought by Sir John Wood (1857-1951), barrister and MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, in 1895. After he died the house became a convent and it was probably around this time that it was acquired by Reddish for the church at Welton. An improved console was added in recent years.
The pews in the church were originally a lustrous golden colour but had to be given a darker stain following the disastrous roof fire of January 1977 to hide the burn marks caused by falling debris. The South aisle also originally contained pews but these were removed in 2004.
The tub shaped font mentioned in our introduction is believed to be Anglo Saxon in origin and as such is the oldest feature within the church. It is thought that this dates from the Saxon chapel which was violently seized by Osbern de Neufmarche, one of the Norman invaders. On close examination the remains of original carving can just be seen – two chevrons on one side.
The windows have been restored and replaced over time. In 1866-7 Darnell and Col Richard Clarke fitted 4 stained glass windows in the chancel – 2 were later damaged and replaced with clear glass. Glass in some windows may have been reused from previous windows. The small lancet window in the tower is dedicated to St Martin of Tours, noted for his charitable works.
The churchyard
The churchyard probably dates from when the church was adopted as a parish church following the dissolution of Daventry Priory. Established in the 1090s by Hugh de Leicester, the priory was patronised by local gentry and nobility in return for masses said for their souls.
However, by the 16th century the abbey was in decline and in 1525 Cardinal Wolsey secured permission from Pope Clement VIII to dissolve it.
Up to this time Weltonians would be buried in Daventry (see opening of this article) but after 1524 inhumations took place in the churchyard, it is now a closed graveyard, as it is full!
The number of standing headstones in the past, before they were removed on the direction of Sir Halford Reddish in 1968, being an indicator of this, although in the 16th – 18th centuries comparatively few graves would have had stone markers.
Notable features within the graveyard include:
Two ironstone headstones approximately 10 metres to the south of the south aisle, one dated 1667 and the other 1711 and 1713
A lead cistern dated 1673 to the south of the south aisle, west of the south porch, which is inscribed PTE. It was donated by Major Garrard of Welton Place in 1949
A Commonwealth Graves Commission marker to Private Thomas Wootton, who was one of the men of Welton who lost their lives during the First World War. (His story is detailed in a separate article on the website about Welton in Wartime). Private Wootton from the Northamptonshire Regiment died on July 19th1917 aged 37.
An elaborate tomb marker to Robert Francis Burton, of Churchill House (Welton Manor), son of Edmund Burton, who was born in 1840. He joined the army in July 1867 and served during the Indian Mutiny campaign, being present at the “relief, siege and capture of Lucknow” as well as taking part in several actions at Oudh. He retired from the army in 1867 and died in 1903.
The memorial to six year old John Hewitt, the son of Peter and Elizabeth Hewitt of Rugby who was “lost (by neglect)” on January 16th 1806 in a field in the parish and found on the 18th “starved to death” – a stark and sober reminder to parents as they walk up Churchill Road of their responsibilities as they walk up Churchill Road.
Memorial to the memory of Elizabeth, the wife of Edward Reeve she departed this life on 6th of March 1722 and of…
Could Gains Rhodes have been a sailor? The Benjamins were an extended Welton family and the third tombstone here to the sons of Samuel and Hannah Howard is a stark reminder of the perils of childhood and the fact that death was an ever-present fact of life. Their son Samuel died aged 9 years and 9 months in 1824 and another son, William Thomson died in 1827 aged just 11 months.
Left: here lieth the body of Thomas … 1667 - possibly the oldest gravestone, but increasingly hard to read.
Many of the gravestones have been weathered and are increasingly covered in moss and lichen. Those lifted and placed as a path and at the north side of the graveyard are completely lost now.
And finally .....
Sometimes you find something that really brings the past alive… and if you closely examine the columns in the nave, you may find the following. Scratched into the stonework of a column directly in front of a pew, it seems that someone in possibly 1866 found morning service a little dreary perhaps and chose to leave his – or her – mark behind!
Personally, I suspect William, who was able to get away with it as the column shielded him in part from the all-seeing eyes of the vicar in the finely carved pulpit! (look closely at the letters or better still go and check it out for yourself).
The pictures below also show us that other parishioners have been handy with a blade in bygone times, with TR engraved on a stone in the wall near the south porch and an intriguing AB carved into the stonework of the arched doorway on the north side of the church.
Not quite the fabulous medieval carving that can still be seen (just) in the window corbels – see left.
The above family tree is simplified, of necessity, and does not include many of the family members, however it does provide an overview which illustrates the long-term association of the family within the area. The family traces its roots to Daventry, where Thomas and George were both butchers. Later members of the family evidently moved to Welton.
George Emery (snr) above was born in 1857 and the parish records from Daventry show that on December 25th 1874, aged 19, a butcher by trade and living on Sheaf Street, he married Elizabeth Whitmill, aged 19.
His father is listed as Thomas Emery and his occupation was also a butcher. The bride’s father, Uriah, was a labourer.
In the 1901 Daventry census, George – 44 – is living at 10 Brook Street with Annie E, who is 45, along with daughters Mary A (24), Amy (17), Jessie (15) Maude (13), Grace (11), Maggie (9) and George (5).
In the 1911 census George Emery was 54, still working as a butcher and Annie Elizabeth was 55. They had given birth to 12 children, with 11 surviving. The family were living at 8 Brook Street in Daventry and also resident at the address were some of their children:
Amy – 26 – single – dress maker
Maude – 23 – single – dress maker
Grace – 20 – single – general servant
Maggie – 18 – single – Dress maker
George – 15 – single – butcher
John Emery – 14 – grandson – Chemist’s Assistant
The records also tell us that George Emery (jnr – George’s son born in 1896) was in 1915 living at 10 Brook Street and was enlisted within the Warwickshire RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) Regiment in June of that year. As a bombardier (gunner) – number 681. His is a sad story as the record also carries a note dated 18th February 1916 that “any articles of personal property belonging to the late No 681 Bombadier George Emery 3/1st Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery should be disparaged to George Emery of 10 Brook Street, Daventry”, as should “any medals granted to the deceased”.
The 1911 census for Welton shows us that there were three George Emerys in the area (at least) as, although we do not have the exact location, we find listed:
George Emery – 49 – married for 23 years – Domestic Gardener – born in Bissington, Norfolk
Anna Maria – 47 – his wife – born Ayleham, Norfolk.
They are living in a 4 roomed house and in 1911 their son is not registered at that address. It may be that this is a family relation that has moved to Welton, or a complete coincidence!
Around 1906 William Joseph and his family moved to Dairy Farm (today known as Churchill Cottage on Elms Dyke) in Welton, and in 1909 were living in Woodbine Cottage on Churchill Road.
In the 1911 census, we also find William Joseph Emery recorded at Pear Tree Cottage. The photo below is taken of the cottage around 1910 so maybe that is Nellie at the door with her chickens!
William Emery – 32 – married 11 years; 3 children born and 3 still alive – born Daventry – farmer
Nellie – 28 – wife (details as above) born Daventry
William George – 9
Jack – 5 (baptised John Richard)
Frank – 2. The family later moved to Dairy Farm, known subsequently as Dalethorpe and now Charlotte Cottage. Frank’s baptism was recorded in the Parish Council Magazine of June 1909.
Photo circa 1912: William George,. William Joseph, Frank Uriah, Nellie and John Richard (Jack) Emery in orchard of Dairy Farm
In the 1921 census, William Joseph Emery (known as Bill) and his family is recorded as follows:
William Joseph Emery – 42 – born Daventry – Dairy Farmer
Nellie E – 39 – wife – born Daventry
William George – 19 – son – occupation listed as in “shoe trade” but ‘unemployed” at time of census
Jack – 16 – son – born Daventry – farm hand (John Richard was always known as Jack)
Frank – 12 – son – born 1909 in Welton, in Pear Tree Cottage – at school full time.
The family was still living in Pear Tree Cottage at this point, which was on a far bigger plot then than is the case today, with land backing on to Kiln Lane. It is much of this land that the Emery family continued to own for some time.
The original Pear Tree Cottage was later demolished in the 1970s, to make way for the current Pear Tree Cottage, built for the Hupfields, who owned the plastics factory on what is now Elms Dyke.
William George Emery, (eldest son of William Joseph and Nellie), was born in 1901, married Mary Gardiner, and by 1939 was living in The Rosary on Churchill Road. They had 4 children, the eldest, Bill, married Delia.
The middle brother, John Richard (b 1905) and generally known as Jack, married Edith and by 1939 were living at Hoborough Hill (Hobberhill Farm) just outside Welton. When William retired, son John Richard (known as Jack) carried on farming there. He and his wife Edith were tenants for Lord Wimborne from Ashby St Ledgers. Meanwhile, William George’s brother, Frank Uriah (1909 – 2005) married Selina Jane Ann Gregory, a Welton girl, in 1932.
Selina as May Queen 1920s
Frank became known as Frank Emery Senior and was a bricklayer and builder, with many properties in Welton a standing testimony to his skills. There is a section on Frank Emery senior below. Frank and Selina also had 3 sons: Frank Junior (b 1933), Claude (b 1935) and John (b 1938). It is said that Frank Jnr was born in a cottage next to “Nut Tree”, possibly “Woodbine Cottage” in Churchill Road. Claude was also born here.
John Emery (b 1938)
John Emery is a well-known, much-loved member of the community and, alongside many members of his family, has played an active role in supporting, shaping and caring for the village throughout his life. In an interview for Welton News and Views in 2018 he reflected on the fact that not only was he born in Welton but has lived here all his life. Born in Kiln House, next door to his current home, he reflected:
“That was my parents’ house. My father built it and I was born in that little room upstairs eighty years ago… My wife says to me, you think more of Welton than you do of me. I love my wife dearly, of course I do. But I do love this village.”
John had two elder brothers, Frank Jnr and Claude:
“My parents had three boys: my oldest brother, Frank, was an electrical engineer – he worked on the Valiant bombers at Gaydon as a radar man. I lost my middle brother three years ago; he worked as a bricklayer all his life, and I went into engineering, doing my apprenticeship with British Timken at Daventry behind the old cinema. They’d bring the old machines in from the factories at Aston in Birmingham and Duston, and we’d strip them down and completely rebuild them with new parts. My speciality was centre lathe turning and I later got into precision engineering, building machines for Rolls-Royce at Derby. We built two 40-tonne T-bed lathes for RB211 engines, which are still used today!”
L-R Frank Emery, ??, Claude Emery, John Emery
John married his wife, Rita, from Long Buckby and who for 30 years worked at Welton Primary School, which their two daughters attended.
“Before she joined the school, she worked as a comptometrist (or Burroughs Calculator operator) for John Laing on the M1 when it was being built. She was based down at the old Welton Railway Station.”
Of Rita, he said:
“She was my first love. She swept me off my feet. We were married only four months when I was called up for my national service and I got shipped off to Germany, near Dusseldorf, for two and a half years. Whilst I was away, my father, a builder – a one-man band – built me this bungalow to get me started in life. I was very fortunate, unlike some of the kids today, to get that kind of helping hand and get me onto the housing ladder.”
Left: John and Rita’s wedding invitation 1959
John has always been active within the village, still serving on the parish council. His uncle, Bill Emery, had been chairman of the parish council for many years and during his tenure, John told an interview in Welton News and views some years ago, had actively prevented the introduction of street lighting in the village, saying the village could not afford it. John’s view, as reported in Welton News and Views was
“I say you should only ask for what you need to run the village but not to ask for any more than that.”
As Chairman and Vice Chairman of Welton Parish Council as well as being an active councillor for around five decades, John has always shown himself to be a very active member of community doing his best to get things done and make Welton a good place to be! John was also a keen cricketer, telling Welton News and Views:
“I’ve loved cricket all my life. Playing Saturdays and Sundays – How I got away with it, I don’t know with a young family. I’m a left-hand batsman and I love fielding. I played for Welton until 1972 when we lost the ground to the re-development of Welton Place. I played my club cricket for (nomadic Daventry cricket team) WH Hemmings …a local tailor in town. We played against some very good sides all over and often went on three-day tours! All the villages had a team and I’ve turned out for all sorts including Barby…”
John is second from the right, front row on this 1969 photo.
Finally, in Welton News and Views John made a very thoughtful observation:
“you can’t see Welton from the outside, not until you are in it…we have a lot of tree preservation orders which serve to not only seclude the village from its surroundings but serve as a natural habitat for birds, badgers, roe deer but to also form a channel for those passing to other areas. A lot is thought about here. It makes a pleasant place to live and pass through for people as well as birds and animals.”
Many of us would recognise and agree with this sentiment.
Frank Uriah Emery Senior (1909 – 2005) – John’s father
Like his son after him, Frank Uriah Emery was a driving force in developing Welton village, in particular as a builder, whose works include:
Hillside, a bungalow for his parents on the old Welton Road near the railway bridge. They moved there in 1947 and were still there in 1950 when they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary.
The initial conversion of stables in Churchill House / Welton Manor for Brian Hupfied c 1970
Building a new smaller house opposite the stables for Olive Hupfield in 1969 following the death of her husband, Albert Hupfied – founder of the Plastics Factory on what is now Elm’s Dyke.
Building of new Pear Tree Cottage for Anthony Hupfield and demolition of old Pear Tree Cottage
The new village hall c 1970s and a conversion at the former Red Lion pub
Rugby Plastics Factory
Welton Brook – built for Mrs Garrard after the death of Sebastian Garrard, in 1946
Danesborough on Churchill Road – very similar to Churchill House built for Mrs Hupfield; Frank built this for his parents and Nellie continued to live there after Willim Joseph died, until her death in 1970.
Kiln House in 1936, where his youngest son, John Emery, was born.
Bungalows on Welton Lane (Glenfield) and Kiln Lane (Colwyn) where his sons, John and Frank junior still live today in 2026
Frank Emery Snr circa 1965 working on the Village Hall
Frank Uriah Emery senior was born in Woodbine Cottage, though by 1911 the family was living in the original Pear Tree Cottage, according to the 1911 Welton census.
He was one of three boys: George William (born 1901), John Richard (commonly known as Jack) and himself, Frank Uriah (born 1909).
Frank attended Welton School, where he was taught by Norah Burrows, who was headteacher of the school for 40 years.
He married his wife, Selina, in 1932. Prior to working independently, he worked in Coventry – and cycled there on his bicycle every day – a distance of some 20 miles!
He had begun as an apprentice builder for Websters in Guilsborough, later working for other builders, including Monsell in Coventry.
During the Second World War Frank Emery senior served in Arnhem, as No 14516171 Gunner Emery, with the 4th Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery, having been first posted to RAF Cardington for training then on to RAF Bridgenorth. He took part in in the ill-fated dash to Arnhem, immortalised in the book and film “A Bridge Too Far’.
His granddaughter has a photograph and testimonial of his service which refers to him an “excellent driver”.
His military documents (left) confirm his occupation prior to the war as bricklayer. He was discharged from the army after the war on December 21st, 1945.
Frank was a shrewd businessman and very supportive of his clients, as the building of Welton Brook demonstrated! Lady Garrard, having recently been widowed, no longer wished to live in Welton Place. She sought a smaller property and Frank agreed to build Welton Brook for her, on land off Kiln Lane, which had probably been part of the Emery fields / allotment area. At the time, in 1946, post war building restrictions were very tight and no house could be constructed that was valued over £1200.
The house built for Lady Garrard, today known as Welton Brook
So Frank Emery constructed 2 semi-detached properties, creating a feature that could be very easily knocked through to make the 2 houses into one – one house for the cook, the other for Mrs Garrard. No application for a hole in the wall needed to be made, so for £10 Frank Emery was able to “convert” Mrs Garrard’s home into a 5 bedroomed property in the village of Welton! The council did try to pursue them, though unsuccessfully and the story made national news in the Daily Mirror under the headline ‘Hole in the Wall beats House Law’!
It seems however that Mrs Garrard, with only a cook and two servants for company, felt quite lonely in her new home, so a relative tells us that apparently Frank Emery junior (his son) was frequently sent up to Welton Brook to spend the night there!
This clearly stood him in good favour as in later years Mrs Garrard’s daughter married the Duke of Westmorland and Frank Emery junior and his wife attended the wedding in Westminster Abbey!
As Frank senior approached retirement and building work became more demanding, he took a position as a caretaker and general assistant at Rugby Plastics. Despite health challenges, including several joint replacements and at cataract operation at the age of 87, he remained active, tending his garden and enjoying home grown produce.
Frank Uriah and Selina celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in 1997 surrounded by their family, including three sons, five granddaughters, one grandson and ten great grandchildren.
Even in his later years Frank remained involved with building projects, assisting his son Frank jnr with constructing a shed base and patio in 1998. Selina passed away in 1998. Frank continued to live in Kiln House until 2004 when, due to declining health, he moved into Redruth Nursing Home where he celebrated his 96thbirthday on April 10th 2005. He passed away shortly afterwards on April 20th 2005.
The Clarke family had been associated with the parish of Welton since the 1500s but little has been unearthed by way of detail. Through accessing old wills (that are very hard to read), we have found :
Thomas Clarke Yeoman of Welton 5th August 1646 PROB 11/197/198
Thomas Clarke husband man of Welton 22nd January 1663 Ref PROB 11/310/90
Robert Clarke Yeoman of Welton 8th February 1686
William Clarke gentlemen of Welton 3rd June 1729 PROB 11/630/159
Joseph Clarke of Welton Northamptonshire 27th November 1773 PROB 11/992/411
Richard Clarke of Welton 20th December 1774 PROB 11/1003/233
John Clarke of Welton Place 28th June 1805 PROB 11/1427/306
John Plomer Clarke of Welton Place 1st December 1826 PROB 11/1719/25
These wills are accessible through the National Archives using the reference number given. The earlier Clarkes match approximately with information gleaned from Ancestry sites and that are shown on the family tree. As you go back further in time, records are often less accurate and so some of the dates differ slightly but we are still confident that the wills relate to the people on the tree.
Once we get to Joseph Clarke, we have much more information – so this history focuses on the family’s impact from that generation.
By the 17th and early 18th centuries, the Clarkes had become prominent local gentry, acquiring estates such as Drayton Manor in Daventry. Prior to the Clarke era, Welton’s manorial seat (Welton Manor) had shifted locations from the top of the village down to the bottom, but the Clarke family would establish a new principal residence in the village, Welton Place.
Their rising status culminated in Joseph Clarke (1697 – 1773) serving as the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1758. It was in the same year that he embarked on building Welton Place, a stately Georgian mansion with lake and landscaped park, for his family.
Joseph died in 1773 without marrying, and his brother Richard Clarke of Nortoft (near Guilsborough) inherited Welton Place, although he died shortly afterwards in 1774, leaving the estate to his widow.
A change of name
The heir to the Clarke fortune was Richard’s grandnephew (through Joseph and Richard’s sister Mary), John Plomer, who changed his name to John Plomer Clarke (senior) in 1774, a condition of Richard’s will. He was married to Mary Child. Whilst he attained the Clarke estates at this point, he did not actually own the house until 1804 when he purchased Welton Place from Richards’s widow and became lord of the manor in Welton.
John Plomer Clarke senior died shortly afterward in 1805, and the house passed to his oldest son John Plomer Clarke junior. This John was another influential man, who also served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1814 and raised the Daventry Volunteers, a part-time local citizen infantry unit. John Plomer Clarke junior married the daughter of Sir John Nelthorp, Miss Anne Marie Charlotte Nelthorp. When John Plomer Clarke junior died in 1826, the house passed to his brother, Captain Richard Clarke, who continued to manage the estate and farmland at nearby Thrupp.
The debts start to mount
The Clarke family appeared to still be prospering during the nineteenth century, by which time they had bought the estate of Welton Manor and were also still managing farmland just down the road at Thrupp. The lands they held are those marked in yellow in the map below as surveyed in 1887 by Mr Rogers of Bedford and measured “827 acres, 2 roods and 34 perches” showing the Clarkes to have been extensive landowners.
However, other documents show that they had a huge mortgage and rents from their tenants were often not forthcoming. As a result, the debts mounted.
In the 1820s the family were forced to put part of the estate up for auction but eventually were able to take out another mortgage to cover the debts. Despite the financial difficulties, the Clarke family did what they could for the people of the village, for example building the first school in 1820. This school was adjoined to the White Horse, where the village hall carpark now stands, and this was later handed over to the National Society who were running Church Schools.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Colonel Richard Trevor Clarke (Captain Richard’s nephew) was making a name for himself in the world of horticulture. He was a founder member of the RHS Scientific Committee, worked with Charles Darwin and is quoted in one of Darwin’s books and spent considerable time developing hybrids of begonias and cotton plants. His work led him to be awarded the Gold Medal by the Cotton Supply Association of Manchester. He was also a Northamptonshire County Magistrate. Here he is on the left on the lake at Welton Place.
In the early twentieth century Captain James Richard Plomer Clarke JP, nephew of Richard Trevor and son of Richard’s brother, Rev John Clarke, resided at Welton Place. He served as a Justice of the Peace and upheld the family’s social status locally.
But by 1907 the family chose to let out Welton Place to Major Sebastian Garrard of Royal Jewellers fame. The Garrards were to stay at Welton Place until 1946. (see The Garrard Family).
The last member of the Clarke family to occupy Welton Place was Captain James’ son, Lt Col Richard Alexander Owen Clarke, a career soldier, and heir who returned to England after the second world war, having been a Japanese prisoner of war.
In 1947, following the death of Major Garrard, the decision was taken to convert the house into multiple flats. Colonel and Mrs Clarke were still living there, presumably in one of the flats, in the early 1960s with their golden labradors Nerna and Wendy and are remembered by people living today.
After centuries of continuous family ownership, the Clarke family finally sold the estate to developers in the 1960s. The mansion fell vacant and into dereliction and was demolished in 1972.
The Clarke name lives on in Clarkes Way, built on the site of the house.
Joseph Clarke, a hugely wealthy Welton landowner, built the Georgian mansion, Welton Place, in 1758 approximately on the site of present numbers 4 and 6 Clarkes Way. Welton Place was known to the locals as ‘The Big House’ and it was in the possession of the Clarke family for a further two centuries after its completion.
It stood in 711 acres of grounds planted with trees collected worldwide, including rare Cedar trees some of which are protected and can still be seen today, mostly collected by Lt. Col. Richard Trevor Clarke (see below), who was awarded an RHS medal for his work in plant hybridisation. Mickle Well supplied the owners with soft, pure drinking water and feeds into a man-made lake, still existing, which hosted winter skating parties.
Inheritance through the Clarke family
Joseph died in 1773 and his brother Richard Clarke of Nortoft (near Guilsborough) inherited Welton Place, although he died shortly afterwards in 1774, leaving the estate to his widow.
The heir to the Clarke fortune was Richard’s grandnephew (through his sister Mary), John Plomer, who changed his name to John Plomer Clarke (senior) in 1774, a condition of Richard’s will. He was married to Mary Child. Whilst he attained the Clarke estates at this point, he did not actually own the house until 1804 when he purchased Welton Place from Richard’s widow and became lord of the manor in Welton.
John PC senior died shortly afterward in 1805, and the house passed to his oldest son John Plomer Clarke junior. This John was another influential man, serving as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1814 and raising the Daventry Volunteers.
John Plomer Clarke junior married the daughter of Sir John Nelthorp, Miss Anne Marie Charlotte Nelthorp.
He also commanded the West Northants Militia. He enlarged the building, extended the plantings and shrubberies, and built a new approach to the house through pastureland.
When John PC died in 1826 without any children, the house passed to his brother, Captain Richard Clarke, who continued to manage the estate and farmland at nearby Thrupp.
He was a captain in the 3rd Dragoon Guards. Richard died in 1829 and the estate was left to his nephew Richard Trevor Clarke, a noted horticulturist who had worked with Charles Darwin. Here he is in the photo below sailing on the lake at Welton Place (left). He died in 1897.
The 20th century – the Garrards’ tenure
Captain James Richard Plomer Clarke JP was associated with the house in the early 1900s. He was Richard Trevor’s nephew.
He served as a Justice of the Peace and upheld the family’s social status locally. By this time the family faced mounting debts and high mortgages, leading to the gradual sale of their estate, starting in 1915 when 11 Lots were sold off by James, Styles and Whitlock of Rugby (now part of Cluttons).
In 1907, the house was leased to Major Sebastian Henry Garrard, a director of the renowned Crown Jeweller, and folklore states royalty visited during the twenties and thirties.
Until recently we had no proof of this, but have now found this photo showing the Duke of York – later King George VI – attending a hunt meeting at Welton Park in 1928. Other press cuttings suggest the Duke and his brother were regular visitors.
The Garrards remained at Welton Place until the Major’s death in the mid 1940s. (see The Garrard Family).
During the Garrard’s tenure the house was a social hub, hosting summer garden parties, hunt balls, easter egg hunts and May time fetes. Many of the village residents worked at Welton Place, which employed a large staff.
The Garrards were active members of the community and seem to have been generous in allowing villagers to effectively use the grounds of Welton Place as a public park.
A hut for Brownies and Guides was built in the grounds, and the village cricket pitch was sited at the end of the close until its closure in 1970 after 57 years.
The scene of a tragic discovery – and later decline
Tragically a newborn baby’s body, wrapped in London newspaper was found on the ice of the lake in 1929 by two local boys. This was a particularly gruesome occurrence as the baby girl was cut in half. Click here for more information.
After the death of Garrard in 1946 the house was occupied by the last member of the Clarke family to live at Welton Place, Lt Col Richard Alexander Owen Clarke, a career soldier who returned to England after the second world war, having been a Japanese prisoner of war.
In 1947 the decision was taken to convert the house into five flats. The report left is from 1948.
Adverts to let the flats appeared regularly throughout the 1950s and early 1960s such as this one in 1954.
Colonel and Mrs Clarke were still living there in the early 1960s with their golden labradors Nerna and Wendy. Another family living in the flats was the Bordmans, for whom Jean Emery (see The Rosary) looked after their children at the weekends when their nanny went home! After centuries of continuous family ownership, the Clarke family finally sold the estate to developers during the 1960s. The mansion fell vacant and into dereliction and was sadly demolished in 1972.
Before it went, a clearance sale was held with many villagers buying items.
“I remember going to the house clearance sale. I went with my Aunt Nell and cousin Yvonne. Yvonne bought a portable Dansette record player.”
The lake, which was part of the grounds, remains to this day.
The photo below shows redevelopment of the site to Clarke’s Way, the people being Norman Cooper the developer and Stephen Bichener who worked on the site. The old stable block can still be seen top right of photo behind the caravan (compare this to the ‘cricket’ image earlier).
“I worked on that site, building the new houses. The old house stood where second and third houses on right hand side going into Clarkes Way are. One house is over a well. The stone was used and sold as were timbers and tiles – I used some bits of oak flooring to repair a chest at Ashby church. All the spoil was tipped around the lake to increase its depth.”
A current resident of Clarke’s Way has the remains of ‘vaults’ – believed to be part of the heating system for the greenhouses – in his garden. We are looking forward to seeing what he uncovers!
The image below shows Clarke’s Way in modern times from across the lake alongside the same view of Welton Place.
🏛️ Click here to read Description of Welton Place (written in 1811)
A description of Welton Place written in 1811
This spot has many natural advantages and has been improved exceedingly by the good taste of its last, but most particularly by that of its present, possessor.
It is situated in one of the most eligible parts of the proverbially pleasant county of Northampton and was selected for the site of a mansion about the middle of the last century by Joseph Clarke Esquire. To him and his brother Richard, succeeded John Plomer Esquire, their nephew who assumed the name and arms of Clarke in 1775, and having made considerable improvements, closed a life of great and general utility in 1805, and was succeeded by his eldest son John Plomer Clarke Esquire, the present possessor, who married the eldest daughter of the late Sir John Nelthorpe, Bart., of Scawby in the county of Lincoln.
By the present possessor very tasteful improvements have been made; He has enlarged the building, extended the plantations and shrubberies, and formed a new approach to the house, by means of a road through the several pastures, now thrown together and planted in a park like style. The mansion is built of a remarkably hard stone of a pleasing grey tint, found near the spot and contains many excellent apartments, adorned with some good paintings.
It is situated on the South side of and half way down a bold, abrupt hill on a terrace commanding a most delightful prospect of the town of Daventry, 2 miles distant, which, with adjacent country, forms a most delightful landscape. The hill rising immediately from the back of the house, planted with forest trees and shrubs of all sorts, sheltering it from the north, conceals a large and excellent kitchen garden, orchard, and nursery ground, surrounded by very picturesque and sequestered walks. A steep sloping lawn upon the principal front is terminated by a broad sheet of water, whose boundaries are well concealed and fringed with shrubs.
Not far from the house a very fine spring of water rises, in a curious ancient, vaulted cave of hewn stone and good masonry; It is called Mickle Well perhaps from its never failing abundance, and flows through several fish ponds, falling at length into the water before mentioned. One of these ponds, which is made to assume the form of a small meandering rivulet, is also part of the large sheet of water in front of the house. On the same hill with Mickle Well, two other springs also rise; The one of pure soft water, which by means of pipes supplies the mansion, the other a strong chalybeate.
The church, (the tower of which containing a set of well-toned bells, four of which were cast by Watts of Leicester in 1629), is seen over the centre of the house and is dedicated to St Martin and is a venerable edifice, built of a red stone, early in the second period of the pointed style. The windows, however, are none of them primaeval but have been constructed in the last or perpendicular period of the before named architecture.
The number of inhabitants of the parish was in 1811, 567. The Vicarage is but of moderate annual value. Near the house skeletons, Roman earthen urns, copper coins, glass, green and wooden beads have been dug up and are now in possession of Mr. Clarke.
The history of this property has been compiled from comprehensive documents kindly supplied by a villager. Click below to see the full list of documents.
📜 Read More: Property Transactions Chronology
Date
Names
Summary
29th January 1853
Edmund Singer Burton Esq to Clarke Watkins Burton Esq
Conveyance of two cottages and gardens at Welton
22nd July 1908
Rev Clarke Watkins Burton
Probate of the Will of Rev. CWB
28th September 1908
Mrs Mary Venetia Burton to Mrs Fredericka Caroline Burton
Conveyance: re a cottage and a garden at Welton
11th January 1917
Mrs Fredericka Burton to Mr William H Clarke
Conveyance of a piece of land at Welton
9th June 1917
Trustee of Charity Lands to Mr William H Clarke
Conveyance of piece of land at Welton
25th September 1923
Mr W H Clarke and other and H.S Snell, Esq
Conveyance of Welton Manor, garden and paddock
28th September 1923
William Henry Clarke and Harold Saxon Snell
Sale for £75 of strip of land opposite Churchill House
1923
Abstract of the title of WH Clarke and his mortgagees to Monksmoor Farm
1923 – see below *
Richard Trevor Clarke of Welton Place and others
A summary of Captain JRP Clarke’s rights to land within Welton
20th February 1928
Harold Saxon Snell
Land Registry Official Search application
23rd February 1928
H.S Snell to Mrs M A Thomson
Conveyance of Welton Manor, garden, paddock and 2 small pieces of land
24th February 1928
Mabel Ann Thomson
Land Registry application in relation to Welton Manor
24th February 1928
Mrs M A Thomson to Mrs Florence Allan
Mortgage of Welton Manor, garden, paddock and 2 small pieces of land
1928
Mr H. S. Snell
Abstract of title to The Manor House
22nd June 1937
Mable Annie Thomson
Land Registry: Search re Welton Manor
1937
Mabel Annie Thomson
Abstract of the title of Mabel Annie Thomson to Welton Manor…
13th April 1937
Harold Saxon Snell
Land Search against his name; he was now living at Southlands, Daventry.
15th April 1937
Harold Snell Esq to Mabel Annie Thomson
Further assurance supplementary to the 1928 document above
24th June 1937
Mrs M.A. Thomson to Mr. C.S. Waring
Conveyance of Welton Manor, garden, paddock and 2 pieces of land
1st August 1941
Mrs H. M. Wareing
Vesting Assent re Welton Manor
1941
Mrs Hilda Mary Wareing
Supplementary Abstract of the title of H.M.Wareing to Welton Manor
1955
Mrs Hilda Mary Waring
Abstract of title of HMW to Manor House and land adjoining at Welton
26th July 1955
CS Wareing and HM Wareing
Land Registry Search
19th August 1955
Mr and Mrs E A G N B Orr to Mrs H M Wareing
Mortgage of Manor House and land adjoining situate at Welton
24th August 1955
Mrs Hilda Mary Wareing
Solicitors letter
August 1956
Midland Assurance
Policy Document
29th June 1964
Mr and Mrs Orr
Formal notice of 2nd mortgage completion
24th July 1965
To G.R.Stevens
Cover letter for property plan
1966
Mrs M.B. Orr
Abstract of the title to freehold property of The Manor House, Welton
18th April 1966
Re The Manor House, Welton
Property Search request
8th September 1966
Mary B and Ernest Orr
Confirmed land registry records
The body of this article is taken directly from the documents, but you can read a modern english summary below.
📘 Read Summary of the Welton Manor / Old Manor Court Archive
Early Burton Ownership (1830s–1908)
Edmund Singer Burton sold two cottages and gardens in Welton to Clarke Watkins Burton in 1833. Clarke later became Rector of Cliburn, and when he died in 1908 his estate passed to his wife Mary, who sold the Welton cottage property soon afterwards.
Clarke Family Holdings (1800s–1923)
The Clarke family owned a huge amount of land in and around Welton — over 827 acres in 1887. Their estate included Welton Place, many named fields, cottages, farms, and land stretching towards Daventry. Numerous village families rented cottages from them. Heavy mortgage debts in 1916 forced the sale of parts of the estate.
Sale to William Henry Clarke (1916–1923)
William Henry Clarke, originally a farmer from Arnesby, bought several plots in Welton between 1917 and 1923, including land from the Welton Town Lands Charity. By 1923 he owned Welton Manor / Monksmoor Farm.
Sale to Harold Saxon Snell (1923)
In 1923 Clarke sold Welton Manor (5.423 acres) to Harold Saxon Snell of Daventry. Snell also bought an additional strip of land opposite Churchill House.
Sale to Mabel Annie Thomson (1928)
Snell sold Welton Manor to Mabel Annie Thomson of Liverpool in 1928. She took out a mortgage with Florence Allan, which was fully repaid by 1935.
Thomson Ownership (1928–1937)
Thomson owned the property until 1937, when she sold it to Charles Smith Wareing of Thrupp Grounds.
Wareing Ownership (1937–1955)
Charles Wareing died in 1940, and his wife Hilda Mary Wareing took ownership. The estate included the farmhouse, garden, two derelict cottages, and the strip of land.
Sale / Mortgage to Ernest & Mary Orr (1955–1964)
In 1955 Ernest and Mary Orr took out a mortgage to buy the Manor House. Insurance documents list them as owners. The mortgage was fully repaid in 1964.
Decline and Redevelopment (1970s–1990s)
The Manor House and outbuildings became very dilapidated in the 1970s–80s. The link building was demolished and the stables were badly damaged by fire. In 1995 Harrabin Construction redeveloped the site, creating The Manor House, The Limes, The Stable House, and The Coach House.
The 1800s
29th January 1833: Conveyance Document relating to two cottages and gardens at Welton,between Edmund Singer Burton and Clarke Watkins Burton – this original document on vellum with seals has the serrated cut of an original indenture document.
It records that Edmund Singer Burton of Churchills is to sell at a cost of £45 to Clarke Watkins Burton of Lincolns Inn in London and thus to his “heirs and assigned for ever” “two cottages or tenements with gardens and appurtenances” in Welton that were at that time “in the tenure” (being rented?) by William Benjamin and XXX Ingram.
It also suggests that “Lease and Release” documents were signed on 17th and 18th November 1830 – transferring the landholder of these tenancies to Clarke Watkins. A signed statement confirms that the payment of £45 was received by Edmund Singer Burton.
The 1900s
22nd July 1908 – Probate of the Will of Rev. Clarke Watkins Burton:It tells us thathe was Rector of the parish and parish church of Cliburn (see below) in Westmorland. He bequeathed his estate to his wife Mary Venetia Burton. He died on 24th June 1908 at Cliburn Rectory.
The document also tells us that the gross value of his estate within the United Kingdom was certified by the Inland Revenue at £1558 10S 3d – approximately £163,000 today.
September 28th 1908: Mary Burton from Cliburn, Penrith in the County of Cumberland / Westmorland and was a widow at the time the Indenture was made. Fredericka Burton was listed as living at Churchill House in Welton and was also widowed.
It refers to the previous indenture of 29th January 1853 between Edmund Singer Burton and Reverend Clarke Watkins Burton relating to two cottages or tenements with gardens which granted these properties to Watkins Burton and his heirs (see above).
In his will (dated 23rd December 1870) and contained in the archive / see table) all his properties, including the above, were left to his wife, Mary Venetia Burton and her heirs. Under the terms of this document Mary Burton is selling the cottage (which was previously two cottages) and garden for £150. The name of the property is not given but, as it is held with the Welton Manor document archive, it may refer to property on the land held. The documents state the cottages faced Churchill Road.
The Clarkes’ ownership
The 1923* document: indicates that the land held by Richard Trevor Clarke in 1887 was mortgaged to several other individuals and that James Richard Plomer Clarke (then a lieutenant in Her Late Majesty’s Welch Regiment of Foot stationed in Cairo) and Richard Clarke’s nephew, held only the 3rd part of the properties.
It lists several properties the Clarkes were due tolls on as Lord of The Manor, as well as The Mansion House (i.e. Welton Place, located on Churchill Road – where Clarke’s Way now runs) with courts, courtyards, gardens, pleasure grounds, fishponds, waters, coach houses, barns, stables and outbuildings, known by the name Welton Place, formerly in the possession of Richard Clarke then of Richard Trevor Clarke, and The Lawns, Micklewell Ground, Micklemoor Hill, The Barn Close, Stone Pit Ground, Long Close, Lime Pit Ground, Wheat Ground, Dry Ground, Grove Ground, Arnyslade Hill and Grove, The Dove House and several spinneys and plantations and much more.
He also held 5 acres of pasture called Penfold Close formerly held by the Billingham family as well as several “closes or enclosed pasture lands called … Houghton Orchard, Blisses Holme and Green Lane… formerly in the occupation of George Ringrose (of the Firs) and Rev D. Darnell (of The Stone House).
The Malt Kiln which had been converted into cottages and enclosed ground on Kiln Close as well as lands extending to Daventry, including Lang Farm. The list of plots held runs to 5 pages. The lands held are those marked in yellow in the map below as surveyed in 1887 by Mr Rogers of Bedford and measured “827 acres, 2 roods and 34 perches” showing the Clarkes to have been huge landowners.
From this document we also learn a lot about Clarke’s tenants: the Blacksmith’s shop was let to the Harrisons at £4 a year and a small garden adjoining Round Close to a Sergeant Duffy.
Other tenants included four members of the extended Benjamin family (4 cottages across the village), Frank and Thomas Overton (2), Dunkley, Webb, Hatfield Smith, the Billinghams, Turney, Coleman, the Smith family held Round Close amongst others. All these names are also seen on school registers for the period.
These detailed property and mortgage liabilities were recorded in Clarke’s will, which identified his nephew James Richard Plomer Clarke as his heir. Richard Trevor Clarke died on April 11th, 1897. The old Manor was just a small part of his vast holdings and it is interesting that this key document lies within the archive for this property, though copies may have existed elsewhere.
In 1916 significant payments relating to mortgages held by the Clarke family in relation to parts of the portfolio were called in and £15 560 (£1.76 million in today’s terms) was paid by JRP Clarke in respect of this, discharging at least some of his debts in this respect. This may well explain why The Manor House was sold to William Henry Clarke – see below.
Supplemental abstract of the Title – dated 1923 – records that James Richard Plomer Clarke of 23 Victoria Park, Dover, Kent (a retired Captain in the British Army) in 1916 sold to William Henry Clarke of Arnesby the homestead and pastures. The document also indicates that other transactions occurred in 1887, 1904 and those of 1916 detailed above. The contents of this document are detailed at the start of this account, as it covers earlier 19th century details.
11th January 1917: Fredericka Burton is still resident at Churchill House; William Henry Clarke is listed as a farmer from Arnesby in Leicestershire. The plot is being sold for £50 and is described as being the site of “two dilapidated messuages and adjoining land belonging to “Monksmoor Farm and land belonging to the Welton Charity” and were previously tenanted by William Benjamin and a person by the name of Ingham (no Christian name given) in 1830s before they were acquired by Edmund Singer Burton (above). The Clarke family had at some point acquired Monksmoor Farm, which was once the name of The Manor House / Old Manor Court.
9th June 1917: In this document The Welton Town Lands Charity is given permission to sell the land for not less than £20 and stipulates that money received should be banked and held in trust for the charity. The letter from the Charity Commission gives details of the land as follows: “a strip of land 150 feet in depth and containing 350 square yards or thereabouts situate near Churchill House, Welton, having a frontage to the south side of the road leading to the village”.
The 1923 indenture below shows that a plot of land facing Churchill Road is no longer within the plot; this may well be the plot of land sold here in 1917. The Indenture names Herbert PIcton Morris Esq as Secretary of the Board of Charity Commissioners and as such the Official Trustee of Charity Lands as well as the names Trustees from the village. All Trustees from Welton hand signed the document.
It seems from this document that William Henry Clarke of Monkmoor Farm (a farmer and grazier) is enlarging his holdings in the village by this purchase for which he paid £20.
28th September 1923: This is an important document as it confirms that William Henry Clarke is now described as a resident of Welton and owner of Welton Manor. He was previously given as a Leicestershire farmer. JRP Clarke had one son who was a career soldier; Willliam Henry’s ancestry has not yet been explored. This Indenture of 1923 however also provides a useful property outline – see below, with a clear “chunk” excluded from the earlier plan.
In 1923 William Henry Clarke sold Welton Manor (aka The Manor / Old Manor Court) however it seems that a will was involved as two executors are also named: George Cresswell Turner of Leicester (a boot and shoe manufacturer) and John Russell Frears of “Hillsborough” Westcote Drive, Leicester – a “gentleman”.
The inventory records the sale of the property to Harold Saxon Snell of Daventry. It seems that in December 1916 Wiliam Henry Clarke mortgaged part of the property to John Stocker Giddings of Stoneygate in Leicestershire for £2000. Giddings died March 1921; his will of May 1916 appointed George Cresswell Turner and William Thomas Callard as executors, with a 1917 added codicil making John Russell Frears executor to his will as Callard had recently died. Probate found that the mortgage sum of £2000 plus current interest was owing to the executors.
Clarke sold the property to Snell for £1325 and the property is described as “farmhouse, garden and fields amounting to 5.423 acres …known as Monksmoor Farm but of late years more often called Welton Manor, together with barns and outbuildings.” The specifics of the plot is indicated in the picture above where the plot is encircled in red. At this point the mortgage was paid off and the full property moved to H.S Snell Esq.
A second indenture between Clarke and Snell dated 28th September 1923 refers to sale of strip of land 150 yards in depth and 350 acres square, “near and opposite Churchill House …and having a frontage t the south side of road leading to the village of Welton…being the site of two dilapidated messuages…” – this would be the land previously purchased from the Welton Lands Trust in 1917 for £20. This may be the “chunk” scooped out on the map above.
Note
Henry Saxon Snell: 6 December 1876 – 9th July 1942: was an English cricketer active from 1897 to 1913 who played for Northamptonshire. He was born in Highworth, Wiltshire and died in Daventry. He appeared in 3 first class matches as a right-handed batsman who scored 119 runs with a highest score of 52. He worked in Daventry along with Burton, as a solicitor.
He may well have been descended from an important Victorian family headed by Henry Saxon Snell (1831–1904), a renowned architect of hospitals; he was an assistant to Joseph Paxton (of Crystal Palace fame) who made his name in the 1860s with his innovative design for workhouses. Henry had 14 children so it’s hard to track a direct line of descent.
A second Harry Saxon Snell (Harold) lived between 1889–1956 and was a British film and stage actor, appearing in 23 films during the silent and early sound eras.
20th February 1928: Harold Saxon Snell is named in relation to a search of the Land Registry records. This may be linked to a possible change in ownership, probably sale of property to Charles Harry Thomson of 245 Stanley Road Liverpool and his wife Mabel Annie. A linked document dated 24th February 1928, in the name of Mabel Anne Thomson specifically names Welton Manor as the focus for the search. Interestingly this search was undertaken by Shoosmiths and Harrison Solicitors, Market Square, Northampton – a company still in existence today which was founded in 1845.
1928: Abstract of the Title of Mr H.S. Snell to “a messuage and hereditaments [dwelling place and associated building etc] formerly known as Monksmoor Farm but now known as “The Manor House” Welton…” A tracing in the document shows this to be the same plot of land at the bottom of Churchill Road and facing Welton Lane as per the 1923 conveyance above. The document recaps the 1923 document at the start detailing the mortgages against the property and the details of sales of parts of the lands already covered above. It seems that Snell had already made some investment in part of the property in 1923 (the third part).
February 24th 1928:Conveyance document for sale of Welton Manor between Harold Saxon Snell of Southlands, Daventry and Mabel Annie Thomson of 245 Stanley Road, Liverpool, wife of Charles H Thomson – tradesman (Merchant Taylor) for £1 300 “out of moneys belonging to her separate estate”.
The estate is described as a “farmhouse, garden and field of 5.423 acres”, previously known as Monksmoor Farm “but of late years called Welton Manor”.
On the same day a Mortgage Agreement is drawn up between Mabel Anne Thomson and Florence Allan , the wife of William Richard Percy Allan, an RAF flight lieutenant stationed at Helivan in Egypt.
The mortgage is designed to secure £700 plus interest and is in relation to the garden, paddock and 2 small pieces of land. In summary the mortgagee (Mrs Allan) agrees to advance the borrower (Mrs Thomson) the sum of £700 (approx. £57K today) – under the terms the £700 + £5 10S in interest will be paid back the following year and if not settled then to make half yearly payments. The borrower also undertook to keep the property in good state of repair.
An addendum dated 21st January 1935 confirms that the £700 and relevant interest has been made by Mabel Anne Thomson.
22nd June 1937:Land search in name of Mable Annie Thomson, now the widow of Charles Harry Thomson and Abstract of title of Mabel Annie Thomson to Welton Manor, garden, paddock and 2 pieces of land: confirms the 1928 transactions between Thomson and Harold Saxon Snell regarding her purchase of the property for £1 300 ‘In possession free from incumbrances”. A Further Assurance document of 15th April 1937 corrects an earlier error in a previous conveyance which left out the strip of lands (150 ft / 350 sq yards) that had been left out in 1928. This is countersigned by H.S Snell.
24th June 1937– details the sale of Welton Manor by Mabel Annie Thomson to Charles Smith Waring of Thrupp Grounds, Norton for £1000.
1st August 1941– Vesting Assent of Hilda Mary Wareing as Executrix of the Will of Charles Smith Wareing: Charles Wareing of the Manor House, Welton, died on 2nd November 1940. His will of 1923 left his estate to her and in this document, she puts the estate in her name. It includes:
The farmhouse (Welton Manor), garden and field 0f 5.4 acres as per the 1923 boundary
The adjoining land with 2 dilapidated cottages
The strip of land of 150 feet / 350 square yards.
The 1941 Supplemental Abstract confirms these details and confirms that Probate was granted in 1941.
July 1955: Abstract of the Title of Mrs Hilda Mary Wareing to the Manor House and land adjoining at Welton: confirms earlier sales of the property, including the 1923 sale by William Henry Clarke and Harold Saxon Snell, 1928 sale by Snell to Mabel Annie Tompson.
In July 1955 Hilda Wareing is no longer living at the Manor House but is stated as living in Upper Weedon according to the Land Search. It is not clear if she has left and rented out the property.
19th August 1955: Mortgage document between Mrs H M Wareing and Mr and Mrs Orr:
Ernest Augustus George Neill Benecke Orr – an Export Manager – and his wife, Mary Beatrice Orr, of The Old Forge in Crick which in summary provides £3000 from the lender (HM Wareing) to the Borrowers (Mr and Mrs Orr) to be repaid on 19th February 1956 with added interest of £3 10S percent per annum, or regular quarterly payments with interest. The borrowers must maintain the property and are not permitted to rent it out.
Also, within the document a memo on a 1955 Insurance Policy confirms the Orrs as “owners” of The Manor House, Welton, with Mrs Hilda Mary Wareing as 1st mortgagee and George Ralph Stevens of Scuttingham Manor, Sittingbourne and Geoffrey Ian Stevens of Holly Tree Lodge , Rodmersham in Sittingbourne as 2ndmortgagees.
The document closes with written confirmation by Hilda Wareing that the mortgage and interest + costs were paid in full on March 23rd, 1964.
The last documents in the archive confirm that Earnest Orr and his wife Beatrice owned the Manor House in Welton, now part of Old Manor Court. The family seemed to live there for a period of time. In 1977 a newspaper report describes how pewter tankards and tankards, as well as 2 clocks were stolen from the home of Ernest Orr.
Late 20th century development
During the 1970s and 80s the property became very dilapidated, the building linking the Manor House with what is now the Coach House was demolished. It is the building shown on this image with an arrow,
.
The stables and coach houses that had been built during the mid 1800s by the Clarke family were ravaged by fire and by 1979 lay derelict
In 1995 The Coventry Evening Telegraph reported that Harrabin Construction Limited was in the process of developing the Manor House and outbuildings, converting the old 17th Century Manor House into two homes, with some additional building, creating The Manor House and The Limes.
The Stable House at the far end of the top rom of building in the picture was created as a 4-bedroom home with the addition of a second storey at the end.
The current Coach House was originally called The Towers and made use of the pre-existing second floor over the turn of the building to create a 3 bedroomed home.
The Coach House 2020
Chronology of ownership as far as we know it
Approximate dates
Ownership
1660 70s to ?
E A
1700s
tbc
1800s – 1887
Clarke family
1916 – 1923
William Henry Clarke – farmer from Arnesby, Leicestershire
Welton Place once stood where Clarkes Way is today — a grand Georgian mansion that shaped village life for centuries. From around 1907, it was leased by the Garrard family, renowned for their craftsmanship as Crown Jewellers, appointed by Queen Victoria and continuing in that role until 2007.
Major Sebastian Henry Garrard (1868–1946)
As a director of Garrards, Major Garrard oversaw some of the most significant royal jewellery commissions of the early 20th century. In 1911 he created Queen Mary’s Crown for the Coronation, and the Imperial Crown of India worn by King George V at the Delhi Durbar. Garrards later remounted the Imperial State Crown in 1937 and adjusted it again for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 (after Major Garrard’s death).
Note: Examples of his work can be viewed via the Royal Collection Trust by searching “Sebastian Henry”:
A centre of society
Under the Garrards, Welton Place became a lively social hub. The Pytchley Hunt met regularly on the grounds, with Major Garrard organising the annual hunt ball. Garden fêtes, flower shows, and charitable events filled the lawns with village and county visitors.
The Duke of York — later King George VI — and his brother are known to have stayed at Welton Place during this period, drawn by friendship with the Garrards.
Lady May Eleanor Garrard
May Eleanor Garrard (née Cazenove) came from the distinguished Cazenove family of Cottesbrooke. Her great‑uncle Philip Cazenove founded the prestigious City stockbroking firm Cazenove & Co.
Lady Garrard became a well-integrated figure in Welton, appearing frequently in local newspapers. She served as president of both the Women’s Institute and the Women’s Conservative Association, and got involved with the guides and helping children to read at the school. She was also very active in the local St Johns and a trustee of the Towns Lands Trust.
Family life at Welton Place
The 1911 census shows the Garrards at Welton Place with their six daughters, supported by fifteen household staff — a sign of the family’s social standing and the Garrard goldsmith legacy
Bertha Phyllis Garrard — Born 1895, died 1991. The eldest daughter, living through nearly the entire 20th century.
Marjorie May Garrard — Born 1897, died 1994. Married Ronald Henderson in 1917. A long-lived second daughter, also spanning most of the 1900s.
Barbara Joan Garrard — Born 1902, died 1989. The third daughter, married Mr Roland Findlay in 1927.
Joyce Gladys Garrard — Born 1904, died 1970. Fourth daughter, part of the younger group of siblings. Married H.M.P. Hewitt in 1930 in India.
Pamela Viola Garrard — Born 1910, died 1987. Married Sir Arthur Wilmot in 1936, becoming Lady Wilmot. One of the two youngest daughters, twin to sister Ruth.
Ruth Harrietta Garrard — Born 1910, died 1966. The other twin-year daughter; Married Donald Hamilton Fuller in 1935
Major Garrard died in 1946, leaving an estate worth about £3.7 million in today’s money.
A new home in post‑war Britain
After her husband’s death, Lady Garrard wished to remain in Welton – she clearly loved the village – but no longer needed the vast spaces of Welton Place. She commissioned local builder Frank Emery Senior to construct a new home.
Post‑war building restrictions capped the value of any new private house at £1400. To meet the rules — and Lady Garrard’s expectations — Frank built two semi‑detached houses, each valued at £1400. Lady Garrard lived in one half, her staff in the other.
When her cook resigned, tired of carrying meals outdoors between the houses, Frank revealed a clever solution: a wall designed to be easily removed. For under £10, the two houses were joined into a single five‑bedroom home.
The council attempted to challenge the alteration, but unsuccessfully. The story reached national attention in the Daily Mirror under the headline “Hole‑in‑wall beats house law.” The house still stands today and is known as Welton Brook.
Lady Garrard died in August 1955 and her funeral was held at St Martin’s Church. With her death the Garrards’ association with Welton ended.
Circa 1932: L-R George Phillpot, Digger Marlow, Ronnie Garrard aka Bosow Garrard and Geoffrey Clark. Note that High Street is referred to as School Street in this photograph.
The school moves to Well Lane – 1915
School reopened in January 1915 and on 12th January the Headteacher, Edwin Bond noted that the “New School buildings” had been recently completed.
There was further cause for celebration on 22nd January a report from the “Bird and Arbour Competition” that the school had been entering every year for several years had awarded the Royal Society’s Prize Medal to Percy Edwin Bond, aged 11! Now, I wonder if he had any extracurricular support there?!
On March 22nd, 1915, LEA circular 122 advised the school that, whereas the school had been founded as a “National School” overseen by a “Board”, that with the creation of LEAs it would be redesignated as “Welton C.E. school – number 244”. This name would continue until the academisation of the school.
January 1915 also includes HT reports of an influenza epidemic (Jan 26th) which adversely affected attendance.
During the spring diocesan and quarterly exams continued, as did visits by Rev J.F Sugden, who on June 10th, now also checked the “Gardening Register” as well as weekly registers of attendance. There was a growing focus on the new gardening curriculum for boys with periodic visits by the LEA Horticultural Instructor, Mr. C.F. Lawrance.
Finally, the school year ended on July 30th for the 5-week summer break, but not before the children, the HT reports, in response to Circular 471, received the directed lesson on House Flies.
Whilst recognising the risk to health of house flies, this seems an odd area to focus on in the middle of a war.
School reopened in September to further LA Circulars: 478 and 479 relating to “The Teaching and Practice of Thrift”, which noted the “shortages of certain materials (chiefly needlework requisites”) and the “difficulty of supplying schools with these goods at present”.So, whilst we see evidence of the effects of war, the HT Logbooks tell us nothing directly about the impact of war on the children or their families.
Life carried on as normal, it seems. Oct 21st, 1915, marked the school celebration of Trafalgar Day with specific lessons delivered on this while in the outside world at this time…
The Canadians were defending Ploegsteert Woods (with heavy losses)
Allied troops arrived off Salonika
The Lusitania and a German Merchant ship were sunk in the Baltic by British submarines
Austrian / German troops invaded Serbia
British nurse, Edith Cavell was executed by the Germans after Court Marshall on 12th Oct
The decision was made to “wind down” the now infamous Gallipoli campaign…
But Mr Bond did record the receipt of a letter from an ex Welton pupil, William Jackson, on 18th November 1915 who was now stationed in Hong Kong which, he recorded gave, “an excellent account of his journey and experiences”.
Refugees and snow – 1916
On January 29th, Mr Bond recorded: “Departure of the Belgian children after a stay of 1 year and 3 months. Although totally unacquainted with English at the commencement of that period they have gained a useful knowledge of the language, being able to speak readily and write fairly correctly. In some subjects, such as drawing and handwork, they have shown very marked progress. They have also joined in the amusements of the children after overcoming some initial shyness and their presence apart from the deplorable reason for its necessity has been a pleasing feature in the history of the village school.”
Context: During WWI there was a considerable influx of Belgian refugees following the German invasion of August 1914. A number of villages in the Daventry district, including Welton, actively hosted refuges. The influx of Belgians represented the largest refugee movement in British History, which at its peak was 250 000.
On October 23rd 1914 the Northampton Mercury reported that trains carrying nearly 1000 refugees stopped at Castle Station in Northampton where they were greeted and supported by locals.
Meanwhile life in Welton School continued, with heavy snowstorms leading to high absence on Feb 24th, March 8th, 28th and 29th. The average depth of the snow was 2ft with drifts of 5ft, and the HT reports that 3 infants who arrived in school “in a saturated condition” and “whose boots and clothing rendered it inadvisable for them to remain at school”. I’m amazed they set off in the first place!
In 1916 the school year ended on June 30th, and the new school year started on July 1st and the effects of war continue in the background when, on July 24th, written instructions from the LEA were received regarding the collection and disposal of used drawing and exercise books. Consequently, Mr Bond recorded on July 27th that the “older children [were]engaged this afternoon in the preparing and classifying of used paper as above”.
The school summer holidays ran between Friday August 4th and Monday September 11th… meanwhile the disastrous Somme offensive had begun (1st July) … but again, the school logbooks only refer to the effects of war when in response to LEA circulars and letters, such as:
Oct 2nd: “Received consignment of school supplies delayed in consequence of war conditions”
Oct 20th: “Received Circular 534 referring to Air Raids During School Hours”, C 530 ref. to shortages of school materials and C525 re regulations as to coal and coke supplies” – the latter inevitable as demand increases due to season change at a time when supplies were limited, but not good news for the community.
However, all was not doom and gloom – Trafalgar Day was celebrated again on Oct 20th and on November 10th the school received a “Cromwell portrait from the LEA as acknowledgement of a Trafalgar Day essay”.I do wonder who wrote it? Bond junior perhaps?
And Welton traditions did continue despite shortages, with the school closed on 27th November for the annual Welton Feast.
Note: Northamptonshire had a tradition of village and town feasts, typically held at the end of November. With records showing they ran in multiple locations from at least 1860 and, in Welton’s case, through to 1911, these annual events were a community celebration of the end of the agricultural year. They were also tied to the timing of rents becoming due and to saints’ days. They appear to have started on a Sunday and gone on until Monday – a little like some of our bank holidays today. Schools and businesses would shut, there would be food and drink, entertainment and generally a good time had by all.
Finally, on Dec 19th 1916 a War Savings Association was formed in the school, as part of a national initiative.
And so to 1917…..
The start of 1917 seems to be a re-run of 1916, with heavy snow on Feb 5th adversely affecting attendance of the younger children and another “excellent” performance in the Bird and Arbor competition, with a Certificate of Merit for the school and the Society’s Prize Medals going to Percy Bond and Violet Carter.
Indeed, Mr Bond reports that “the essay by Percy Bond was especially commended and placed amongst the ten best in the whole competition”.
April 19th – 30thsaw another influenza epidemic as well as an outbreak of whooping cough on 30th April.The Medical Officer visited the school on April 30th and closed the school until May 21st 1917.
On their return (May 22nd) the lessons that week, “in accordance with suggestions from the LEA…varied so as to bring before the children the question of our National Food Supply and the importance of avoiding waste”.
Life must have been tough and for those of us who grew up with grandparents who were children during WWI, we can begin perhaps to understand why they might have got so angry at us as children declining food. My grandmother could never accept my refusal to eat tinned fruit!
The summer continued with Empire Day on 24th May, on which “lessons were given throughout the school, the Roya Proclamation was read and patriotic songs were sung with the National Anthem at assembly and dismissal.”
On June 6th Mr Bond reports receipt of
“Circular S.A.63 with reference to ‘Absence of Children under Special Permit for Agricultural or other Employment”.
Context:
With agricultural workers leaving jobs to join the war effort food production was under pressure.
Harvests still needed to be brought in and farms kept working. In many rural areas children aged between 11-14 stepped in to provide unskilled labour on farms. LEAs, agricultural unions and other organisations accused farmers of exploiting the war time emergency to use children as cheap labour.
Under local byelaws, school attendance committees could permit children over the age of 11-12 to miss school to work but only in exceptional circumstances. Board of Education statistics reveal an increasing number of children aged between 11-14 were excused school for agricultural work during WWI. Between Sept 1914 and January 1915 just over 1500 children in England and Wales were excused for this reason, however a return on the number excused for agricultural work on 31st January 1916 totalled over 8000, doubling to 15 753 on May 31st 1916. This is why monitoring became closer but it was difficult to stop as the need was great.
Accepting the war time emergency, an extra 6 weeks holiday was given to schools in rural districts so older boys might work the harvest.
Thus, on Sept 14th:“In accordance with a scheme organised by the Food Production Dept holiday was given this afternoon to enable the children to gather blackberries for the use of the Army and Navy food contractors.”This was repeated on Sept 18th, Oct 2nd and 11th. On Sept 19thMr Bond notes that “lessons were delivered on ‘Sugar Registration Cards’ and their necessity to the older children at the request of the LEA”.
On December 12th, 1917, the head teacher, Mr Bond, made the following, fascinating entry:
“An interesting presentation has been made to the school in the form of a bell which was found in Combles by the father of one of the school children when the town was captured from the Germans in the Somme campaign last year.”
He does not tell us who the soldier was, not the circumstances of its discovery or donation.
We can tell from the picture above that the battle must have been intense. The school believes that the soldier found the bell amidst the ruins of the church and brought it home to fix it up.
This was done and the bell engraved … and this amazing donation is still held by the school to this day!
The bell is inscribed “Combles 1917 – Presented to Welton School”.
It seems astonishing that no other information was given at the time.
However, we have subsequently discovered, from his granddaughter, that the bell was brought back from Flanders by Jim Fleming. Jim was father to the artist Eric Fleming, who was the pupil in school at that time.
Born in Ireland, Mr Fleming had joined the Irish Guards in 1907 with duty at the Royal residences. He served with them for 13 years. His discovery of the handbell was reported in the Rugby Advertiser on March 24th, 1961, which states that the bell was found in the ruins of a school.
This was later presented to Welton School, inscribed as above. Mr Fleming went on to become a handyman at the Grand Union Canal Company.
The article was published to celebrate the Golden Wedding anniversary of Mr and Mrs Fleming, who at this time lived in Newnham. Edith, his wife, was formerly Edith Webb of Welton.
Context: The Capture of Combles – September 25th–26th 1916
Combles lies 30 miles NE of Amiens, 8 miles S of Baupaume and 10 miles E of Albert on the D20 Rancourt to Guillemont road. The capture took place during the Battle of the Somme’s “Battle of Morval”, involving the 5th and 56th London Divisions of the British 4th Army and a combined French force. Troops entered the village on September 26th but only after a major artillery barrage of 3 000 shells forced the Germans to withdraw. The soldiers from the London Rifle Brigade and the Queen Victoria Rifles were supposed to have been supported by tanks, which had just been introduced – however they were notoriously unreliable, as was the case in this attack: 2 of the tanks remained at the assembly point in Leuze Wood, whilst of the 3 allocated to the 56th Division which followed up the advance, 2 got bogged down.
Combles was a major German supply hub and shelter point as well as being a crucial salient into the Allied Line, which is why it was so heavily defended, such a priority for the Allies and brutally fought over. The village was later lost to the Germans on March 24th, 1918, before being definitively retaken in August 1918. The picture above illustrates the heavy damage to the village.
Losses: 5th Division: 1 749 casualties; 56th Division: 5 538; supporting NZ forces: 7 000 and German losses: 135 000.
Currently 535 British War Dead lie in Combles Community Cemetery.
1918and the vital collection of conkers
On January 18th the head teacher’s log book reports that, as a result of heavy snow, only 19 children – including 2 infants – attended school: “as it was not considered advisable to retain those, they were sent home and registers not marked.”Two things are striking here: the difference in weather patterns over the last 100 years and the fact that in severe weather it is deemed acceptable to just send children out again into the weather to make their way home alone!
References to the ongoing war remain few and far between, however on March 21st Mr Bond records that the school “dispatched 3 ½ cwt of horse chestnuts collected by the children in accordance with a request from the Ministry of Munitions”.
Why? Because the Ministry of Munitions collected horse chestnuts to produce acetone via the bacterial fermentation process: this was a critical solvent needed to manufacture cordite – a propellant for bullets and shells.
When German U boats disrupted maize imports, conkers provided a crucial locally sourced alternative for the starch needed as part of the manufacturing process.
Across the country school children and boy scouts were instructed to collect, bag and send tons of conkers to factories.
Additionally, this process helped conserve critical grain supplies for food. The campaign was, for many, a ‘secret” and children were only told that it was “urgentand invaluable war work” rather than specifically for the manufacture of weapons.
On June 10th the HT logbook records that the head teacher was absent as he was “called up for a Medical Examination at Northampton under the Army Services Act.” Fortunately for the children of Welton it seems that he was not called up for active service and school life continued as “normal”.
The new school year started on July 1st with 3 teachers (Bond, Hirons and Clarke), however on July 17th Miss Clarke was absent “on account of an inspection of the Daventry VAD hospital”.
A VAD / Auxiliary Red Cross Hospital was operating in Daventry between July 1915 through to 1918, providing 30 convalescent beds for wounded soldiers.
After the summer holidays, the school reopened on September 9th and on Sept 12ththe HT logbook records once again that ‘in accordance with the scheme organised by the Food Production Department holiday was given this afternoon to enable the children to gather blackberries for the use of the Army and Navy Food Contractors”. This activity was repeated on Sept 17th, 20th, 24th and 26th as well as Oct 1st, 3rd, 8th, 15th. Also, on Oct 21st the school afternoon started and finished an hour earlier to save fuel and lighting.
A Tragic Note (School Log Book):
On 21st November the school reopened, having been closed since Sept 30th, due to an outbreak of influenza on the order of the Ministry of Health. The HT records that “many of the children have been ill and with deep regret the death has to be recorded of Miss Ada M Hirons who for 8 years had been a member of the school staff”. Mrs Annie Bond, wife of Edwin, then became a temporary supply teacher.
1919 – and bizarrely no mention of the armistice!
What is most striking is that the HT logbook makes no reference at all to the armistice at all, except that on 31st January 1919 the head teacher notesthat the children were dismissed from school at “3.10pm on order to …see the captured German guns on view in Daventry at 4pm.”
Despite all the hardships and inevitable loss of the previous 4 years, the school was still inspected by HMI on May 15th and the resultant report of 25th July rather unkindly noted the following: “As the work of the first 9 months, July – March, (inclusive of this current year) had been hindered by epidemics and by various wartime activities, this further disturbance of the work [the delay in appointing a new teacher following the death of Miss Hirons] has assisted in bringing it below its usual standard.”
The early forerunner of that caring, sensitive organisation we now call Ofsted seems manifest all these years ago!
Inspection aside however, the children still experienced Empire Day lessons (May 23rd), and an afternoon School Treat at Welton Place (15th July) as well as the long-standing Bird and Arbor essay competition!
On May 31stthe school “…received Circular 632 notifying the desire of His Majesty the King ‘that in commemoration of Peace, an extension of the Summer Holidays may be granted in all schools by the Education Authorities”.
So, in 1919, the Welton School Summer Holiday ran from August 1st – September 15th.
In the new academic year, on Dec 15th we learn from Mr Bond’s logbook that this year the school continued to have its essays judged “excellent” and for the 2nd year in a row the school was awarded 3rd prize, but in addition “the Society’s Medal for meritorious individual essays was gained by May West and Mildred Carter. A special book prize was also won by May West.” May later went on to become Sunday School teacher in Welton and in later life she became a Sister May West – a nun – and lived in Plympton.
And so into the roaring twenties
February 11th: Sanitary Inspector for Daventry Rural District Council visited the school to make inquiries as to the water supply and drainage
March 15th: heavy snowfall affected absence especially of infants – when was the last time we saw snow in mid March?
March 26th: Major J.P. Clarke, formerly of Welton Place, visited the school. So the Clarkes have moved out by this period.
During this year HMI inspection – again; Bird and Arbor – again; an outbreak of measles – again; although the visiting Medical Officer of Health judged that the school should stay open unless attendance further declined. It didn’t, though remained low at about 60% through September.
On September 5th 1921 Circular 748 was received notifying “the adoption of a uniform school year for all public Elementary Schools, such Education Year to begin with the first school meeting following the summer holidays.”The September school year startfinally brings Welton School in line with schools today – 100 years on!
September 14th: Circular 691 re school libraries and C692 re Raising Age limit for Compulsory Education: under which education was to start on 31st December, March or August following the 5th birthday and this 1921 Education Act consolidated the raising of the school leaving age to 14. Prior to 1918 some children left school aged 12-13, boys to help on farm or to work and girls to assist in the home.
The 1918 Education Act had begun this process of raising the leaving age to 14 and made provision for a system of part time “continuation day classes for those at work aged 14-18. It also abolished all fees in state elementary (primary) schools.
October 26th: saw the first visit as part of a new “School Nursing Scheme” of the District Nurse!
1921: As the 1920s continued there remained a very careful focus on attendance, with regular reporting of cases of poor attendance, usually 5 – 6 per month, as well as annual HMI visits, diocesan inspection and reports as well as regular visits by the School Nurse.
The continued cultivation of the school garden remained a priority and on May 12th, 1921‘specimens of the school gardening class notebooks were sent to the Royal Horticultural Society’s show at Chelsea”. Welton School was evidently doing well!
The new academic year began on July 1st, 1921, with the following staffing structure:
Class 1 – standard IV – VI: Edwin Bond: Peterborough College 1897
Class 2 – standard I – III: Mary Robinson: Preliminary Certificate 1919
Class 3 – Infants: Daisy E Derby – Supplementary Teacher.
On return after the Summer Holidays, on Sept 5th, Circular 748 notified of “the adoption of a uniform school year for all Public Elementary Schools, such Education Year to begin with the first school meeting following the Summer Holidays”. And so, we see the start of the September – July school year – in 1921!
Scholarship Award (School Log Book):
“On September 23rd, as a result of the County Scholarship Examination held in March last [academic] year [1921] a Free Place at Daventry Grammar School has been awarded to Arthur Jones”. Good news day!
October 3rd saw the introduction of the National School Dentistry Scheme (Form M.I.D. 3) and the day after the afternoon holiday for the Statute Fair in Daventry which was held o 19th October, the school received its annual HMI inspection by Mr F Northrop – this time written in red ink!
Still in October – on the 31st – we see the introduction of the National Savings Association in schools, with Mr Bond absent from school between 10am and midday to attend a meeting regarding this in Daventry.
It is clear that, post war, there was a flurry of activities designed to improve the health, education and welfare of the nation… although the first 2 visits by the School Dentist had to be postponed – no reason given!
1922 – more snow and poor attendance
The year began with the usual entries regarding snowstorms and attendance, staff absence and the regular visits by Rev Sugden (register checks) as well as the School Nurse.
The Bird and Arbor medal winners were Winnie Elliot and Hilda Holland, Empire Day lessons were taught and the Annual May Feast held on 12th May. On February 28th following Circular 774, “a whole day…granted…[for] the wedding day of HRH Princess Mary”was held and the school closed.
Mrs Robinson (standard 2 teacher) was away from work from Nov 1921 until May 1st, 1922, which must have caused pressure in school. This must have been a hard time for Mr Bond, as his log book also records that on April 12ththe school was “unavoidably closed for a day owing to the head teacher being granted leave of absence in order to attend funeral of father”.
June 30th saw the annual diocesan inspection, July 7th a “visit from the School Nurse in connection with the County Inspection Scheme” and on July 14th Mr C F Lawrance FRHS visited to inspect the school garden.
After the summer holidays there was a huge change for the school when on Sept 29th Mr Bond records that: Miss Derby [Infants Teacher] ceased duty in accordance with a decision of the LEA that the services of a supplementary teacher should be dispensed with and the school organised upon a ‘2 group basis’”.
Thus, onOct 2ndthe school was rearranged into senior and junior sections only.
Oct 11threcords receipt of “Circular 806 together with a special edition of a Japanese newspaper printed in commemoration of the recent visit of HRH the Prince of Wales [the future Edward VIII] to Japan”.
Finally, the year drew to a close with: Nov 15th: school closure for use as polling station in parliamentary elections, Nov 26th: Annual Village Feast and Dec 22nd: resignation of Mrs Robinson due to ill health.
A trying year by all accounts.
1923 and a new name for the essay competition
Feb 12th: The now re-named “Bird and Tree” essay competition: “this school was judged ‘excellent’ and a Certificate of Merit awarded. The Society’s Medal for meritorious individual essays was given to Hilda Holland and Frank Emery.”
Note: This is Frank Emery junior who still lives in the village as of 2026!
The competing group of pupils were, in addition to the above: Winnie Elliott, Phyliss Webb, Phyllis Smith, Arthur Smith, Arthur Carter, Robert Bradshaw and John Hartwell.
Other events that spring included one child being excluded on Feb 28th – no reason given, 6 reported cases of poor attendance to the SAO (School Attendance Officer) and on April 12th a “demonstration lesson” delivered by visiting Inspector of Physical Exercises, Mr W Abbott.
April 26th saw another school holiday closure “in accordance with the desire of His Majesty the King ‘that a whole holiday be granted in all schools… on the wedding of HRH the Duke of York”. [the future George VI].
Fascinatingly, on May 29th“The Royal Messages to School Children were read and lessons upon ‘Our Empire’ were given”.The Royal Couple had recorded on March 28th a gramophone record designed to be played to school children across the Empire to encourage children to understand the “unity” of the family of the Empire, the personal responsibility of every child to “play their part” and moral guidance for them to develop the knowledge, bravery, honourable conduct and to put others before themselves. The image below is of the record.
Queen Mary also spoke of her wishes for the children. A recording of the content can be heard using the link here. This is the only surviving voice recording of Queen Mary.
Following the Summer Holidays, the School Dentist, M H Walmsley LDS visited the school on Oct 20th and on Nov 2nd an Ordnance Survey official called at the school to verify alterations in the map of the parish of Welton since the last survey.
There is work to be done here to investigate these changes!
1924 – difficult times for the school and Mr Bond
This was the start of a difficult time for Welton School. As the photograph shows below, Mr Bond’s regular entries in the logbook were always beautifully written in a careful hand and meticulous detail.
However, at the start of January 1924 it is very evident that something is wrong. The detailed regular entries are gone. There are only 4 entries for the month of January: 7th, 11th, 14th and 21st, each of a line or two only.
The handwriting is thicker, less carefully formed and the final entry from Mr Bond on January 21st reads:
Very poor attendance, many children ill.
Presentation of Bird and Tree prize medals by Headteacher.
Illness of Head Teacher. School closed.
And that was it. No explanation. After leading the school with evident pride, care and attention to detail for 20 years, Mr Bond suddenly and inexplicably stopped.
On January 23rd the HT logbook continues in a very different hand:
“School reopened; Miss C H Adams as a supply teacher. V poor attendance. Many children ill. L.J.B. Sheffield in charge. 52 pupils on roll”.From this point on the HT records are less frequent, less carefully written.
On Feb 2nd, Henry J Wright, headteacher of Great Weldon School took over, followed on Feb 18th by M.T. Wright, with other supply heads covering days or weeks at a time. During this time attendance continued to fall, with an average of 47.6% on Feb 20th.
On March 21st, Phyllis and Roy Smith were excluded for mumps and the Medical Dept of Health advised, followed by Alma Gregory, John and Bernard Moss on March 31st as well as Phyllis and Freda Starmer on April 4th. An epidemic of mumps was clearly sweeping across Welton.
Attendance rose slowly to 74.4% on April 11th, though snowstorms that day which “prevented children living across the field from attending”.The visit by the School Nurse on April 15th resulted in Arthur Miller being excluded “owing toa verminous condition”.
A Mrs Wilson and Mrs Nicholls – parents – were sent “white cards” – the school nurses used white cards to track children’s health, suggesting that there were concerns about the health of these children.
On May 16th the SAO visited and weighed the children to be medically examined.
When the Medical Inspection date came around on July 4th 21 children were listed for inspection of whom 3 were absent.
These problems possibly reflect the plight of many people living in Welton at that time. A 1914 land assessment report records significant numbers of cottages on all roads in Welton in a poor state, numbers are described as “uninhabitable” or fit only for demolition.
Many small cottages occupied closes and had shared outdoor toilets (called closets).
Given the privations of war, the post WWI epidemic of Spanish flu and subsequent epidemics such as the Whooping Cough above, life must have been very hard for many Welton families.
In 1925, whooping cough (pertussis) was a major, cyclical public health issue across England, including in Northamptonshire, in the era before vaccines became available in the 1940s and 1950s.
The mid-1920s saw significant numbers of reported cases, with approximately 152,003 cases reported in England and Wales in 1925.
And what of Mr Bond?
A newspaper report of December 20th, 1940, records the funeral of Mr Edwin Bond in his birthplace, Tiddington in Warwickshire, 1.5 miles NE of Stratford on Avon.
As the cutting below reveals he left his post in Welton after a nervous breakdown, leading to his retirement.
His son Percy, of Bird and Arbor success, was at his funeral with his wife, possibly Claire. We don’t know what triggered his collapse specifically though we can speculate.
He had been head teacher at Welton School since May 15th1905. He had started as a pupil teacher at the Tiddington and Alveston National School, qualified at St Peter’s College in Peterborough in 1897. After his retirement he retired to his birthplace until he died. His wife, Annie, predeceased him on 15th February 1935.
Oddly the 1925 HMI report on Welton School refers to the “failing health of the late headmaster”and does not mention the fact that he is still alive, suggesting a real stigma regarding mental health issues in the 1920s.
In January 1925Norah F Burrows took up the post of headteacher at Welton School and would continue her leadership into the 1960s, with current villagers having been taught by her. Her first comment on Jan 8th reads:
“Thereappears to be no completescheme of work in the school for the school year ending 1925. Consequently, one is now in course of preparation by the present head teacher. Number on roll: 43”.
And at the end of the academic year HMI report concluded: “the school has suffered much during the last 2 years owing to the failing health of the late headmaster and to the interruptions in staffing which followed his departure from this school in January of last year.
Class II which consists of Infants and standards I and II is in a very backward state… class I (consisting of standards III to VI) is far below the normal in attainment. Seven of the scholars in that class are in their last year of school and some of them find difficulty in reading passages containing such words as ‘necessity’ ‘precaution’ and ’violence’… The admission register is in a very neglected state”.
As is often the case in education there is a sense of implied criticism of all previous heads with the new head teacher the one celebrated as putting things right.
Circa 1910 – A group of children outside the old school
Overview
1884 copy of Wright’s NorthamptonshireDirectory states that the first school in Welton, later called The Old School, was established in 1820. It was endowed by the Clarke family, a wealthy family who held much land in the area.
They had purchased the estate of Welton Manor and were managing farmland at Thrupp in the 1800s. The family supported the villagers of Welton by building the first school on the site now occupied by the village hall and its carpark, physically adjoining the White Horse pub.
This first school was enlarged in 1882 to accommodate 111 children. It was built with an attached Master’s House. Later, a small library of 200 volumes which had been established in 1871 became part of the school. From 1820 the school was handed over to the National Society who were running church schools at that time, although the Diocese took a close interest in the running of the school from the outset.
This Local Board of Education oversaw the school (a “Board” school) until the creation of Local Education Authorities (LEAs) within County Councils as part of the 1904 Education Act which compelled local education authorities to fund and monitor all schools including voluntary (church) schools.
In 1906 the name and designation of the school changed to Welton CE School, and it continued as such until 2012 when the school became Welton Academy as part of the David Ross Academy chain.
In 1915 the school moved to its new premises across the road, following many years of reported concerns about the suitability of the old school house. This building in turn was further expanded and modernised in 1976, 1995 and 2004. The present site includes 5 classrooms, a hall, a library and 2 designated activity areas.
After the school moved in 1915 “The Old School,” as it was called continued to serve the village of Welton as a place for village events – a forerunner to the village hall. Evacuee children during World War II recalled Sunday School being taken in this building, at one point led by the memorably named May West! The Old School continued in use at least until the 1960s, prior to the new village hall being constructed.
A wonderfully clear photograph of the Old School and master’s house adjoining the pub taken circa 1955
The head teachers
In 1890 the head teacher was William Quelch, with Mrs Arabella Quelch as mistress. Average attendance in the school was recorded at 86.
The photograph below is taken from around this time, so likely to be Arabella on the far right and possibly her older daughter Eleanor helping out far left. As you can see this is the infant’s class, all girls and they are all lacemaking – carried out on a commercial basis by these young children. The photograph is taken behind the old school building, as indeed many photographs of the time were.
The 1891 census entry number 30 records the following living at the School House
William Quelch aged 45 – Schoolmaster – born in Stratford (prefixed possible by Essex?)
Arrabella Quelch aged 46 – Schoolmistress – born in Bethnal Green, London
William F Quelch aged 21 – son and schoolmaster – Born in Bedfordshire (Silsoe?)
Eleanor W Quelch – aged 15 – daughter – also born in Bedfordshire
Ethel M Quelch – aged 12 – daughter – also born in Bedfordshire
In the 1898 Kelly’s Directory details for the school remain broadly the same, however by this period average attendance has fallen to 79 and the head master was Mr John Reid and the mistress Mrs J Reid. The daily log book shows that Mr Quelch resigned as master of the School on the 22nd August 1895 and that John Reid commenced duties as the New Head Teacher on Oct 1st1895.
The 1901 census entry number 46 records the following living at The School and School House:
John Reid – aged 36 – Schoolmaster – born in Durham, South Shields
Hannah Reid – aged 36 – his wife – born in North Shields, Northumberland
Margaret Reid – aged 13 – their daughter – also born in South Shields
Annie Reid – aged 11 – their daughter – born in Wooler, Northumberland
John Reid – aged 1 – their son – born in Welton
John Reid continued as the Headmaster of Welton School until March 31st1905 when he left his post. From April 3rd the role was taken on by a temporary Headmaster, Mr H. J. Wright until May 12th of that year, when Edwin Bond became the new headmaster.
The school currently holds the head teacher log books covering the years 1895 – 2005 as completed by a series of successive headteachers, starting with William Quelch. These provide a fascinating overview of village life.
The victorian school day
In those early records we can see that many aspects of school life were very different, not least what the children learned and their day-to-day experiences of school. But many things remained very similar to today, including a very close scrutiny of attendance, frequent inspections and a focus on behaviour.
In the 1890s / early 1900s the school year was structured differently with the school year ending on June 30th. The new school year started very soon after each year on the first Monday in July, shortly to be followed by “Harvest Holidays” later known as “Summer Holidays” usually lasting 4 weeks, but sometimes 5 (there seems no indication why this might have varied) usually starting on the last Friday in July or first Friday in August (usually between July 30th and August 3rd).
The school day was also different. The day had 2 separate sessions, usually starting at 9 0’clock until 12.30. The afternoon session generally started at 1.30 running to 4 o’clock, however as from November 13th 1905 it became an annual feature that between November and February the afternoon session would run between 1 o’clock and 3.30pm in order to “allow the children living at a distance to reach their homes before dark”(head teacher log book – Nov 9th 1908)
The school curriculum had, like today a strong focus on the 3Rs – reading writing and arithmetic – however in other respects the topics of learning were very different.
A list of subjects for June 1896, by Headmaster John Reid records:
“Geography, History and Poetry” History included “Marlborough, Clive, Wolfe, Cook, Pitt, Nelson, Wellington, George Stevenson, Clyde, Franklin, the Massacre of Glencoe, the Porteous Riot, The Rebellion of 1758, The Union of Ireland 1801, the Abolition of Slavery, the Crimean war, the Defence and Relief of Lucknow, the Abyssinian War and the Progress of the 19th century”.
You can see here a focus on male role models and British military might and domination. This became even more apparent from May 1908 when each year the curriculum for the day included a special focus – “Empire Day” during which “the ordinary reading session was omittedand in its place a short descriptive lesson on the British Empire given by the Head Teacher” (John Reid – May 25th 1908). This focus on Empire continued right up to 1914, when a holiday was also given in the afternoon.
Pupils also undertook Musical Drill and Physical Drill. There was a huge focus on sewing – done of course by the girls. Regular – often fortnightly visits to the school were made by Mrs Clarke and Mrs Liddell (wife of Vicar) and later Mrs Garrard of Welton Place to inspect the needlework classes. Children also learned drawing, but painting did not come until later.
A log book entry for Jan 22nd 1906 records:
“Brushwork taken throughout this week’s drawing lessons in the upper classes. Owing to the scarcity of materials (i.e. proper brushwork books and papers) too little attention could previously be given to this subject”.
Secular instruction was generally taken by Canon Liddell and from 1902 by the Rev Hilton, who succeeded Canon Liddell as Vicar of Welton.
Children also had regular “Object Lessons” in which they were taught about a “common” object! These objects included: iron, wheat, wool, the cocoa plant and the tea plant. These were of variable effectiveness!
The 1898 Inspection Report of the School found:
“Object Lessons should be treated more intelligently. The notes of these lessons should be carefully prepared and revised by the Head Teacher before the lessons are given to the children”.
Object lessons continued until at least 1906, when the Annual Government Report by HMI (His Majesty’s Inspectorate) noted that “better provision for illuminating the Object Lesson is needed” — probably a reference to visual aids.
In 1908 “Conversation Lessons” were introduced in the infant class and gardening (for the boys of course) was introduced. This course was promoted and very closely monitored by the new LEA – Local Education Authority that gave the County Council control over schools, a responsibility previously carried by School Boards.
The gardening course was subject to change – an introductory long course was stopped, and schools had to run short courses; the pupils kept a garden and had written workbooks which were regularly reviewed by visiting inspectors.
In January 1896 a “Penny Bank” was opened in the school to encourage children to save, 24 joined…perhaps the majority could not afford go do so?
Inspection and assessment
Inspection and assessment were very much a focus for the school. In 1895 and into 1896 the Head Teacher undertook monthly assessments of reading, writing and arithmetic. These later became quarterly exams as from December 1906. These were generally quite superficial taking one and a half to two days – often with a half day holiday at the end, and general comments made in the log book.
In addition to head teacher examinations, external tests in drawing and scripture were set externally every year. There were also regular “correspondent” (manager) visits by Rev Darnell, Canon Liddell and Colonel Clarke, as well as later “school correspondents”, as well as annual Government (HMI) Inspections (by Mr Gill, then Mr Wise, followed by J. Harrison Esq and L.J Monro HMI in 19oos). On top of that, fortnightly visits by the School Attendance Officer – Mr Watson (1895- 1903 followed by Mr Peck as from 1904 when the new LEA was established; he continued to 1914) and Diocesan Inspections annually.
The school received “VG” in its 1898 Diocesan Report! Annual County Council Inspections were carried out by D.Elliot Esq for the years between 1904 and 1914.
After Canon Liddell, Rev M.F Hilton took over as the “school correspondent” or manager – as part of his role as vicar; he was replaced in Oct 1st 1906 by the new vicar, Charles Littledale MA until Feb 18th 1907 when the Vicar Rev J.F Sugden took over.
School was also visited by several other interestingly named or titled visitors, but it is not always clear why…..
Visitors and notable entries recorded in the School Log Book:
Lady Tulloch (April 14th and 21st 1896)
Bishop of Leicester (May 21st 1897)
Rev A. Fenton of Spennymoor (June 26th 1897)
Rev J. Teitlebaum, Rector of Saltcoats Assiniboia (July 7th 1898) – on 20th July he was “present at the opening of school and gave the children a lecture on the ‘Indians’ in the North West Territory from 9 to 9.45”
Major General Sir Fraser Tytler (July 15th 1898)
Dr Carr Glynn – Bishop of the Diocese with Canon Liddell (June 27th 1898)
Archdeacon Trotter of Trinidad (July 24th 1899)
Mr Fraser Tytler of Woodleigh with Canon Liddell (April 6th 1900)
Lady Victoria Rowe with Canon Liddell (June 11th 1900) – she was the Canon’s cousin’s daughter
Rev E. Blockley from Oxford with Canon Liddell (Sept 29th 1900)
Arthur Palmer – old scholar – now a clerk on Midland Railway (Nov 28th 1900).
Note: On June 3rd 1897 the Head Teacher log book records that the HT was absent taking two boys (Arnold Palmer and Charles Clarke) to Northampton to sit examination for County Scholarship. This would give them access to secondary education, often unavailable to most children at the time. It is not surprising therefore that Arnold Palmer returned to visit, and the HT was pleased to note that he had done well.
William Oxendale – old scholar (Sept 13th 1901)
Note: the Fraser Tytlers were relatives of Canon Liddell’s wife Christine.
In March 1909 annual medical checks of pupils were introduced with the Head Teacher conducting preliminary weight and eyesight checks which were then followed up by an appointed LEA Medical Officer. Medical cards were “forwarded to parents of children needing special attention” (HT log book March 24th1911).
Attendance – and absence
Attendance has always been a key focus for head teachers at Welton school. From the very start of the log book records, absence due to illness was a regular and significant problem. The school buildings were not fit for purpose for a very long time.
They were cold, poorly heated and ventilated, the sanitation provision was basic and poor. Lighting was bad and accommodation cramped. (see details below). In these circumstances children would not have thrived and the ease with which infectious illnesses could be transmitted was significant.
This is seen very clearly in the head teacher log books, which regularly report high levels of absence due to colds, influenza epidemics as well as scarlet fever, measles, mumps, chickenpox – of course, this was before the time of vaccinations. Some of these were serious and require the closure of the school:
Illness and epidemic-related entries recorded in the School Log Book:
Nov 8th 1885: Sanitary Inspector ordered school to be closed until Tuesday next to prevent further spread of fever. School to be disinfected this week.
[School reopened on Nov 26th after disinfection and no further cases of scarlet fever reported]
Oct 6th 1898: School closed by Medical Authority for measles.
Nov 7th: School reopened after 4 weeks 2 days closure. 55 present – 23 absent.
Jan 9th 1899: School reopened with very poor attendance – Scarlet Fever and Mumps having broken out among the children. 18 absent.
Jan 15th 1900: 32 children absent with influenza; only 54 present.
Jan 29th: School closed for epidemic of influenza and scarlet fever by order of M.O.H.
March 12th: School reopened with 52 children after 6 weeks closure. Children living in infected houses had to remain away for 3 more weeks.
April 1901: Quarterly examinations postponed by a week due to absence caused by an influenza epidemic (which began Feb 26th).
Sept 28th 1902: School closed by Medical Authority for Scarlet Fever.
Dec 8th: Reopened. Due to the 6‑week closure, pupils were given only 2 days holiday: Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
14 Dec 1904: Influenza epidemic affected attendance, especially in infants. Continued after Christmas Break until end of February 1905.
Jan 21st 1907: Illness noted on 14th developed rapidly among infants; 14 absent. Reports received of 4 cases of measles.
Jan 23rd: School closed by MOH.
Feb 18th: School reopened.
However, absence was, like today, also a real issue when sanctioned by parents, albeit often of necessity:
Attendance-related entries recorded in the School Log Book:
Oct 16th 1895: Attendance very low this afternoon – 10 fewer than in the morning as children had gone with parents to Daventry Fair.
(In later years the fair day was given as a holiday.)
Oct 25th 1895: Average attendance for the week was 72. Absentees were principally older boys kept off for potato picking.
Dec 8th 1898: Reported Mary Rainbow for bad attendance.
Sept 14th 1899: Four boys absent potato picking.
The head teacher log books also provide an interesting overview of the weather and the profound impact this often had on attendance. There is no doubt that winters were far more severe at the end of the 19th century and many entries refer to heavy and prolonged snowfalls, often over several days as well as periods of very stormy weather with heavy rain and strong winds.
Such weather made roads impassable; many children lived outside the village – sometimes referred to as “outside” children or those from “the Lodges” – and they came across the fields to school. Snow and waterlogged conditions made it impossible for them to get to school. Regular entries note a direct correlation between bad weather – especially rainy days – and poor attendance.
Summer temperatures also could be very high, which given the poor ventilation within school building must have made it very unpleasant. A selection of entries illustrates these challenges:
Weather-related entries recorded in the School Log Book:
Dec 9th and 16th 1895: Very stormy – attendance bad.
Jan 22nd 1897: Severe snowstorms – only 16 infants present.
Feb 3rd 1897: Severe snowstorm again; attendance very bad.
No Lodge Houses children able to get across by roads; 30 children absent.
March 3rd 1897: A severe storm of wind and rain.
Only 20 infants present and 38 in Mixed Department.
Children absent were all from the Lodge Houses; no child living in the village absent.
July 25th 1900: The heat was very great – 88 degrees in the school although all doors and windows were open.
Feb 5th 1901: A severe snowstorm affected attendance very much; snow about 6 inches deep.
Outside children unable to come across the fields.
[Continued to Feb 15th]
23rd July 1901: Attendance not good; a few children stayed away due to rain, the fields being too wet for their feet.
13th March 1911: During the afternoon the unusual experience was witnessed of the school being in almost complete darkness from 3.15 to 3.45pm.
Afterwards, a heavy fall of snow.
The Social Division within society was marked in the following entries below:
Bereavement and national‑event entries recorded in the School Log Book:
May 25th 1900: One scholar, Rich Hutt (Standard 2), died this week.
Jan 23rd 1901: “It was with deep regret that the children heard of the lamented death of our beloved Queen Victoria who died January 22nd 1901 at 6.30pm.”
Feb 1st 1901: School commenced today half an hour earlier to allow a number of children to go to Daventry, as shops closed on Saturday on account of Her late Majesty’s funeral.
There is a real sense of political expectation in how the head teacher recorded events and the very factual, unemotive reporting of the death of a child within the school is shocking to a modern reader.
The log books are interesting as much for what they don’t tell as much as what they do. Burial records across the period show a sadly high number of deaths amongst the children of Welton – as many as 30% of children in the UK didn’t live to their 10th birthday – yet on only one occasion was this reported in the head’s record.
Fit for purpose? The Old School building
Even as early as the summer of 1895 comments were being made by external inspectors that the fabric of the building was becoming a cause for concern: “The room is not suitable for its purpose and is very draughty.”
Over subsequent years this is often repeated, and although the Church and local families of wealth took a strong interest in the school, local support to address these concerns remained conspicuous by its absence! It seemed to take very strong words from HMI to get movement on this pressing issue!
School Premises and Accommodation: Notes from Inspection Reports, 1896–1909
1896 report: “The room is small and inconvenient for infants and is not well supplied with apparatus. The gallery might be supplied with small desks…”
1897 report: “…the room is very close… ventilation should be provided and some inlets also for fresh air are needed. The room should be better lighted. The playground should be fenced in.”
Infants’ room: “the room is very small for the number of children and might be enlarged if the partition were moved further back. The gallery might be turned around with advantage and filled with more suitable desks than those at present in use… the defects of the premises indicated by the Inspector should be remedied.”
1898 report: “the [infants’] room has been enlarged and the gallery supplied with suitable desks.”
1901 report: The old desks should be turned out; some are very shaky and might be replaced by new ones.
The room is very dark, the lighting is only from one side; it might be improved if glass panels were put in the classroom door. The urinal should be placed outside the offices [toilets] and properly flushed. Another blackboard and easel are required [in infant room].
1902 report: An attempt has been made to improve the lighting in the main room, and the urinal has been placed in the proper position.
1904 report (HMI): the cupboard accommodation is inadequate. [In the Infant class] the gallery is very inconvenient and might be removed with advantage to the scholars and teacher. A T square ruler is wanted. Ventilation is wanted in this room and also in the small classroom. Inlets of fresh air should also be provided.
1905 report: the main room is lighted by windows placed high behind the scholars and casting strong shadows on the work. The stove has a long pipe in the room and no air-flue and the small grate in the infants’ room is inadequate. Ventilation is altogether unsatisfactory.
The cloakroom is a passage about 20ft by 4ft, unventilated and with pegs and racks for hats arranged in seven tiers to a height of nearly 7 feet.
The offices [toilets] for boys and girls are confined – four cells for each being crowded into a space of 7 feet by 6 feet. They are neither well lighted nor well-ventilated and drainage from the playground flows down the steps leading to them.
A small room used as a classroom is approximately 14 feet by 10 feet and as many as 28 children are sometimes crowded into it, though the dark accommodation is sufficient only for 12 children.
1906 report: the school is still carried on under difficulties arising from inconvenient premises
1907 report: There is no alteration to report in the premises which are inconvenient, ill ventilated and insufficiently or unsuitably warmed and the cloakroom and sanitary accommodation very unsatisfactory. The desks, rearranged to secure better light, are now placed across the room so that one class is behind another and the desks 7 deep without required gangways.
The infants descend a flight of stairs to get to the playground and a further steep flight to reach the offices [toilets] whilst the older children have to pass through the private premises of the teacher’s house and the offices [toilets] for the teacher’s house are in the playground used by the boys, girls and infants.
The thermometer in the infants’ room on Dec 1st last – not an exceptionally cold day – registered 38 degrees [3.3C] at 9.15 and did not rise above 46 degrees [7.7C] throughout the morning.
Report for 1909: There is no improvement to report yet in these premises. Attention should again be drawn to the urgent need for a more efficient means of warming the infants’ room. There is so little difference between the temperature in this room and that of the outside air that the room can hardly be fit for use during severe weather.
Finally on June 13th 1910 A Kendall Esq Inspector of School Buildings visited the school and inspected the school premises – and the 1913 HMI report by Mr H Hartley following his visits on 12th Feb and 2nd April opens with: “It is gratifying to learn that replacement of these premises by a new building is now likely to be soon carried out.”
On 21st January 1914 a Government Valuation Officer visited the school to verify the dimensions of the building and the measurement of adjoining land.
And on January 12th 1915 the head teacher, Edwin Bond, confirmed in his log book that the school “recommenced after the Christmas Holidays in the new school buildings recently completed” …and nothing more was said, perhaps because head teachers were forbidden to express opinions in the official school log book!
A window into our past
The log books we have also provide fascinating insight into events of the period.
Some details remind us of events that are now long forgotten. Equally there is a “business as usual” style, such as the limited reference to the outbreak of World War I. Some interesting examples of how Welton’s children in those days experienced history include:
Special Events and Celebrations Recorded in the School Log Book:
May 21st 1900: A special holiday was given this afternoon for the Relief of Mafeking [Boer War] when several ladies of the village gave the children a good tea.
June 2nd 1902: School closed today to celebrate Peace.
June 23rd 1902: School closed today for one week’s holiday for the Coronation of His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward II.
19th July 1906: In the Upper Division upon several occasions during the week Reading was taken from illustrated descriptive accounts of the Warwick Pageant kindly lent by Mrs Hilton (Vicar’s wife).
The 1906 Warwick Pageant was a week-long theatrical spectacle (July 2nd – 7th) in the grounds of Warwick Castle, celebrating the 1000th anniversary of Ethelfleda’s conquest of Mercia. It featured 2000 performers, 200 speaking parts and 10 episodes spanning British History drawing massive crowds and boosting local pride. It raised a profit of £2615 which was used to purchase the Pageant House and Gardens for the community. For more details to go to Warwick Tourist Information Centre.
June 16th 1911: the school was closed for one week in accordance with instruction in Circular 260 – the holiday being granted in honour of the coronation of His Majesty George V.
There were also other days each year when the school was closed for holiday:
Annual Village Traditions and Local Customs:
May 1st: May Day festival
September: School closed one day for the Daventry Mop Fair
November: date varied between 20th and 29th – The Annual Welton Feast
December 21st – St Thomas’ Day: School required for the Distribution of Bread: this tradition arose through the bequest in the Will of John Winterton who left £200 to be spent on flannel and bread to be distributed to those in need in Welton.
Another development was the introduction of the system of using school premises for elections.
On February 27th, 1907, the first such direction was sent by the County Council confirming that Welton School would be used as a Polling Station for the County
Council elections on Tuesday March 5th, 1907. This development was made possible by the changes in 1903, when on September 30th the school came under the control of the new Country Council. This nationwide move saw the introduction of Local Education Authorities run by County Councils – a system that would prevail for over a century.
1910 saw the introduction of national annual medical checks in school. Under the scheme, preliminary weight and eyesight checks were carried out by the Head Teacher followed about a fortnight later by a visit the appointed Medical Inspector of the LEA. In Welton these happened on April 4th and 18th 1910. The school later received form M.1.10 detailing children who had been identified as “needing special treatment”.
The approach of war
Entry for the head teacher log book September 25th1913:Holiday given today on account of this district being within the centre of operations consequent upon the “Army Manoeuvres” now being carried on in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.”
In September 1913 British Army manoeuvres were held across Bucks and South Northants, serving as a critical final dress rehearsal for the British Army for World War One. These exercises involved roughly 50,000 soldiers and airman, and 25,000 horses in a simulation of war.
The exercise simulated a conflict between ‘Whiteland’ (defenders centred on Daventry) and ‘Brownland’ (invaders from the South). The climactic battle took place on September 25th and was watched by King George V, Queen Mary, a host of military chiefs including Churchill as first Lord of the Admiralty and wherever possible the general public, who lined the roads.
Lessons were learned about the importance of spotter planes and railway for troop movement and the limitations of cavalry – but not learned with regard to the importance of deep trenches, tin hats, the numbers of shells that would be needed and the fact that some generals were not up to the job.
Photograph: left: Queen Mary and Princess Mary standing in car to watch military manoeuvres, with chauffeur assisting and officer on roof of car; above: George V with locals following the action!
War was declared on 28th July 1914. The children returned to school after the summer break as usual and the first reference to this event did not appear in the head teacher log book until October 28th 1914when he recorded the following
“Owing to the importance of the Great War with Germany and its influence upon current events, the Geography and History schemes for the present school year will be modified sufficiently to allow explanatory lessons upon leading features and to follow progress”.
On November 16th, 1914, 6 new children were admitted to the school – these were families of Belgian refugees who had come to live in Welton. Times were changing around the world, within Britain and in Welton, as men of the village went to fight.
However, the school log books show a definite “keep calm and carry on” approach, as if the declaration of war had never happened!
So, on December 3rd, 1914, the head recorded that Mrs S.H Garrard had visited the school and distributed needlework prizes! Life in Welton carried on as it always had done.
And finally ….a hint of an earlier school
Although this history covers the period of the formal school, it is interesting to note the entry below from the list of vicars in the Welton Tithe book – 1617 Richard Patrick, Vicar. I find no account of his burial, but Elizabeth his wife was buried 10th January 1646. She lived and taught school in Welton above twenty-nine years.
