FOCUS ON WENLOCK  

In 1377 Edmund Fitzherbert who owned nearly half of Luton manor conveyed his estate to William de Wenlock. In 1389 William made a settlement of the same on William Wyvell, alias Wenlock. William Wenlock was a Canon of St Pauls’s. He died in 1392 and was buried in St Mary’s Church, Luton. The stone Wenlock screen was erected over the spot.
Sir John Wenlock was given entitlement to bear arms in 1433. His chief seat was Someries Castle near Luton. In 1460 John, Lord Wenlock, a direct descendent of William (Wyvell) Wenlock, owned nearly half of the old manor of Luton. In 1461 he built the Wenlock Chapel in memory of his wife who had recently died. He died in 1471 at the Battle of Tewkesbury. In 1629 Sir John Rotherham sold their estate of Someries to Thomas Crowley and his son Francis.
In 1965, the Diocese of St Albans agreed the closure of the parish VA schools of St Mary’s and Christ Church. The LEA wished to build a junior school adjacent to the existing Crawley Green Infant school, and the LEA agreed to make land available to the Diocese for a new church school. As this was not a parish school but a deanery-sponsored school, a local name was not thought appropriate. So the name Wenlock was chosen as having historical association locally. Recently, Luton Museum acquired the Wenlock Jug. This was previously used by John Wenlock and used on royal occasions.