Place:Stonton Wyville, Leicestershire, England

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Stonton Wyville is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough District of southeast Leicestershire, England. In the 2001 UK census the parish had a population of 21 and in the 2011 census it remained less than 100 and was combined into that for the neighbouring civil parish of Glooston. The village is about eleven miles (17 km) south east of Leicester. Nearby places include Kibworth Harcourt, Tur Langton, Church Langton, and Shangton.

Stonton Wyville parish is 1,217 acres (4.93 km2) or 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) in area. Bounded on the western side by a tributary of the River Welland the parish rises from a height of 250 feet (76 m) near the river to about 450 feet (140 m) in the north and 500 feet (150 m) in the south. The soil is loamy clay over clay subsoil. The majority of farmland in Stonton is used for pasture and has been since 17th century enclosures. Stonton Wood, in the north of the parish, covered about 100 acres (0.40 km2) in 1279.

History

In 1086, the Domesday Book shows that Stonton Wyville was part of the estates of Hugh de Grandmesnil. Stonton was amongst a hundred manors that had been given to Hugh for his assistance in the Norman conquest of England.

In 1494, the last William Wyville died. Stonton Wyville is named after him and his ancestors who had been instrumental in the village since the Domesday Book where they had been under tenants.[3]

On 25 February 1628 Sir Thomas Brudenell (whose family had married into the Wyvilles) was created Baron Brudenell of Stonton. There was a move to rename the village Stonton Brudenell, but this never stuck. (Sir Thomas went on to be first Earl of Cardigan). Edmund Brudenell has an impressive alabaster monument in the church. Alongside the father,a swaddled baby lies on its own tomb.

Research Tips

• The map on the place-page for Market Harborough Rural District illustrates the location of the various parishes.
• Victoria County History - Leicestershire - Vol 5, pp308-312 - Parish: Stonton Wyville. (London, 1964) British History Online. University of London.
• From this Findmypast page you can browse the Leicestershire parishes which have parish register transcripts online.
• From this Ancestry page you can browse the Leicestershire parishes which have parish register transcripts online.
• For both of the above sites, a subscription is charged. Transcriptions of these records may also be available free of charge on the FamilySearch website.
• A further collection of online source references will be found on the county page for Leicestershire.