1066 |
Harold
Godwinsson, Earl of Wessex, is crowned King of England; however, the
throne is also claimed by William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold Hardrada,
King of Norway. In September, William lays claim to the throne of
England by force. He defeats King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings,
and is crowned on Christmas Day, but it is 4 years before the rest
of the country is subdued. |
1086-88 |
In
order to understand the country he now rules, William orders the first
national survey, and the Domesday
Book is produced.
The village of Sproston in Cheshire is listed as 'Sprostune'. |
1216 |
The
nine-year-old Henry III comes to the English throne. |
1267 |
Edward
I is crowned. He embarks upon a massive invasion of Wales, building
castles such as Conway and Carnarvon at record speed to subjugate
the Welsh. He also claimed overlordship of Scotland, and was opposed
by the Scottish resistance led by William Wallace, and Robert the
Bruce. Edward rules until 1307 when his son Edward II was crowned. |
1281 |
Hy
de Sproustone is listed in the Betley, Staffordshire plea rolls as
owning one messuage and half acre 4d. Betley is a small market town
on the Cheshire/Staffordshire border. |
1452 |
Leonardo
da Vinci born. |
1485 |
The
beginning of the Tudor dynasty; Henry VII is crowned and tries to
unify the houses of Lancaster and York. He also makes an allegiance
with Spain, and marries his son, Arthur, to Catherine of Aragon. Arthur
dies soon after the wedding and his widow is bethrothed to Henry's
second son - later to be King Henry VIII. |
1492 |
Christopher
Columbus 'discovers' America. |
1509 |
Following
his father's death, Prince Henry marries his brother's widow and ascends
to the throne. But over the next 8 years Catherine has 6 children,
only one of which survives - a daughter, Mary. Henry has begun an
affair with Anne Boleyn and wishes to end his marriage to Catherine. |
1528 |
The
Pope refuses an annulment, and Henry has himself declared the supreme
Head of the Church of England. By 1536, smaller monasteries have been
closed and their land given to the King - this act of dissolution
leaves Henry owning around 10% of all the land in England. |
1564 |
Galilei
Galileo, Italian scientist, is born. |
1587 |
Sir
William Raleigh establishes to colony of Virginia. |
1591 |
William
Shakespeare of Straford-upon-Avon moves to London and becomes an actor. |
1600 |
Thomas
Sprawson, founder of the Harbury branch, is born in Harbury, Warwickshire. |
1603 |
Queen
Elizabeth I dies without children and James I, already James VI of
Scotland, comes to the throne of England. |
1605 |
Angered
by the anti-Catholic legislation of James I, a group of Catholics
led by Guido Fawkes plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament (thus
killing the king) on November 5th. However, the plot was discovered
and the conspirators were executed. |
1617 |
Ralph
Sproston, yeoman of Middlewich, dies. His inventory is available
from me.
|
1625 |
Charles
I comes to the throne. |
1633
(about) |
John
and Alice Sproston, founders of the Old Middlewich branch, are
born in Middlewich, Cheshire. |
1642-1646 |
English
Civil War. The Middlewich area remained in Parliamentarian hands for
most of this time, with the exception of the few days leading up to
the Battle of Middlewich in 1643 in which the Royalist forces who
had taken the town were defeated. |
1642 |
Isaac
Newton is born in Lincolnshire. |
1642 |
The
Dutch painter Rembrandt produces his most famous work, 'The Night
Watch'. |
1645 |
In
the Middlewich Quarter Sessions of October 1645, it is recorded that
'diverse persons whose names are underwritten have broken into and
possessed themselves of the said House, there intending to inhabit
and dwell, by which means the same House and diverse utensils and
other accommodations therein lately built and provided at the Country's
great charge, are spoiled and kept from the use intended, and rogues,
lewd and dissolute persons much encouraged in their idle lewd courses,
to the great detriment and terror of the Country'. The 'said house'
was the Middlewich House of Correction, and basically some of the
less-well-off local people had taken advantage of the upheaval of
the Civil War to make a home for themselves in this house. They remained
for a couple of years before being forced to leave; one was listed
as 'Elizabeth Sproston, widow'. |
1649-1660 |
Commonwealth.
Following the defeat of the Royalist forces and the execution of King
Charles, England is ruled by Parliament under Oliver Cromwell. |
1665 |
The
Black Death comes to London and quickly spread across the country.
Plague deaths in London alone total 680,000. Communities isolate themselves
from the outside world to avoid infection. |
1666 |
September
of this year saw the Great Fire of London, started in Pudding Lane
on the north side of the Thames. After burning for 5 days and nights,
nearly all the buildings within the old city walls were destroyed. |
1678 |
The
Italien composer Vivaldi is born. |
1712 |
First
known mention of the Sproston family in America - Elizabeth Sproson
of New Kent County, Virginia had a child out of wedlock in Henrico
County. |
1714 |
George
I comes to the throne. |
1719 |
John
Sproston, founder of the Challener branch, is born in Wrenbury,
Cheshire. |
1730 |
Thomas
Sproston, yeoman of Bradwall, is born near Sandbach Cheshire.
His will is available here. |
1731 |
William
Defoe, author of 'Moll Flanders' and 'Robinson Crusoe' dies. |
1742 |
Handel's
'Messiah' completed. |
1769 |
The
first Sprosons in Audley, Staffordshire are recorded - Isaac
Sproson marries Ann Oldfield at St James, Audley. |
1777 |
The
Trent-Mersey canal is completed which allows goods from the Potteries
(Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) to be taken by boat to the port of
Liverpool and exported all over the world. Sprostons from Cheshire
begin to move into the Potteries, working as potters and miners. |
1760 |
George
II dies and George III comes to the throne. |
1775 |
Jane
Austen, writer of 'Sense and Sensibility' is born. |
1775 |
Joseph
Turner, English landscape artist, is born. |
1776 |
The
US Declaration of Independence was signed. |
1776 |
John
Sproston of the Challener branch, born in Wrenbury, Cheshire in
1753, marries Mary Court at All Saint's Church (Shakespeare's
Church) in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. |
1779 |
John
Sproston, brickmaker of Tunstall is born - location as yet unknown.
His children will be baptised at St Margaret's Wolstanton. |
1783 |
The
Peace Treaty of Paris which ended the American Revolutionary War was
signed. |
1786 |
Job
Sproston of the Old Middlewich branch, a boatbuilder born in Middlewich
in 1763, moves to Sandbach and marries Mary Condliffe. His son, Thomas,
also a boatbuilder, marries Ann Daines in 1809 at St Mary's Astbury,
and then moves south to Weston upon Trent, Staffordshire. Thomas and
Ann are the founders of the Stafford branch, and their descendants
remain in the Stafford area to this day. |
1804 |
Robert
Sprowson, founder of the Newchapel branch, marries Mary Lovatt.
Their descendants will remain in the Newchapel area of Stoke-on-Trent
for 5 generations. |
1804 |
Naploleon
becomes Emperor of France. |
1810 |
Stanier
Sproston, the first of several descendents of William Sprowson
and Maria Stanier of the Stanier branch to bear that name, is baptised
at Wolstanton Weslayan Methodist Chapel, Stoke-on-Trent. |
1810 |
Charles
Sproston, founder of the Middlewich Tanners branch, is born in
Kinderton to Samuel and Margaret. Samuel is a tailor and a member
of the Old Middlewich branch. |
1812 |
George
S Sproston serves as surgeon's mate during the 2nd War of Independence
aboard the Frigate Congress. |
1815 |
Napoleon
is defeated by Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. |
1820 |
Beethoven
composed his '9th Symphony'. |
1832 |
John
Sproston of Wolstanton Staffordshire emigrates with his children to
Canada, then Illinios. |
1833 |
Isaac
Sproston of the Challener branch dies in a stage coach accident
making the steep descent into Long Compton, Warwickshire. He leaves
behind his second wife, Mary Smith and 4 young children. |
1835 |
Benjamin
Sproson, miller of Wightwick, nr Wolverhampton, is listed in the
local Trade Directory. Born in 1782, Benjamin dies in 1848. |
1837 |
William
IV dies and Queen Victoria comes to the throne. Her reign will last
for 64 years and take Britain into a new century. |
1840 |
Russian
composer Peter Tchaikovsky is born. |
1840 |
Samuel
Sproson, farmer of Shavington cum Gresty, Cheshire dies, leaving
his farm to his son John and wife Mary. His will is available here. |
1841 |
William
Sproston of the Challener branch dies. Headmaster of the High
Wycombe Grammar School from 1796 until his death, William was also
responsible for bringing street lighting to High Wycombe. A copy of
William's will is available here. |
1850
(about) |
Thomas
Samuel Carr Sproston of the Challener branch, a vicar's son from
Lincolnshire, emigrates to Avoca, Australia, where he marries a 16-year-old,
Sarah Ann. Together they own land locally and have 11 children. Samuel's
brother, William, becomes a surgeon in Birmingham . |
1853 |
Dutch
artist Vincent van Gogh is born. |
1854 |
John
Glendy Sproston of Maryland, USA sails to Japan. 8 years later he
is killed in action whilst fighting with Du Pont in the American Civil
War. |
1855 |
One
Friday morning in April, James
Sproston of the Bradwall branch, respected joiner and member of
the local Methodist church, kills his wife Ann with a cavalry sword
and the shoots himself with a pistol. James's will is available here. |
1860
(about) |
Henry
Sprosen, a carpenter from Buckinghamshire and a member of the
Harbury branch, emigrates to Christchurch, New Zealand. From the deck
of the boat he throws his bowler hat into the water and swears he
will never wear it again. |
1865 |
The
US Civil War ends. |
1869 |
Impressionism
is born - the first 'Impressionist' painting are produced during the
summer of this year by Pierre Renoir and Claude Monet. |
1871 |
Charles
Darwin publishes 'The Descent of Man'. |
1876 |
The
Bell telephone carries its' first sentence. |
1876 |
Mark
Twain writes 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' . |
1880
(about) |
Samuel
Sproston, of the Odd Rode branch and miner of Talk'o'th'Hill,
dies at the age of 45, leaving his wife Paulina Archer with 10 children,
the youngest just a baby. Paulina remarries some 10 years later, another
miner called David Lowe. |
1881 |
James
Sproston, a cab driver born in Chester in 1863, is an inmate at
Knutsford Nether Prison, Cheshire. |
1883 |
Leonard
Sproston of the Challener branch, son of Isaac and a cattleman
from Shrewsbury, emigrates with his wife and young family to California.
In 1906 he dies and the family loses everything in the San Francisco
earthquake. |
1895 |
Joseph
Sprowson of the Styal branch arrives in Massachusetts via Canada
with his family. Joseph and his children work in the cotton mills,
as his brother John does at home in Wilmslow, Cheshire. |
1897 |
Edward
(Teddy) Sproston is born in Hale, nr Altrincham, Cheshire. Son
of a postal telegraph clerk, Teddy and his brother Frank go on to
found the Cheshire Roads Club, a cycling club based in Cheshire. |
1901 |
The
Sproston & Knight Pottery operates briefly in Stoke-on-Trent,
run by John
Sproston and Samuel Knight. |
1901 |
Marconi
makes his first trans-Atlantic telegraph transmission. |
1907 |
'Red'
Emma Sproson, wife of Frank Sproson from Tettenhall, Birmingham,
campaigns for women's rights and is arrested during a demonstration
in London. |
1914-1918 |
First
World War. |
1915 |
Leonard
George Sproston, grandson of Thomas Carr Sproston, is killed in
action at Gallipoli. He is the only known Sproston of non-English
origin to have died in any war. |
1920
(about) |
Ernest
Samuel Sproston of the Stafford branch emigrates to New South
Wales, Australia where his descendents still live. |
1939-1945 |
Second
World War. |
1942 |
Philip
Maurice Sproston, born in 1918 to John Sproston (a member of the
Stafford branch who moved to Leicester), is killed in action in WW2.
Philip was a telegraphist aboard HMS Fidelity. 15 ships were torpedoed
in the 3-day Battle for Convoy ONS154; 14 of them were sunk. HMS Fidelity,
disguised as a Merchant ship, was torpedoed on Dec 30, 1942. She was
transporting 51 Royal Marines to Indo-China, and was sunk by U435,
in the Atlantic off the Azores. |
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