The Stephensons

My mum's immediate family came from Polesworth in northern Warwickshire.

Eventually I plan to have a Timeline of the main things going on in Polesworth from around 1800 onwards. This could include a few decades of data from the Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers of St. Editha's Abbey.  As a start here is a list of the primary Anglican Ministers that worked in the village during the past 220 years.


 1789 Rev. Walter Rose Norton
Walter was the Vicar of Hints for two years prior to coming to Polesworth.
 1802 Rev. Thomas Gresley
This article talks about a Rev Thomas Gresley having an interesting cottage built in South Derbyshire. It could be the same man.
 1817 Rev. John Dilke
 1819 Rev. William Madan
William was baptised in Lichfield Cathedral on 21st May 1793 and died whilst at Polesworth in 1824.
His brother, Rev. Spencer Madan was a Canon at Lichfield Cathedral; his father, Rev. Dr. Spencer Madan, was rector of Ibstock;  his grandfather, Rev. Dr. Spencer Madan, was Bishop of Bristol (1792-4) and Bishop of Peterborough (1794-1813). He would never have come to Polesworth to see his grandson as he died in 1813.
William's greatgrandfather, Colonel Martin Madan, was an MP for Wootton Basset in the mid 18th Century and groom of the bedchamber to Frederick, the Prince of Wales.
 1824 Rev. William Palmer
 1841 Rev. John Duff Schomberg
The Warwickshire County Record Office holds an unused baptismal register which has lots of jottings made by John on various topics in it. I had a good look at this on 24th December 2008. Fascinating!
 1864 Rev. Robert Knight
 1866 Rev. Nigel Madan
 1881 Rev. Lawrence R Wigham
 1882


 Rev. John George Trotter
My mum remembers her mum and an aunt talking about Canon Trotter. He died in early 1917 near Bath.
 1917


 Rev. Ashley Tregonning Corfield
Ashley's father, Rev. Frederick Corfield, was a Vicar in County Donegal and Derbyshire.
 1938 Rev. James P Evans
 1945 Rev. R. Skilbeck Smith
Searching the internet, I discovered a bookshop in California offering one of Skilbeck's books for sale! A Subaltern in Macedonia and Judæ, 1916-17 describes how as a young Irish officer, he spent part of the 1st World War in the Mediterranean Region. He wrote the book in 1922 whilst stationed in the Persian Gulf. They want $350 (£177.10) for the book.
 1953 Rev. Frank Buchanan
 1966 Rev. Hubert George
 1978 Rev. David Byford
 1997 Rev. Phillip Wells