(403) Barnston of Churton Hall and Crewe Hill

Barnston of Churton Hall and Crewe Hill

The Barnston family are believed to have owned the Churton estate near Farndon (Cheshire) since the mid 14th century, and the earliest surviving deed of the Churton estate is dated 1393. Research is hampered by the fact that the family did not own the (usually well-recorded) manorial rights until the 1890s, and by the loss of their early deeds, which seem to have been mislaid or burnt at Churton before 1628. The family probably takes its name from the hamlet of Barnston on the Wirral peninsula (which was not part of their later estates), but the pedigree which the family submitted to the 1613 Visitation of Cheshire is not much help in tracing their origins, since it obviously misses several generations out altogether, and so is wholly unreliable. Fortunately more recent research has constructed a credible pedigree beginning with Hugh de Berneston of Barneston and Worleston, who was active in the reign of King Edward I. His grandson, Robert de Berneston of Barnston and Heswall had a younger son, Robert who seems to have been the man to settle at Churton. Robert's son Ralph (1404-49) left it to his daughter Margery, but she died without issue and it passed to her first cousin once removed, Robert Berneston, born in about 1477. His son, Thomas Berneston or Barnston, (with whom the genealogy below begins) is said to have lived from 1509 to 1602. His son, William Barnston (c.1535-1620) was a retainer of the Earls of Derby, and married into the Massey family of Coddington in about 1560. In 1569, he and his wife rebuilt Churton Hall: the date comes from a board in the porch of the house (but perhaps originally part of the internal panelling), with their initials and the date. Since this cannot refer to their marriage, it was presumably intended to date the building. In the next generation, the estate descended to their eldest son, Thomas Barnston (c.1560-1646), although his younger brother, Canon John Barnston (1563-1645), who went to Oxford, was chaplain to the 6th Earl of Derby, and became a canon of Salisbury Cathedral, is better documented.

Thomas Barnston (d. 1646) was succeeded by his son William Barnston (1592-1665), who was an ardent Royalist during the Civil War. He was part of the force holding Chester for the king in 1645 and was later with the king at Oxford, where he was taken prisoner by the Parliamentarians, and held in the Tower of London for some time. He was allowed to compound for his estates, but raising the £640 to pay his fine required him to mortgage his properties, which took time to arrange, and he was not allowed to return to Cheshire until 1648.

Farndon church: the siege of Chester memorial window,
from a drawing by the Rev. Hugh Cholmondeley.

The fighting in Cheshire had caused serious damage to his estate, with several cottages burnt and the parish church in Farndon, in which Parliamentarian troops had been billeted, in ruins. Nonetheless, the estate seems to have recovered fairly quickly, and by 1658 William was able to spare the money to restore the church, which had been so badly damaged that it was virtually rebuilt except for the tower. As part of the work, William created a family chapel and vault at the east end of the south aisle, where he was buried in 1665. Here he installed a wooden memorial panel with a description of his Civil War exploits, and a notable stained glass window, commemorating the Royalist defenders of Chester.

William's eldest son, John Barnston (1630-61) married Alice Trafford (d. 1666), the daughter and sole heiress of the Trafford family of Bridge Trafford near Chester, which became a significant addition to the family estate. John died before his father, leaving an only son, Trafford Barnston (1660-86), who was the heir to his grandfather at Churton. Although he too died young, Trafford Barnston married a member of the Massey family of Coddington (as his great-great-grandfather had done) and produced three sons, who inherited the estate in turn. The eldest, Trafford Barnston (1679-1702) was scarcely down from Oxford before he died unmarried; the second, John Barnston (1681-1706) married Elizabeth Salusbury of Rûg, but had no issue; and it was left to the third, Roger Barnston (1683-1753) to continue the line. By his first marriage in 1707, to the heiress Jane Gregg, he acquired estates at Hapsford and Elton (Ches.) that adjoined his Bridge Trafford property. These included Hapsford Hall, described in 1817 as 'an old timber mansion, in a state of extreme decay', which was rebuilt before 1832 as a neat three bay three-storey house for the benefit of the tenant farmer.

Forest House, Chester: sketch plan
of the site. Image: Chesterwiki

Roger Barnston held his estates for nearly fifty years and outlived several of his children. His eldest son and heir, Trafford Barnston (1708-71), who was twice married but had no children, evidently lived most of his life in Chester, where, at the time he wrote his will in 1769, he was in the process of building a grand new town house, known as Forest House, on the corner of Love Lane and Forest Street.  This was of three storeys above a semi-basement, and stood behind an oval forecourt flanked by low service buildings, which were later replaced by a Victorian building on the street frontage. The house itself survives and has been tentatively attributed to Sir Robert Taylor on stylistic grounds. Taylor was responsible for richly-decorated interiors in the Bishop's Palace in Chester in 1754-57, so would have been known in the city, and in 1767-68 he designed a house in Upper Brook St. on the Grosvenor estate in Mayfair, London, where Trafford Barnston also had a property, so his selection as architect would not be too surprising, but there seems to be no documentary evidence. Forest House was apparently abandoned by the family in about 1830, when much of the furniture and some fittings were removed to Crewe Hill, and it was finally sold by the family in about 1850. It subsequently served as an auction house and furniture depository, and is now a Wetherspoon's pub and micro-brewery. It is likely that some of the original interior decoration survives although it is not known how much, since most of the interior surfaces are concealed by dry lining and suspended ceilings.

Forest House, Chester: the surviving main block with its Victorian forebuilding. Image: Chesterwiki

When Trafford Barnston died in 1771, the family properties, including Forest House, passed to his younger brother, Robert Barnston (1715-83), who was a wine merchant in Chester. He had eight children, of whom only one son and three daughters survived him. The son was Roger Barnston (1749-1837), who became one of the leading citizens of Chester. He was prominent in the group of freeholders who opposed the growing political control of Chester by the Grosvenor family, and in 1784 he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament against the Grosvenors' nominees. He was also prominent socially, acting, for example, as Treasurer of the fund for building new Assembly Rooms in 1776, presiding over the St David's Day dinner in 1792, and being chosen as the founding President of the King and Constitution Club in 1817. His estates at Churton, Bridge Trafford and Hapsford also gave him standing in the county, and he was High Sheriff in 1800-01 and Lieutenant-Colonel of the Chester militia. In or after 1794 he also inherited (in right of his wife) a farm called Crewe Hill at Farndon, which lay close to his ancestral Churton Hall estate. Here he began soon afterwards to extend the original farmhouse to form a country retreat. The original form of this is unclear, but it seems to have been quite small. It was enlarged in about 1832, by which time he had probably handed it over to his son, Roger Harry Barnston (1802-49). It was probably he who was responsible for applying fake timber-framing to the exterior of both Crewe Hill and Churton Hall, and for the collection of antiquarian woodwork in the hall at Crewe Hill.

Roger Harry Barnston died in 1849, leaving seven children by his first wife and three by his second. Three of his sons went into the regular army, and his eldest son, Maj. Roger Barnston (1826-57) was regarded as a particularly gallant officer. He fought throughout the Crimean War, was present at Sebastopol, and then went on to India, where he died from wounds received during the relief of Lucknow in 1857.

The Barnston Memorial at Farndon, designed by Edward A. Heffer and
erected by public subscription in 1858. Image: Jeff Buck. Some rights reserved.

Major William Barnston (1832-72), who succeeded him in the estate, also fought in the Crimea, where he was wounded but survived. He retired from the army on inheriting the estate, and raised a memorial to his brother's memory, which cost £460, raised by public subscription. He died aged just 40, leaving an infant son as his heir, as well as several older daughters. The estate passed into the capable hands of his widow, Mary Emma Barnston (1838-1918), who managed it until her son came of age at the end of 1891. For his coming of age present, she purchased the manorial rights of Farndon from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

Sir Harry Barnston, the young man who came into his inheritance at the age of 21, was educated at Oxford and the Inner Temple, where he was called to the bar in 1898, although he never practised. He served with the Cheshire Yeomanry from 1894, and saw action in the First World War, but his chief passions seem to have been farming and politics. After standing unsuccessfully for Stockport in 1906, in 1910 he was elected MP for the Eddisbury constituency, a large rural area in south-west Cheshire, and he continued to represent it until his death in 1929. For much of the 1920s he was Comptroller of the Royal Household, a sinecure which is traditionally held by the deputy chief whip of the party in Government, and when in 1924 the Tories were briefly forced out of office by a Labour minority government, he was made a baronet in the resignation honours list.  He was unmarried and without issue, so the baronetcy died with him, and Crewe Hill passed to his unmarried sister, Joanna Barnston (1867-1946). After her death, it descended, to Sir Harry's great-nephew, Philip Edmund Trevor (1911-2000), who took the additional name Barnston as a condition of the bequest. He ran the estate through the difficult post-war years, but had no children to inherit, so on his death it passed to his nephew, Michael Anthony Tudor Trevor (b. 1943), who had been a trustee of the estate since 1965 and who also took the additional name Barnston. He invested heavily in diversifying the estate away from its dependence on dairy farming, to include forestry and residential and commercial properties. He was High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1998-99, almost exactly 200 years after his ancestor, Roger Barnston, had been the last member of the family to hold the post. At Crewe Hill, an elaborate garden has been laid out combining elements of garden design from several different parts of the world. This has been the setting for many events in support of the family's social and charitable work, in recognition of which Michael Trevor-Barnston was awarded an MBE in 2010 and he and his wife have both received honorary degrees from Chester University. The majority of the 1800 acre estate, which still covers land and buildings at Farndon, Bridge Trafford and Hapsford, has now been handed over to their son, Edward Trevor-Barnston (b. 1974), who is continuing the tradition of careful management, with a new emphasis on sustainability and biodiversity. In 2019 he was awarded the prestigious Bledisloe Gold Medal Award by the Royal Agricultural Society of England, an annual award recognising landowners showing outstanding achievement in the successful land management and development of an English agricultural estate.

Churton Hall, Cheshire

Churton Hall: the house, 'now a farm' in 1793, drawn by J. Ingleby. Image: National Library of Wales.

A 16th century half-timbered house built by the Barnston family which may be dated by a loose painted board in the porch carrying the inscription WB 1569 EB (the initials are those of William Barnston (d. 1620) and his wife). The house is E-shaped, with projecting gables of different design at either end and an off-centre single-storey porch, which has open sides filled with split balusters. Above the porch are two octagonal panels with the arms and crest of the Barnston family. The left-hand wing contained the family rooms and has a massive external sandstone chimneystack, which may be an addition of the 17th century, when it was probably refitted internally. The house now has a 19th century roof covered with slates, but was probably originally thatched. The Barnston family seem to have occupied the house until the 18th century, when they moved to Chester, and later to their present seat of Crewe Hill: it has been a farmhouse ever since. It was restored in 1978-82 when the genuine timber-framing (which had been largely concealed by applied fake framing as at Crewe Hill) was exposed.

Churton Hall: the entrance front in 2009. Image: digitally corrected version of an image by David Dunford. Some rights reserved.

Descent: William Barnston (fl. late 15th cent.); to son, Thomas Barnston; to son, William Barnston (c.1535-1620); to son, Thomas Barnston (c.1560-1646); to son, William Barnston (1592-1665); to grandson, Trafford Barnston (1660-86); to son, Trafford Barnston (1679-1702); to brother, John Barnston (1681-1706); to brother. Roger Barnston (1683-1753); to son, Trafford Barnston (1708-71); to brother, Robert Barnston (1715-83); to son, Roger Barnston (1749-1837); to son, Roger Harry Barnston (1802-49); to son, Maj. Roger Barnston (1826-57); to brother, Maj. William Barnston (1832-72); to son, Maj. Sir Harry Barnston (1870-1929), 1st bt.; to sister, Joanna Barnston (1867-1946); to nephew, Philip Edmund Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (1911-2000); to nephew, Michael Anthony Tudor Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (b. 1943); to son, Edward Charles Harry Trevor-Barnston (b. 1974).

Crewe Hill, Farndon, Cheshire

Crewe Hill, Farndon: the entrance front in about 1900, before the removal of the fake timber framing.
Image: Chester Archives and Local Studies.

What was originally a farmhouse was enlarged in about 1805 into a rambling early 19th century stuccoed house by the Barnstons of Churton Hall, and it became their main residence after a further enlargement, consisting of the dining room and the rooms above it, which were added in 1832. There were further additions and refenestration in about 1890. The entrance front is symmetrical, with a central gable and projecting wings linked by a verandah. In the 19th century the walls were decorated all over with a painted pattern to emulate elaborate timber framing, and the wings now have late 20th century square bay windows on the ground floor, with balconies above in front of oak French windows to the bedrooms. The garden front has a symmetrical centre with two gabled wings projecting either side of a central gable, but more informal wings to either side: that on the right probably represents the original farmhouse.

Crewe Hill: garden front.

Inside is a galleried hall of modest size decorated with early Victorian antiquarian treasures, dark oak furniture and dark stained wood-carving. The antiquarian pieces include the communion rail from the demolished St. Bridget's church in Chester, which was formed into a minstrel's gallery. There are also bulbous balusters on the door panels, and bosses studding the ceiling. Some of the carving is said to come from the family's Chester property, Forest House (although since that was a late Georgian house, it must have been imported from somewhere else before that). Other pieces, like the fireplace supported on Atlantes are clearly 19th century. On the walls, amongst the family portraits, are halberds, swords, Civil War armour and the colours of the Royal Cheshire Militia. At the rear of the house, in the dining room, are some momentoes of Maj. Roger Barnston (1821-57) from the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.

Descent: built for Roger Barnston (1749-1837); to son, Roger Harry Barnston (1802-49); to son, Maj. Roger Barnston (1826-57); to brother, Maj. William Barnston (1832-72); to son, Maj. Sir Harry Barnston (1870-1929), 1st bt.; to sister, Joanna Barnston (1867-1946); to great-nephew, Philip Edmund Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (1911-2000); to nephew, Michael Anthony Tudor Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (b. 1943); to son, Edward Charles Harry Trevor-Barnston (b. 1974).

Barnston family of Churton Hall and Crewe Hill

Barnston, Thomas (1509?-1602). Son of Robert Berneston of Churton and his wife, said to have been born in 1509. He married Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Manning of Chester, and had issue including:

(1) William Barnston (c.1528-1620) (q.v.);

(2) Anne Barnston; married John Stringer of Crewe (Cheshire).

He inherited Churton Hall from his father or grandfather.
He is said to have died aged 93 on 19 December 1602. His wife's date of death is unknown.

Barnston, William (c.1528-1620). Son of Thomas Barnston and his wife Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Manning of Chester, born about 1528. He was a retainer or client of the Earls of Derby. He married, 1545, Elizabeth (d. 1607), younger daughter of Roger Massie of Coddington (Ches.), and had issue:

(1) Thomas Barnston (c.1560-1646) (q.v.);

(2) Rev. John Barnston (1562/3-1645); educated at Brasenose College, Oxford (matriculated 1581; BA 1585; MA 1589; BD and DD 1615); Fellow of Brasenose College and rector of Begbroke (Oxon), 1588-97; rector of Everleigh (Wilts), 1598 and Winterslow (Wilts), 1634; canon of Salisbury from 1601 (and canon residentiary by 1609), but was ejected from all his benefices by the parliamentary forces before his death; chaplain to Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, c.1615, and to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby, c.1620-40; endowed a Hebrew lectureship at Brasenose College, Oxford, 1628; married Mary [surname unknown] (d. 1625), but had no surviving issue; died 30 May 1645 and was buried in Salisbury Cathedral.

He inherited Churton Hall from his father, and apparently rebuilt it in 1569.
He died aged about 92 on 21 July 1620 and was buried at Farndon. His wife died 13 January 1606/7.

Barnston, Thomas (c.1560-1646). Elder son of William Barnston (c.1528-1620) and his wife Elizabeth, younger daughter of Roger Massie of Coddington (Ches.), born about 1560. Mayor of Holt, 1621. He paid a fine to avoid knighthood, 1631. He married, 1588 or 1590, Elizabeth (1560-1614?), daughter of Richard Tyler of Hardwick (Shrops.) and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Barnston (1590?-1622?), said to have been born in 1590; married, 1610/11 (settlement 6 February), Richard Aldersey (fl. 1613 but d. by 1616), second son of William Aldersey (1543-1616), Mayor of Chester, and had issue; said to have died in 1622;

(2) William Barnston (1592-1665) (q.v.);

(3) Richard Barnston (1595?-c.1667), said to have been born in 1595; a merchant in London; married Katherine [surname unknown] (d. 1675?) and perhaps had issue; will proved at Chester, 1667.

He inherited Churton Hall from his father in 1620.
He died in April 1646 and was buried at Farndon. His wife was probably the woman of this name buried at Farndon, 16 May 1614, although family tradition asserts she died in 1626.

Barnston, William (1592-1665). Elder son of Thomas Barnston and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Tyler of Hardwick (Shrops.), born 1592. He was a zealous Royalist in the Civil War and was imprisoned after the fall of Oxford and his estates sequestrated; he was released in 1648 and allowed to compound for his estates for £567, but he also suffered the loss of cottages to the value of £500 during the war. In 1658 he restored the church at Farndon* and left further money in his will for the completion of the project. He married, 10 August 1618 at Farndon, Dorothy (d. 1677), daughter of Thomas Brooke esq. of Little Sankey (Lancs) and sister of Sir Richard Brooke of Norton (Ches.), and had issue:

(1) Thomas Barnston (1621-22), baptised at Farndon, 1 February 1620/1; died in infancy and was buried at Farndon, 29 June 1622;

(2) Mary Barnston (1622-93), baptised at Farndon, 17 March 1621/2; married, as his second wife, Jonathan Bruen (c.1610-76) of Bruen Stapleford (Ches.), and had issue five sons and three daughters; buried at Tarvin (Ches.), 11 January 1692/3;

(3) Frances Barnston (1623-25), baptised at Farndon, 14 April 1623; died in infancy and was buried at Farndon, 23 March 1624/5;

(4) Elizabeth Barnston (b. 1625?), said to have been born 1625; married, 1642, John Savent of Woodgates (Dorset), but had no issue;

(5) William Barnston (1627-50), born 6 July and baptised at Farndon, 16 July 1627; died unmarried and was buried at Farndon, 27 April 1650;

(6) Dorothy Barnston (1629-30), born 24 May and baptised at Farndon, 31 May 1629; died in infancy, 17 January 1629/30;

(7) John Barnston (1630-61) (q.v.);

(8) Thomas Barnston (1632-86), baptised at Farndon, 29 July 1632; married, 12 June 1654 at St Mary, Shrewsbury (Shrops.), Abigail (d. 1695), daughter of John Lowe esq. of Shrewsbury, and had issue two sons (who both died unmarried); buried at Farndon, 28 August 1686; will proved at Chester, 1687.

He inherited Churton Hall from his father in 1646 and was the principal legatee of his uncle, Canon John Barnston, in 1645.
He died 8 March 1664/5 and was buried at Farndon, where he is commemorated by a painted wooden memorial plaque recording him as "a person of great worth and integrity, [who] ventured his life and fortune with King Charles the First, was sent prisoner from Oxford to London, where he continued till he paid his composition for his estates". His widow was buried at Farndon, 2 June 1677.
* Churton village was historically divided between the parishes of Aldford and Farndon, with the Churton Hall estate lying in the part of the village in Farndon parish.

Barnston, John (1630-61). Eldest surviving son of William Barnston (1592-1665) and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Brooke esq., baptised at Farndon, 18 July 1630. He married, 6 October 1657 at St Oswald, Chester, Alice (1643-66), daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Trafford* esq. of Bridge Trafford (Ches.), and had issue:

(1) Dorothy Barnston (1658-60), born 25 September and baptised at Farndon, 10 October 1658; died young and was buried at Farndon, 27 December 1660;

(2) Trafford Barnston (1660-86) (q.v.).

He inherited Churton Hall from his father.
He died 8 May 1661. His widow married 2nd, 1662, the Hon. Richard Savage, second son of John Savage, Viscount Savage and Earl Rivers, and had issue one son (who became 5th Earl Rivers, and was a Roman Catholic priest in Bruges (Belgium)); she died 23 October 1666 and was buried at Plemstall (Ches.).

*Thomas Trafford was killed at the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

Barnston, Trafford (1660-86). Only son of John Barnston (1630-61) and his wife Alice, daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Trafford esq, of Bridge Trafford (Ches.), born 1 May and baptised 10 May 1660. He married, 12 February 1677 at Coddington (Ches.), Anne (d. 1737), only daughter of Roger or John Massie of Coddington (Ches.), and had issue:

(1) Trafford Barnston (1679-1702), baptised at Coddington, 25 October 1679; educated at Brasenose College, Oxford (matriculated 1697); died unmarried and was buried at Farndon, 9 July 1702; administration of goods granted at Chester, 1702;

(2) John Barnston (1681-1706), baptised at Coddington, 16 August 1681; married, 21 December 1704 at Farndon, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Owen or Roger Salusbury of Rûg (Merioneths.), but had no issue; buried at Farndon, 6 March 1705/6; administration of goods granted at Chester, 1706;

(3) Roger Barnston (1683-1753) (q.v.).

He inherited Churton Hall from his father in 1661, and came of age in 1681. After his death, his three sons inherited the estate in turn. The estate was burdened in the 18th century with the jointures of his widow and daughter-in-law.
He was buried at Farndon, 13 April 1686. His widow married 2nd, 21 February 1698/9 at St. Oswald, Chester, Thomas Wynne (d. 1739) of Dyffryn Aled (Denbighs.); she died 28 September and was buried at Farndon, 3 October 1737.

Barnston, Roger (1683-1753). Third son of Trafford Barnston (1660-86) and his wife Anne, only daughter of Roger Massie of Coddington, baptised at Farndon, 25 October 1683. JP and DL for Cheshire. He enlarged Farndon church in 1726. He married 1st, 22 April 1707 at St Michael, Chester, Jane (d. 1720), elder daughter and heiress of Edward Gregg of Hapsford (Ches.), and 2nd, 8 May 1728 at St Oswald, Chester, Mary (d. 1745), eldest daughter of Sir John Williams, 2nd bt., of Pengethley (Herefs) and widow of John Hurlestone (d. 1727) of Doddleston (Ches.), and had issue:

(1.1) Trafford Barnston (1708-71) (q.v.);

(1.2) Rev. Roger Barnston (1709-82), born 5 July and baptised at St Michael, Chester, 19 July 1709; educated at Sedbergh Sch. and Trinity College, Cambridge (matriculated 1727; BA 1731; MA 1734); rector of Childwall (Lancs), 1734-37; vicar of St Michael, Chester, 1737-82, and of Condover (Shrops.), 1739-82; rector of Pontesbury (Shrops.), 1759-82, and canon of Chester Cathedral, 1739-82; built Retreat House, Abbey Sq., Chester in 1755; married 1st, 21 August 1748 in Chester Cathedral, Elizabeth (d. 1768), daughter of George Marsh esq., and 2nd, 31 August 1772 at St Oswald, Chester, Anne (1725-1802), eldest daughter of John Egerton esq.; died 6 December, and was buried at Farndon, 9 December 1782; will proved 3 March 1783;

(1.3) Edward Barnston (b. & d. 1710), born 25 August and baptised at St Michael, Chester, 11 September 1710 but died and was buried 16 September 1710;

(1.4) Robert Barnston (b. & d. 1711), born 31 August and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 13 September 1711; died in infancy and was buried there, 29 September 1711;

(1.5) John Barnston (1713-41), born 28 January and baptised 10 February 1712/3; collector of customs at Sunderland (Co. Durham); married, 1735, Mrs Metton [Mytton?], niece of Sir Richard Corbet, bt.; died of smallpox, 6 January and was buried in Sunderland, 8 January 1740/1;

(1.6) Edward Barnston (1714-50), born 26 February and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 18 March 1713/4; apprenticed to Christopher Fowler of London, wax chandler, 1729; married 17 April 1740, Susanna (d. 1742/3), daughter of James Gronous of London, upholsterer and widow of Charles Lowe (d. 1733?), but had no issue; died 22 November and was buried at St Mary Mounthaw, London, 27 November 1750;

(1.7) Robert Barnston (1715-83) (q.v.);

(1.8) Jane Barnston (1717-76), born 18 January and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 12 February 1716/7; died unmarried and was buried at Farndon, 7 October 1776;

(1.9) William Gregge Barnston (1718-84), born 2 March and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 25 March 1718; banker in London; married, 30 July 1741 at St Lawrence, Old Jewry, London, Mary (1718-1804), daughter of William Sawbridge of London, wholesale mercer, and had issue five sons and five daughters, of whom only one son and four daughters survived infancy; died at Bath (Som.), 12 June and was buried at Farndon, 23 June 1784; will proved in the PCC, 11 August 1784;

(1.10) Peter Barnston (b. 1720), born 8 November and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 29 November 1720; probably died in infancy.

He inherited Churton Hall from his brother, and property at Hapsford and Elton near Frodsham, including Hapsford Hall, in right of his first wife. He lived chiefly in Chester.
He was buried at Farndon, 7 July 1753; administration of his goods was granted at Chester in 1772 but was delayed by the death of his first two executors, including his eldest son. His first wife died following childbirth, 20 November and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 22 November 1720. His second wife died in Shrewsbury 'after she was frightened out of her life by the Rebels at the unhappy rebellion', 27 December 1745 and was buried at Farndon, 2 January 1745/6. 

Barnston, Trafford (1708-71). Eldest son of Roger Barnston (1683-1753) of Churton Hall and his first wife Jane, daughter and heiress of Edward Gregg of Hapsford, born 11 March and baptised at St Michael, Chester, 25 March 1707/8. High Sheriff of Cheshire, 1735-36. He married 1st, 9 May 1735 at Whitehall Chapel, London, Letitia (1696-1755), only daughter and eventual heiress of Roger Owen of Condover (Shrops.) and widow of Richard Mytton (d. 1731) of Halston Hall (Shrops.), and 2nd, 28 June 1756 at Holy Trinity, Chester, his step-mother's daughter, Elizabeth (d. c.1798), daughter of John Hurlestone of Newton (Ches.), but had no issue.
He inherited Churton Hall and Hapsford Hall from his father in 1753, but lived chiefly in Chester, where he built Forest House, Love Lane, in 1769-70. He also had a house in Upper Brook St., Mayfair, London.
He was buried at Farndon, 22 March 1771. His first wife died at Bath (Som.), 10 August and was buried at Condover (Shrops.), 20 August 1755. His widow died in about 1798; her will was proved at Chester, 10 May 1798.

Barnston, Robert (1715-83). Sixth son of Roger Barnston (1683-1753) of Churton Hall and his first wife Jane, daughter and heiress of Edward Gregg of Hapsford, born 30 June and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 21 July 1715. Wine merchant in Chester. He married, 2 May 1741 at St John, Chester, Elizabeth (1716-99), eldest daughter of Sir Whitmore Acton, 4th bt., of Aldenham and Acton Round, and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Barnston (1742-95), born 4 March and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 5 March 1741/2; married, 8 July 1759 at Holy Trinity, Chester, as his second wife, Brooke Forester (1717-74) of Willey Hall (Shrops.), MP for Wenlock, 1739-68, eldest son of William Forester of Dothill (Shrops.), and had issue one daughter; buried at St Michael, Chester, 9 November 1795;

(2) Anna Maria Barnston (1743-51), born 8 April and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 10 May 1743; died young, 25 September and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 28 September 1751;

(3) Trafford Barnston (b. & d. 1745), born 11 February and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 15 February 1744/5; died in infancy, 20 April 1745;

(4) Mary Barnston (1747-1809), born 1 January and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 7 February 1746/7; died unmarried and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 29 May 1809;

(5) Trafford Barnston (1748-49?), born 7 August and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 6 September 1748; died in infancy, 2 April, and was buried (as Thomas) at St Michael, Chester, 4 April 1749;

(6) Roger Barnston (1749-1837) (q.v.);

(7) Robert Barnston (b. & d. 1751), born 9 July 1751; died in infancy 22 October, and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 24 October 1751;

(8) Letitia Barnston (1753-1835), baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 5 January 1754; she lived at Retreat House, Abbey Sq, Chester, and attracted the attention of James Boswell (whose affections were easily engaged) when he visited Chester in 1779, and is mentioned in a letter from Boswell to Dr. Johnson as 'a very pleasing young lady', but died unmarried 11 November and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 17 November 1835;

(9) Peter Barnston (b. & d. 1755), died in infancy and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 26 November 1755.

He lived in Chester.
He was buried at Farndon, 7 August 1783; his will was proved in the PCC, 18 December 1784. His wife died 17 November and was buried at Farndon, 23 November 1799; her will was proved in the PCC, 24 December 1799.

Col. Roger Barnston (1749-1837)

Barnston, Col. Roger (1749-1837). Son of Robert Barnston (1715-83) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Whitmore Acton, 4th bt., of Aldenham and Acton Round, born 30 October and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 29 November 1749. Educated at Rugby. He was a Tory in politics, but in Chester what mattered more was whether you supported or opposed the political interest of the Grosvenor family, who were also Tories. He was a leading figure in the independent group, but when he stood for parliament in the city in 1784, he came bottom of the poll. He was, nonetheless, a popular figure in the city, an officer of the Royal Cheshire Militia (Maj.; Lt-Col. by 1793); Colonel of the Chester Volunteer Corps, 1803-c.1816; High Sheriff of Cheshire, 1800-01; and first president of the Tory King and Constitution Club in Chester from 1817. He married, 17 December 1793 at Prestbury (Ches.), Anne (1767-1850), daughter of Rev. John Parker of Astle (Ches.) and Breightmet (Lancs), and had issue:

(1) Anna Elizabeth Barnston (1796-1819), born 2 April and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 14 May 1796; died unmarried, 12 May 1819*; administration of her goods granted to her father, 1824;

(2) (Eliza) Mary Barnston (1797-1877), born 20 September 1797 and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 3 August 1798; married, 13 November 1845 at St John, Chester, as his second wife, Thomas Kinnersley (d. 1855) of Clough Hall, Kidsgrove (Staffs), but had no issue; died 21 July 1877; will proved 17 August 1877 (effects under £90,000);

(3) Alice Emma Barnston (1800-34), baptised at St John, Chester, 17 September 1800; married, 19 July 1824 at St John, Chester, the Hon. Charles Napier (1794-1874) of The Woodlands, Taunton (Som.) (who m2, 2 July 1840, Annabella Jane, daughter of Edward Gatacre and had further issue four sons and three daughters), third son of Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier of Merchistoun, and had issue two sons and three daughters; died 16 May 1834;

(4) Roger Harry Barnston (1802-49) (q.v.);

(5) Robert Barnston (1806-07), born 26 September and baptised at St John, Chester, 18 December 1806; died in infancy and was buried at St Michael, Chester, 10 March 1807.

He inherited Churton Hall and Hapsford Hall from his uncle in 1771, and Crewe Hill from his wife's mother's family, the Gartsides, in or after 1794, but lived chiefly at Forest House, Chester. He remodelled the farmhouse at Crewe Hill into a country retreat in c.1805. He also owned property at Bagillt (Flints.)
He died 4 February 1837 and was buried at Farndon, where he is commemorated by a monument; another monument  in Chester Cathedral was designed by Thomas Rickman and paid for by public subscription. His will was proved at Chester in 1837. His widow died in Chester, 28 May, and was buried at Farndon, 4 June 1850, where she is commemorated on her husband's monument.

* A family source which states she died young in 1802 is evidently in error.

Barnston, Roger Harry (1802-49). Only surviving son of Roger Barnston (1749-1837) and his wife Anne, daughter of Rev. John Parker of Astle (Ches.), born 29 September 1802 and baptised at St John, Chester, 23 March 1803. Educated at Rugby and Worcester College, Oxford (matriculated 1821; BA 1825). JP for Chester and DL for Cheshire. He married twice, but apparently kept his two families separate and his second wife did not get on with the children of his first marriage, who were obliged to live in a house beside the drive to Crewe Hill which was later pulled down. He married 1st, 20 December 1825 at Holy Trinity, Chester, Selina Martha (1806-35), second daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray* MD of Chester, and 2nd, 2 January 1838 at Gresford (Denbighs.), Emma Frances (1806-93), daughter of James Boydell of Rossett (Denbighs.), and had issue:

(1.1) Maj. Roger Barnston (1826-57) (q.v.);

(1.2) Selina Barnston (1827-89), born at Chester, 22 November 1827 and baptised at Holy Trinity, Chester, 26 January 1828; she died unmarried at Hove (Sussex), 19 September and was buried at Fairlight (Sussex), 21 September 1889; her will was proved 11 October 1889 (effects £22,871);

(1.3) Eliza Barnston (1828-56), born at Chester, 29 December 1828 and baptised at St John, Chester, 23 January 1829; died unmarried, 11 January and was buried at Farndon, 16 January 1856;

(1.4) Mary Barnston (1830-61), born at Chester, 25 May and baptised at St John, Chester, 19 June 1830; died unmarried at St Leonards-on-Sea (Sussex), 9 January and was buried at Fairlight, 15 January 1861; will proved 8 August 1861 (effects under £4,000);

(1.5) Maj. William Barnston (1832-72) (q.v.);

(1.6) Emma Barnston (1833-1922), born at Chester, 2 May and baptised at St John, Chester, 29 May 1833; married, 30 September 1873 at Kidsgrove (Staffs), William Henry Lowe MD (1815-1900) of Woodcote Lodge, Wimbledon (Surrey), son of Samuel Lowe of Whitchurch (Shrops.), but had no issue; died 15 June 1922 and was buried at Farndon; will proved 2 August 1922 (estate £20,938);

(1.7) Harry Barnston (1834-60), born 24 December 1834 and baptised at St John, Chester, 27 January 1835; he left home about 1853 and lived subsequently in Manchester and at Heathfield Place, Coppenhall (Ches.); he died unmarried at Heathfield, 17 April and was buried at Farndon, 23 April 1860; administration of his goods was granted to his brother, 18 December 1860;

(2.1) Lt-Col. Francis Barnston (1838-1925), born 1 November and baptised at Farndon, 6 December 1838; educated at Brasenose College, Oxford (matriculated 1857) and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; an officer in the army, 1859-80 (Ensign, 1859; Lt., 1862; Capt., 1870; retired as Maj., 1880; hon. Lt. Col, 1881); lived at Charlton Lodge, Malpas (Ches.); married, 9 August 1882 at Bruera (Ches.), Mary (1852-1925), elder daughterand eventual heiress of Tanat Wynne Denton MD of Newbold Lodge, Bruera (Ches.) and Plas Draw (Denbighs.), but had no issue; died 28 May 1925; will proved 9 September 1925 (estate £46,763);

(2.2) Anne Barnston (1839-1930), born 3 December 1839 and baptised at Farndon, 17 January 1840; lived at 49 Chester Sq., Pimlico, Westminster (Middx); died unmarried at the age of 90, 22 October 1930; will proved 19 December (estate £17,697);

(2.3) Alice Barnston (1841-1902), born at The Rossett (Denbighs.), 14 March 1841; lived with her sister in Pimlico; died unmarried, 1 February 1902; will proved 22 March 1902 (estate £9,763).

He inherited Churton Hall and Crewe Hill from his father in 1837, but lived chiefly at Forest House, Chester until in 1832 he improved Crewe Hill and made it his principal home.
He died 22 May and was buried at Farndon, 29 May 1849; his will was proved 11 August 1849. His first wife died following childbirth, 13 January and was buried at Farndon, 17 January 1835, where she is commemorated by a monument. His widow died in London, 29 June and was buried at Farndon, 3 July 1893; her will was proved 29 August 1893.
* He was a first cousin once removed of the novelist of the same name.

Barnston, Maj. Roger (1826-57). Elder son of Roger Harry Barnston (1802-49) and his first wife, Selina Martha, daughter of William M. Thackeray MD of Chester, born 4 December 1826 and baptised at St John, Chester, 10 February 1827. Educated at Royal Military College, Sandhurst (certificate of merit). An officer in the army (Ensign, 1843; Lt. 1846; Capt. 1849; Maj., 1857; Br. Lt-Col.), who was regarded as particularly gallant; he was commended for bravery during his early service in Ireland, and fought in the Crimea (where he was Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General to Lord Raglan) and in India. He was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur, 1856, and was awarded the Turkish Order of Medjidie, 1857, and he had been recommended for appointed as a Companion of the  Order of the Bath at the time of his death. His (and his brother's) Letters from the Crimea and India were recently published. He was unmarried, but allegedly had three illegitimate children by Ellen Meade (d. 1901) (who may have been a distant relation and later called herself Ellen Barnston), of Dublin and Reading: 

(X1) George Barnston (1853-1909), born 5 February 1853; educated at Wellington College; solicitor's clerk; died unmarried, 18 December 1909; administration granted to his brother, 23 February 1910 (estate £934);

(X2) Henry Barnston (1857-1920), born 27 July 1857; farmer; died unmarried, 29 November 1920; administration of goods granted 23 September 1922 (estate £1,585);

(X3) Mary Barnston (c.1861-1918), born in Ireland, c.1861; died unmarried, 9 September 1918; administraiton of goods granted 23 September 1922 (estate £503).

He inherited Crewe Hill from his father in 1849. He sold Forest House in Chester (which was subsequently used as an auction house and furniture depository).
He was wounded in action at the relief of Lucknow (India), 16 November 1857, and died of his wounds in Cawnpore Hospital, 23 December 1857, where he was buried in the military cemetery; he is commemorated by a public monument at Farndon (illustrated above) erected by subscription to the design of Edward A. Heffer at a cost of £460; there is also a memorial in the chapel at Sandhurst. His will was proved 26 June 1858.

William Barnston (1832-72) 

Barnston, Maj. William (1832-72). Second son of Roger Harry Barnston (1803-49) and his first wife, Selina Martha, daughter of William M. Thackeray MD of Chester, born 27 February and baptised at St John, Chester, 28 March 1832. Educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. An officer in the 55th Foot (Ensign, 1848; Lt., 1851; Capt., 1854; Maj. 1858; retired 1858/9) who served in the Crimea and was severely wounded at the Battle of Inkerman. He was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur, 1856, and awarded the Imperial Order of Medjidie. JP for Chester. He never fully recovered from his injuries in the Crimea and later suffered from poor mental health. He married, 8 June 1859 at St Peter, Dublin (Ireland), Mary Emma (1838-1918), youngest daughter of Col. Charles King KH of 11th Light Dragoons and 16th Lancers, and had issue:

(1) Mary Barnston (1861-1939) (q.v.); 

(2) Emma Barnston (b. & d. 1863), born 20 January and baptised at Farndon, 24 February 1863; died in infancy, 16 March 1863 and was buried at Farndon, 19 March 1863, where she is commemorated by a monument;

(3) Charlotte (k/a Lotte) Barnston (1864-1925), born 9 January and baptised at Farndon, 22 March 1864; said to have been profoundly deaf; died unmarried, 25 January 1925; will proved 11 March 1925 (estate £20,235);

(4) Roger Barnston (b. & d. 1865), born 23 April and baptised at Farndon, 10 June 1865; died in infancy at Llandudno (Caernarvons.), 16 August 1865, and was buried at Farndon, 22 August 1865;

(5) Selina Barnston (1866-1925), born 23 August and baptised at Farndon, 11 December 1866; suffered from a speech impediment; died unmarried, 11 January 1925 and was buried at Farndon; will proved 3 March 1925 (estate £17,371);

(8) Joanna Barnston (1867-1946), born 23 September and baptised at Farndon, 10 November 1867; she managed the household at Crewe Hill for her brother; a staunch Conservative in politics; inherited the Crewe Hill estate from her brother in 1929 and subsequently lived there with a companion, Miss Howcroft; died unmarried, 2 June 1946; will proved 15 November 1946 (estate £212, 581);

(6) William Barnston (1868-70), born 28 November 1868 and baptised at Farndon, 10 January 1869; died in infancy, 8 August and was buried at Farndon, 11 August 1870;

(7) Maj. Sir Harry Barnston (1870-1929), 1st bt. (q.v.).

He inherited Crewe Hill from his elder brother in 1857. At his death it passed to his widow for life. She purchased the lordship of the manor from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and gave it to her son for his 21st birthday.
He died at Stafford, 27 October and was buried at Farndon, 1 November 1872; his will was proved 5 March 1873 (effects under £14,000). His widow died 5 March 1918; her will was proved 30 May 1918 (estate £21,870).

Sir Harry Barnston, 1st bt.

Barnston, Major Sir Harry (1870-1929), 1st bt.. Only surviving son of Maj. William Barnston and his wife Mary Emma, youngest daughter of Col. Charles King KH of the 11th Light Dragoons and 16th Lancers, born at Edinburgh, 12 December 1870 and baptised at St John, Edinburgh, 10 January 1871. Educated privately and at Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1890; BA 1894; MA 1898) and Inner Temple (admitted 1894; called to the bar 1898). An officer in the Cheshire Yeomanry (2nd Lt., 1894; Lt. 1897; Capt., 1906; retired c.1910; returned to colours 1914; Maj., 1917). He was a dedicated farmer and served as Chairman of the Cheshire Dairy Farming Association. As a young man he had a protracted dispute with the editor of the Cheshire Chronicle about his treatment of Thomas Parker, a long-standing tenant on the estate, whom the newspaper claimed had been given notice to quit on political grounds; however, the origins of the dispute seem to have been personal rather than political. He was a JP for Cheshire by 1897, Chairman of Tarvin Board of Guardians, and after standing unsuccessfully for parliament in Stockport in 1906, he was elected Conservative MP for Eddisbury, 1910-29. He was Comptroller of the Household and a Government whip, 1921-24, 1924-28, but was a determined opponent of salaries for MPs, and when they were introduced he insisted on his being paid into a separate account on which he never drew; at his death he left the accumulated fund for charitable purposes. He was a popular MP both in his constituency and in the House, and was created a baronet, 8 February 1924. He was unmarried and without issue.
His mother handed the Crewe Hill estate over to him when he came of age in 1891. The effect of his complex will was to bequeath the estate to trustees, and to be managed by his sister Joanna, who in turn left it to her nephew, Philip Trevor.
He died 22 February 1929, when his baronetcy became extinct, and was buried at Farndon; his will was proved 3 May 1929 (estate £152,166).

Barnston, Mary (1861-1939). Eldest daughter of Maj. William Barnston and his wife Mary Emma, youngest daughter of Col. Charles King KH of the 11th Light Dragoons and 16th Lancers, born 1 July and baptised at Farndon, 25 July 1861. She married, 9 August 1882, Edmund Wilson Swetenham (1857-1915), only son of Edward Swetenham QC MP of Cam-yr-Alyn (Denbighs.), and had issue:

(1) Mary (k/a May) Elizabeth Swetenham (1883-1948) (q.v.).

She lived at Cam-yr-Alyn, Rossett (Denbighs.)
She died 26 September 1939 and was buried at Rossett (Denbighs); her will was proved 7 November 1939 (estate £14,531). Her husband died 25 January 1915 and was buried at Rossett; his will was proved 5 March 1915 (estate £18,038).

Swetenham, Mary (k/a May) Elizabeth (1883-1948). Daughter of Edmund Wilson Swetenham (1857-1915) and his wife Mary, eldest daughter of Maj. William Barnston of Crewe Hill, Farndon (Ches.), born 18 October, and was baptised at Farndon, 11 November 1883. She met her future husband, Edward Salusbury Rowland Trevor (1877-1946), son of Rev. Thomas Warren Trevor of Llanfaelog (Anglesey), while on holiday, but, for reasons which are unclear, the relationship was strongly disapproved of by her parents, who tried to prevent her having contact with him. She subsequently ran away from home and married him, 26 August 1909 at Llanfaelog, and had issue:

(1) Maj. Philip Edmund Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (1911-2000) (q.v.);

(2) Brig. Kenneth Rowland Swetenham Trevor (1914-2003) (q.v.);

(3) (Caroline) Mona Trevor (1919-2019), born at Cairo (Egypt), 9 March, and baptised at Llanfaelog (Anglesey), 6 July 1919; nurse; married, 28 April 1943 at Upton (Ches.), Louis Smith (1907-91), property developer at Southsea (Hants), youngest son of William John Smith of Cardiff (Glam.), and had issue two sons and two daughters; died aged 100 on 27 June 2019.

As a result of her elopement and marriage she was disinherited by the Barnstons, although in default of other heirs her children were eventually beneficiaries under Joanna Barnston's will. She and her husband lived in Egypt, where he he held several posts, including managing director of Egyptian Markets, until 1935 when they retired to The Acres, Upton Heath (Ches.)

She died 24 April 1948 and was buried at Upton; her will was proved 15 June 1948 (estate £26,913). Her husband died of a brain tumour, 21 December 1946 and was buried at Upton; his will was proved 17 February 1947 (estate £11,634).

Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston), Maj. Philip Edmund (1911-2000). Elder son of Edward Salusbury Rowland Trevor (1877-1946) and his wife Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Wilson Swetenham, born in Cairo (Egypt), 27 February 1911. Educated at Rossall School and St John's College, Oxford (BA). An officer in the army (2nd Lt. by 1941; Maj., 1949; retired, 1953). He took the additional surname of Barnston by deed poll in 1946, and received royal licence to bear the arms of Barnston, 1947. He married, 23 January 1979, Olwen Margaret (1920-2007), daughter of John Howell-Price and widow of Gordon Bell McNab (1911-60), but had no issue.
He inherited Crewe Hill on the death of his great-aunt, Joanna Barnston in 1946. During his lifetime he handed over parts of the estate, and at his death bequeathed the remainder, to his nephew, Michael Trevor-Barnston.
He died 14 May 2000 and was buried at Farndon. His widow died 4 November 2007 and was also buried at Farndon.

Brig. K.R.S. Trevor

Trevor, Brig. Kenneth Rowland Swetenham (1914-2003). Second son of Edward Salisbury Rowland Trevor (1877-1946) and his wife Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Wilson Swetenham, born 15 April and baptised at Llanfaelog (Anglesey), 20 July 1914. Educated at Rossall Sch. and Royal Military College, Camberley. An officer in the army, 1934-66 (2nd Lt., 1934; Lt., 1937; Capt., 1942; Maj., 1947; Lt-Col., 1956; Col., 1960; Brig., 1964), who served in the Second World War (North Africa and Burma) and Korea; he was three times mentioned in despatches, and was appointed DSO, 1943 and CBE, 1964 (MBE, 1952). President of the Commando Association, 1965-66, 1985-86, 1989-90. Worked for Runcorn Development Corporation, 1966-78. President of Norton Priory Museum Trust, 1994-2000. He married 1st, 1941,  Margaret Maud Joan (k/a Peggy) (1915-88), daughter of the Rev. J.H. Baynham, and 2nd, August 1989, Jeanne Mary Davenport Alexander (née Holmes-Henderson) (c.1920-2015), and had issue:

(1.1) Michael Anthony Tudor Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (b. 1943) (q.v.);

(1.2) Simon Rowland de Mouchet Trevor (b. 1950), born 15 August 1950; married, 1983, Jill Elizabeth Crossley, and had issue one son and one daughter.

After his retirement from the army he lived at Barrelwell Hill, Chester.
He died 10 February 2003; his will was proved 6 January 2004. His first wife died 13 October 1988; her will was proved 19 June 1988 (estate £172,948). His widow died 28 November 2015; her will was proved 27 June 2016.

Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston), Michael Anthony Tudor (b. 1943). Elder son of Kenneth Trevor and his first wife Margaret Baynham, born 16 March 1943. Educated at Wellington College, the Sorbonne, Paris and Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. An officer in the Cheshire Regiment (Lt.). After leaving the army he joined the overseas marketing department of Massey-Ferguson, in which capacity he visited more than 120 countries. He settled in Cheshire in 1983 and set up a number of new enterprises to diversify the estate, as well as taking part in a wide range of local projects and charities, including founding Cheshire Crimebeat, a charity for young people. He took the additional surname Barnston in 1989. JP (from 1987) and DL (from 2000) for Cheshire; High Sheriff of Cheshire, 1998-99. Appointed MBE, 2010; awarded honorary degree by Chester University (MBA, 2012). He edited and published the Letters from the Crimea and India of his forebears, Roger and William Barnston (1998). He married, 15 May 1971, Inger Wallden (b. 1944), and had issue:

(1) Alexandra Louise Trevor (later Trevor-Barnston) (b. 1972), born 9 March 1972; married, 2000, Christopher George Richard Surfleet (b. 1971) and had issue two daughters; 

(2) Edward Charles Harry Trevor-Barnston (b. 1974), born 2 October 1974; educated at Rugby and Liverpool University (BA); an officer in the Royal Artillery and 29 Commando (2nd Lt., 1996; Lt., 1997; Capt., 2001; ret. 2003); then worked in the finance sector in New Zealand before returning to Cheshire to take over the management of the estate from his father; Nuffield farming scholar, 2018; awarded Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners by Royal Agricultural Society of England, 2019; married, 2004, Kate Elizabeth Garside, and had issue two sons.

He inherited the Crewe Hill and Churton estate from his uncle in 2000, and he in turn handed the majority of the estate over to his son by 2017.
Now living. His wife is now living.

Principal sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1850, vol 1, pp. 57-58 and 1925, p. 88; F.A. Latham (ed.), Farndon: the history of a Cheshire village, 1981; P. de Figueiredo & J. Treuherz, Cheshire country houses, 1987, pp. 225, 227; http://chester.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Love_Street.

Location of archives

Barnston family of Churton and Crewe Hill: deeds, estate and family papers, 12th cent-1957 [Cheshire Archives & Local Studies, DBA, D1301]

Coat of arms

Azure, a fess dancetté ermine between six cross-crosslets fitchée or.

Can you help?

• Does anyone have an illustration of the old timber-framed Hapsford Hall, which was replaced by the present building in the early 19th century?
• Does anyone know of an illustration showing Crewe Hill in the earlier 19th century, before the original house was altered and enlarged c.1832 or later, before it was further altered c.1892?
• I should be most grateful if anyone can provide photographs or portraits of people whose names appear in bold above, and who are not already illustrated.
• As always, any additions or corrections to the account given above will be gratefully received and incorporated.

Revision and acknowledgements

This post was first published 30 January 2020 and was updated 26 November-31 December 2020, 16-20 January and 26 July 2021. I am most grateful to Michael Barnston for his additions and corrections to this account based on family papers in his possession.