William Sleath (1867-1943) Born 14th January 1867 in the village of Seagrave in Leicestershire,
William Sleath was one of five children born to Henry Sleath and Caroline Scattergood. In about 1880 the family moved to London and in 1881 William is found living at a boys home school at 35 Lambs Conduit Street in London, not very far from where his mother and two brothers (Frederick Hugh and Henry) and two sisters (Alice Selina and Elizabeth) were living at 8 Lower Marsh, Lambeth. It was while he was at the school in Lambs Conduit Street, he struck up a lasting friendship with William Knight who also became a tapestry weaver.
William Sleath was a pupil of Sir William Morris at Merton and worked on many pieces of tapestry, alone and with other weavers. Examples of his work can be viewed at Eton College and Winchelsea Church. Some of his tapestry works remain undiscovered today and we are anxious to trace and catalogue any know tapestries in which William Sleath had worked on.
William Boultbee Sleath (1761-1842) was the Headmaster of Repton School from 1800 to 1832. He was born 17 Jan 1762 in Dunton Bassett, the son of William and Mildred Liptrott. He appears to have married twice, firstly to Louise Chartres on 5th June 1783 in Rugby and again at the age of 80 to Mary Soden on 4 Jan 1842 at Leamington Priors. He died on 21 Oct 1842, was buried at Etwall and has a monument in Repton Church. He does not appear to have had any children. For a detailed history of the Boultbee Family click here. For information on the marriage of the Sleaths and Boutbees click here.
John Sleath (1767-1847) brother to William Boultbee, became High Master of St Pauls School, London, in 1814, Fellow of the Royal Society in 1820, chaplain-in-ordinary to the King in 1825, and sub-dean of the Chapel Royal in 1833.
William Sleigh (1818-1887) followed a legal career and held the first brief for Arthur Orton 'The Tichborne Claimant' in a civil action in 1871.
John Sleath b. 19 June 1767 Osgathorpe. Kings Chaplain, buried at St Pauls.