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William Checkley and Mary Clew© It is believed William Checkley was born in Exhall, but that he was baptized in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, on the 5th April, 17611. This record indicates William was the son of Thomas Checkley and his wife Ann (nee Cox). It is believed William may have first married2 a Mary Bird in Bulkington in 1781. The record indicates they were both from the parish of Bulkington. Bulkington is about 4km east of Exhall and 2km east from Bedworth. It is assumed William and Mary moved to Ryton-on-Dunsmore after their marriage, possibly looking for work. A Removal Order, or Settlement Certificate6, for a William Checkley and his wife Mary, dated 28th November, 1785, has been located. This document shows the Overseer of Ryton-on-Dunsmore sent William and Mary back to Exhall, as their Parish of Settlement and the responsibility of the Overseers of Exhall. The reason given is that they ‘çame to inhabit in the said Parish of Ryton not having gained legal settlement there, nor produced any (settlement) certificate owning them to settled’. Under the Settlement and Removal Act of 16624, if a parish decided a person or persons, who did not hold a Settlement Certificate, were likely to become in need of Poor Relief, or ‘chargeable’ to the parish poor rates, then that parish could establish which parish a person actually belonged (i.e. his/her place of ‘settlement’, which was where the man was born/baptised, and woman took the settlement of the man she married), and hence clarify which parish was responsible for him/her/them. This was the first occasion when a document proving domicile became statutory: these were called ‘Settlement Certificates’, and were generally only issued if a person could prove he had regular employment within the parish. If you were not granted a Settlement Certificate, one of two things could happen. You might be allowed to stay in the parish if your original parish of settlement agreed to pay a quarterly fee, to sustain you in your new parish should you need parish relief. If not, you would receive a Removal Order, sometimes accompanied by a written pass to the parish of settlement showing the route to be taken. This would apply even within a city or town which consisted of more than one parish. If issued with a Removal Order, your parish of settlement was obliged to take you back. It would appear that William and Mary did move to the Parish of Exhall, into the village of Foleshill, where they remained until their deaths. The daughter of Thomas and Mary Bird, Mary was baptised in Bedworth on the 13th September, 17621. It is further thought Mary died around 1790, but to-date no burial record has been located. William, a Labourer from Stockton, married Mary Clew, from Priors Hardwick, by Licence in St Mary Priors Hardwick, on the 23rd February, 17912. William’s surname is spelt as Chickley, and both he and Mary made their mark. The ceremony was performed by the Vicar Peter La Rogue in the presence of Edward Fairbrother and James Warren. Stockton's name was first recorded in 1272, the name meaning 'a fenced enclosure'. Stockton is surrounded by areas of blue lias clay, a raw material used in the manufacture of cement, and has long been associated with the manufacture of lime and cement. The village grew up mostly from the 19th Century as a largely industrial village, housing workers for the local cement industry. Interestingly in 1898 a large fossil was found locally of an Ichthyosaurus. This extremely rare fossil was taken by the Natural History Museum in London who now have it on display. While William's marriage record indicates he was a Labourer, but it is not known whether he was a farm labourer or maybe he worked in the cement and lime industry. Priors Harwick lies about 20km south-south-east of Ryton-on-Dunsmore and about 10km south of Stockton. The village is small and irregular, and most of the houses and cottages are of the local yellow stone, several with thatched roofs. One house also has a 17th Century arched and square-headed doorway and mullioned windows with labels. The name, Priors Hardwich, derives from the fact that it was originally a manor belonging to the Priors of Coventry. It was one of the 24 vills which formed Earl Leofric's original endowment of the monastery which he founded at Coventry, and his gift was confirmed by Edward the Confessor in 1043. In 10863 it was listed among the estates of the Priory and was said to be assessed at 15hides. It remained in the hands of the monks, and in 1195 the rent of the farm of Hardwick for half a year was £13. 16s. 9d. By 1291, it was £23. 9s. 4d., but the value had dropped in 1535, with rent of the farm of the manor and rents of lands and tenements being assessed at £16. 8s. 4½d. The parish church of St Mary is of early-to mid-13th Century origin, but of this period only the west tower remains. The chancel was rebuilt and much enlarged around 1300, and some interesting details of that period still exist. The nave was probably widened at the same time or very shortly afterwards, but the church’s side walls were entirely rebuilt in 1868, and only the early 14th Century doorways and west wall survive today. There have also been other repairs to chancel windows during the 20th Century. Mary's burial record5 suggest she was born around 1766, and given their marriage location possibly in or around Priors Hardwick, but to-date no baptism record for Mary has been located. Records suggest William and Mary had six children: Mary 1792-1792; John 1794; James 1795, he married Martha Hartell 1818; Edward 1800-1804; Ann 1804-1804; and Sarah 1806. William died at the age of 63, and was buried in Exhall on 5th February, 18235. Mary died four years later and was buried in Exhall on 20th March, 18275. She was 61years old.
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