Exhibition: The History of Walton Hall

Parishioners of Walton during the Eighteenth Century

The oldest surviving graves in Walton churchyard date back around 300 years to the early eighteenth century. Buckinghamshire County Monumental Inscriptions from 1909 list members of several families buried in the churchyard during this time including the Smith, Pinkard, Ashby, Osborn, Waller, Mitchell, Norris and Stevens families. Unsurprisingly some members of these families intermarried. Several of the oldest headstones are situated in family groups close to the main door on the south side of the church. Most of these are now illegible due to centuries of weathering but inscriptions on a handful can still be deciphered. Eighteenth century online records are sparse, and it hasn’t been possible to create detailed histories of the parishioners buried during this time as it has been for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

 

Stevens

Several members of the Stevens family were buried at Walton during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries including four Thomases and four Anns. Unfortunately, due to their age most of the inscriptions on the graves can no longer be deciphered. There are several headstones positioned close together near to the south wall of the church which may be Stevens family graves. The first image on this page is a photograph of headstones in this area of the churchyard. 

 

Thomas Stevens (1686-1729) was buried at Walton according to parish registers. According to the original inscription on his grave (ref: Bucks Monumental Inscriptions 1909) he was married to Ann Stevens (1689-1741). She was likely to be the Ann Stevens (widow) who was buried at Walton in 1741. The marriage took place a few miles from Walton in Mursley on 2 June 1712 between 25 year old husbandman Thomas Stevens and Ann Stevens (possibly a cousin) who was 22. The couple baptised several children at Walton between 1712 and 1728 including Elizabeth in 1715 and William in 1723. Elizabeth married Francis Norris in 1734 and there will be more about her later.

 

There are two Stevens graves on which the inscriptions are still visible. They are situated near the path leading to the main door and stand side by side. One is partially buried and is the resting place of Thomas Stevens who died on 9 May 1785 and was buried two days later. Next to him is the grave of his wife Ann who lived almost another 50 years and died on 23 October 1832 at the age of 77 years. Ann was born in 1755. She would have been widowed at the age of 30. Her husband Thomas may be the Thomas Stevens baptised at Walton in 1754, the son of Walton farmer, William Stevens and his wife Ann who had married at Stowe in 1748. A photograph of Thomas and Ann's graves can be viewed on this page. 

 

William’s parents were the couple Thomas and Ann mentioned previously. Both William and Ann Stevens were buried at Walton according to the Buckinghamshire Monumental Inscriptions of 1909, but no dates are given for their headstones. Their baptism and death dates are likely to be William Stevens (1723-1762) and Ann Stevens (1716-1785) according to online records for Walton. 

 

Other members of the Stevens family who were buried at Walton included Elizabeth (1713-1772) and her husband Thomas (1723-1779).

 

Norris

As mentioned previously, Elizabeth Stevens (1715-1758) married Francis Norris (1705-1790) at Walton on 27 June 1734. Their son Daniel was born in 1735 and baptised at Lidlington where, according to the parish records, the family were living. Lidlington is approximately 8 miles from Walton. They baptised two more sons at Lidlington before moving to Walton where five more of their children were baptised, the youngest being George in 1750. Elizabeth died aged 43 on 9 January 1758 and was buried at Walton. Francis was interred with his wife following his death aged 85 in 1790. Their headstone is no longer recognisable, however a footstone with the initial letters – ‘N. F. E.’ most probably denotes ‘Norris. Francis. Elizabeth.’ So, the opposite headstone is likely to be theirs.

 

Francis and Elizabeth’s eldest son Daniel (1735-1791) was a farmer living at Walton when he married Elizabeth Smith (1729-1800) at St Michael’s Church on 7 May 1759. Two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary were subsequently baptised at Walton in 1763 and 1765. Daniel died at the age of 56 on 4 November 1791 and was buried at Walton. His wife Elizabeth lived until she was 71 years of age and was buried at Walton following her death on 23 December 1800. Daniel and Elizabeth’s graves still exist although the inscriptions are very worn. A photograph of them can be viewed on this page.