WEDDINGTON CASTLE - An Online History

Miscellaneous references to Weddington Castle in historical documents

An ancestral history of the Astley family (former owners of the Castle) 1336 - 1531 from the book: "Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families" by Douglas Richardson, Kimball G. Everingham, , David Faris (pp45-47) can be accessed by clicking here †.

"History, gazetteer, and directory, of Warwickshire", by Francis White and co 1850, Oxford University:

"Weddington Castle was probably on the site of the capital mansion house mentioned in the suit of 1566. It may have been built by Thomas, Marquess of Dorset, who inclosed the whole manor of Weddington in 1491, converting all the lands to pasture."

(Borough of Nuneaton. Victorian County History. Vol IV. 1947.)

"Richard VINES, a Puritan divine and Greek scholar, was presented to the living of Weddington in 1627 and to Caldecote in 1630, holding both for a time. He was of the orthodox divines presented for Warwickshire to be consulted about the reformed liturgy. He had gifts as a preacher, and a sermon preached before the House of Commons in 1642 made a great impression. With other Puritans he took refuge at Coventry in 1643. In the following year he was made Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, where he did good work, showing himself a good administrator and promoter of learning. He married Katherine, daughter of Humphrey ADDERLEY of Weddington (p179)."

(See Chronology Entries: 1512-1758 (pp3-4).)

"The Castle itself was probably built by Thomas, Marquess of Dorset, who enclosed the whole parish of Weddington in 1491.

In 1561-2 the Castle was granted to Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, Humphrey ADDERLEY and John Cholmely. Humphrey Adderley gradually acquired all the manorial rights, and they were then held until 1739 when Thomas Adderley made a conveyance of the manor and presented it to the Church. The Castle was pulled down and the material used to build houses. The manorial rights today belong to the eldest son of the late Rev. Bracebridge Lindsey Hall."

(The Parish Church of St. James, Weddington and St. Theobald and St. Chad, Caldecote. Booklet.)

"The main area of building from 1930 onwards was in the St. Nicholas Ward, or more correctly the old village of Weddington. Of the original village mentioned in the Domesday Book and in Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwickshire only the village church remained. Before 1930 it had been a farming area with a few larger residential houses along Weddington Lane. Weddington Castle was of this type, and stood near what is now the junction of Shawe Avenue and Castle Road. Though a castle of Neo-Gothic architecture, it was reputed to have as its foundation a hunting Lodge dating from the reign of King John. Within an area of pure farmland, this was typical of Weddington before inter-war building took place."

(Nuneaton - The Growth of a Town. Milburn. p95.)

1817: April. Lionel Place of Weddington Hall indited the Weddington overseer Mr. Swinnerton(*) for carrying soil from off the road. Verdict for the defendant (1:21).

1817: 19/8. An adjourned petty Sessions was held at Mr. Place's Weddington Hall for inspecting the Roads lately indited by Rev. Mr. Heming and others. Several of the principal people of Nuneaton attended and stated to the magistrates the situation where the bridge formerly stood and where the road went (1:24).

1818: 2/1. The bridge across the river leading from the top of Abbey Street to Weddington now erected and ground raised a the expense of Mr. Lionel Place (i.e.: the Weddington Meadows Bridge). (1:25).

1818: October. Lionel Place Esq'r of Weddington kicked the posterior of a labourer (Davis) with such force (and the man being ruptured) he was so affected that his life was for some time in imminent danger. (1:31).

1818: December. Mr Place of Weddington Hall is said to have offered his Weddington Estate for £30,000 and that he gave £14,000 for the Hall and grounds belonging to it and £12,000 for the farms and that it is supposed he has expended from £15 to £20,000 upon the estate. (1:33)

1836: July. Mr Isaac Swinnerton built a brick wall by the road side on Derby Lane (Weddington Road).

(*) Mr. Swinnerton was a tenant-farmer at the Grove during Mr. Place's time at Weddington Castle.

(Notes taken from Memorandum Book of Occurances at Nuneaton: The Nuneaton Diary. Vol 1 1810-1825; Vol 2 1825-1845. (Barker).)

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