William Dent

William Stevenson Dent (snr) was born in 1844 at Croxton Park, near Croxton Kerrial, where his father was a gamekeeper.  By 1871 William had moved to Fulbeck, where he worked as a gamekeeper for Col Fane.  In 1878 he mairred Mary Else (born Coddington) and later that year their eldest son, also William Stevenson Dent, was born at Fulbeck.  

In 1894 William S (snr) died following a shooting accident (aged 49).  Mary stayed in Fulbeck and by 1891 she was working as a dairymaid, while William S (jnr) was a gamekeeper for Mr Royds.  His youngest brother John (aged 16) was also a gamekeeper and the elder daughter Mary was a schoolteacher.  Another brother, Tom, was a gardener at Syston Hall, having worked in the garden at Fulbeck Hall for 5 years. 

In 1903 William married Kate Searson (from Gipple, nr Syston).  By 1911 they were living in Stubton and had a 6 year old daughter.  In the Great War William became an Air Mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps.  He died on 13th April 1917 at Killingbeck Hospital, Leeds, aged 39.

His brother Tom was called up but rejected because of a heart murmour. He was head gardener at various Halls before setting up as a nurseryman and poultry keeper in the Cotswold village of Chipping Campden.  He died in 1971, aged 90.