East Norton
Leicestershire


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East Norton in Winter

East Norton is situated in the East of Leicestershire on the border with Rutland. It has a population today of around 90 but has seen populations as high as 151 around 1850. There is now no public house, shop or post office and the grade two listed K6 telephone kiosk is currently under threat.

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All Saints, East Norton

The church is dedicated to All Saints and is a grade II* listed building mostly of 13th century construction. There is small west tower of three stages with a recessed spire which was added in the fourteenth century.

Originally on the Leicester to Peterborough Turnpike which became the A47 Trunk Road, the village is now bypassed and the A47 detrunked. The entire village is now designated as a conservation area by the local planning authority.

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War Memorial Window, All Saints

In addition to this War Memorial Window, there is a brass plaque on the north wall in memory of two brothers who died on Active Service in the Great War. They are Captain John B. Matthews M.C. and Captain William F. Matthews, the sons of Major and Mrs Matthews. Neither of these brothers ever lived in East Norton. John was an architect in Leicester before the war; William was a Regular Soldier. Before the war, their parents, Major and Mrs Matthews, lived at Loddington. When Major Matthews was mobilized with his Territorial Battalion, Mrs Matthews moved to a cottage in East Norton where she lived on her own. On demobilization, Major Matthews joined her there, but they soon moved, briefly to Ashley, and thence to Weston-by-Welland.

There is also a soldier commemorated on his parents' grave in All Saints churchyard. He is 25053 Private Francis Smeeton Glover,  of 8th Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment, but his record shows that he was resident at Oakham. Pte. Glover is not buried with his parents at East Norton. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

With thanks to John Dyson for his photographs and assistance in preparing this sub-page.

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