Sewstern Probate Material

Sewstern is the easternmost village in Leicestershire, and lies 10 miles north-east of Melton Mowbray, close to the borders of Lincolnshire and Rutland. It was part of the ancient parish of Buckminster, and is now united with Buckminster again after a period as a separate civil parish between 1866 and 1936. The land was enclosed, along with that of Buckminster, in 1597. The present church of Holy Trinity was built in 1842, and the tithe map of that date shows no building on that site, but a record of 1220 refers to a chapel here where services 'ought to' have been taken three times a week.

Probate records are gradually being transcribed for Sewstern, and will be added to this page as work progresses. There are 44 surviving probate inventories covering the period 1633-1716, with an average (mean) vaue of £119 3s. and a median of £45 10s.

The memorial pictured has been placed inside Buckminster church, but what is the date? Stylistically, the stone is late 17th century. Could it be in memory of the Katherine Bury whose probate inventory (of 1691) is included on this site? Did the mason get the 6 and the 9 round the wrong way?

A separate page has been created for probate material relating to Buckminster itself.