The Exton Family

ANN EXTON, my great-great grandmother, was the oldest of the first children of JOHN EXTON and ANN (née PERCIVAL). She was born in the East Leicestershire village of Hallaton, in the English Midlands in the fifty-third year of the reign of King George III, commonly characterised by historians as ‘Farmer George’ and ‘mad King George’. He was King of Great Britain during the American Revolution and consequently became to many Americans a byword for tyranny and the arrogance of the old European aristocracy.   THE BAPTISMS OF ANN & HER SIBLINGS Ann, had five siblings; four brothers, WILLIAM, THOMAS, JOHN and GEORGE and one sister FRANCES JANE. All were baptised in St Michael and All Angels Church in Hallaton. On the records below John Exton’s occupation is recorded as a ‘Chairturner‘. This is a person who turns the legs and spindles used in chair making, often turned on rough lathes as a cottage industry.

The Baptism record of ANN Exton – 29th December 1813

The baptism records of Ann’s brothers – WILLIAM Exton baptised 31st March 1815 and THOMAS Exton baptised 8th February 1818

The baptism records of Ann’s brothers – JOHN Exton baptised 13th Feb 1819 and GEORGE Exton baptised 8th February 1922

The baptism record of Ann’s sister- FRANCES JANE Exton baptised 5th Sept 1829

  ADD FAMILY TREE   1841 CENSUS The 1841 Census, which was undertaken on 6th June on that year, was the first national census to record details of individuals, previous Censuses had only counted numbers – in 1841 names and ages are recorded for the first time. In this Census John and Ann Exton were living in Church Street Hallaton with three of their children. There oldest child, daughter ANN, is not with the family as she had married JOHN GROCOCK, around five years prior, on 17th October 1836 in Hallaton. However she, with her husband and two children, 3 year old MARY ANN and is 3 years old and one year old brother JOHN, are also living in Church Street, Hallaton. On this Census JOHN EXTON is recorded as 51 year old, and his wife 53 years. Their second child, and oldest son WILLIAM is 25 years old. Willam would be married around five years after the 1841 as records show four children of William & Mary Exton born between 1846 to 1854. Both William and his father John have an occupation recorded as a ‘Chair‘  – likely the ‘Chairturner‘ mentioned above. Their third child Thomas is also not on this Census. He would have been 23 years at this time but I could not find any record of Thomas on any 1841 Census. The Census records their fourth child JOHN, who was born around 1819m is now 20 year old and is a ‘Agricultural Labourer’. The family is completed by daughter FRANCES JANE age 12 years old. Although the information on this Census is relatively clear I have reprinted the details below: [table]Place, Name,Age,Occupation,Whether Born in same County Church Street, John Exton,51,Chair, “Yes” “”,Ann Exton, 53,””,”Yes” “”,William Exton,25,Chair,”Yes” “”,John Exton,20,Ag Lab,”Yes” “”,Frances Exton, 12,””,”No” [/table] NO FURTHER CENSUS RECORDS Some unverified records on Family history websites show John Exton as living until 1882, however I cannot find any record of him on any future Census records; 1851, 1861, 1871 or 1881.