Welton is a village set in the west of Northamptonshire close to the M1 motorway and just south of the famed Watford Gap which unofficially divides the country between North and South.
This village appears in the Domesday survey as Welintone which seems to refer to having an abundance of springs.
St Martinýs Church is in the style of typical 15th century churches although at this time the exact age of this church is unconfirmed. The list of Vicars here goes back to the 13th century so there must have been some other form of church at Welton prior to the construction of this St Martinýs.
There is a story of five brothers that created the pulpit designed by Trevor Davys. Trevor was a reasonably well known church architect who also supervised the enlargements in 1897 of the St Helen church at Whathampstead near St Albans. The pulpit was lovingly carved in 1899 and has an almsbox on the top with a hand outstretched appealing for coins.
There is also an acient font which is said to be Saxon (pre 11th Century) and pulled from East Anglia as one whole piece. The gravestones in the graveyard are no mostly neglected and falling over. One grave is to that of a child of 6 that starved to death in 1806, a now lost poem was once engraved at the foot of it.
The Clarkes had been settled at Welton since around 1596 when Joseph Clarke, High Sheriff in 1758, built Welton Place. Joseph established what was to be known as 'The Big House' which belonged to the Clarke family for a further century. Situated by the lake they planted rare Cedar trees some of which are still there and protected.
Joseph left the house to his brother Richard Clarke of Nortoft when he died and Richards wife inherited at his death in 1774. His great nephew John Plomer inherited the Clarke estates and added the surname to his own in 1774 but it seems did not own Welton House until he purchased it in 1804. He married in 1806 the daughter of Sir John Nelthorp, a Miss Anne-Marie-Charlotte. He raised the Daventry Volunteers in 1813 and was High Sheriff in 1814. He also commanded the West Northants Militia and died in 1826.
The large house was eventually rented to Major Harry Sebastian Garrard who was the the Crown Jeweller and world renowned for important jewellery works. These include one of the most enduring images of Queen Victoria where she is wearing a small diamond crown made by Garrard in 1870.
In 1911 Garrard created Queen Mary's Crown for the Coronation and the Imperial Crown of India worn by King George V later that year, at the Delhi Durbar. The Imperial State Crown was remounted by Garrard in 1937, and then further adjusted for H.M. The Queen for the Coronation in 1953.
It is said that royalty may have visited Welton Place but no evidence has been found in our research to substantiate this claim. We also are not certain which dates the Garrards lived at Welton Place but it seems to be some time in the late 19th century.
Sadly Welton place was at some point converted to flats but ultimately demolished in 1972. We hope to find out a little more about this lost treasure and any photos of course would be greatly received.
We understand that the deeds, family and estate papers incl household accounts are available at the The National Archives covering the Clarke family from 1366 to 1896! We hope to be able to review these at some point.
We have uncovered a number of photographs dating back from 1955 which can be viewed by clicking below which will take you to www.francisfrith.com, a site which holds some of the largest collections of old photos of Britain.
Click to see old photos of Welton
Born in 1777 John was the eldest son of John and Ann Chamberlain, a poor family living in Welton. An intelligent child he soon turned his studies to religious scripts which lead him to follow a selfless path. He became a prominent missionary in India and pioneered the expansion in North India of the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS). He spent most of his time in Katwa and Agra but was expelled from Agra in 1812 by the East India Company for preaching to the soldiers.
He spent his final years at Mongehyr in Bihar and sadly decided to return home due to ill health in 1821. He did not complete his journey and died at sea alone in his cabin off the coast of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) just 20 days into the voyage.
You can read more about John Chamberlain in our 'People' pages. Click here.
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