 Upon the death of Robert Slaney in 1862 the Kenyon family inherited the Slaney family estate of Hatton Grange near Shifnal in Shropshire and the Kenyon family name was changed to Kenyon-Slaney.Kenyon-Slaney was educated at Eton and briefly at Christ Church, Oxford.In November 1867, he left Oxford and received a commission into the 3rd battalion of the Grenadier Guards.