Anstey
Description in 1877:
"Anstey, a village and township in Thurcaston parish, picturesquely situated in the vale of a rivulet, 4 miles N. W. of Leicester, contained in 1861, 734 inhabitants, but in 1871, owing to the development of the shoe trade and stocking-frame knitting and to the demand for labour at the granite quarries, they had increased to 1012 persons, living on 711 acres of land. many of the inhabitants are employed in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and many persons from Leicester and other places reside here during the summer months. A brown paper mill was established here in 1873."
[White's "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland." 3rd Edition 1877]
- The Anstey Cemetery, formed in 1886, is on Groby road and covers about 1 acre.
- The cemetery was under the control of the Parish Council's Burial Board.
- Anstey was in the Rothley sub-district of the Barrow-on-Soar registration district.
- The 1851 census for Leicestershire has been indexed by the Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society. The whole index is available on microfiche. The society has also published it in print and Volume 13 covers the Barrow on Soar District of which Anstey was a part.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2281 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2521 |
- The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Mary.
- St. Mary's was demolished with the exception of the tower in 1845 and rebuilt. The new church was completed in 1846.
- The new church could seat 300
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1556.
- The Anglican parish church was in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (first division).
- There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel built here in 1797.
- The Primitive Methodists built their chapel here in 1840 and rebuilt it in 1871.
- There was a Congregational chapel built here in 1858.
- There was an Independent chapel here in 1871. They purchased an old warehouse for £130 and converted into a place of worship.
- The Society of Genealogists holds microfiche copies of records of baptisms from 1571 - 1892, marriages from 1556 - 1837, and burials from 1557 - 1812 which can be studied at their library in London.
- Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
- Anstey was in the Rothley sub-district of the Barrow-on-Soar registration district.
- The Registrar's Office in Barrow-upon-Soar closed in 1945. Certificates of birth, death and marriage can now be obtained from the Superintendent Registrar at Leicestershire Central or Loughborough
Anstey is a village, a township and a parish in Leicestershire. The parish is now a suburb on the northwest side of Leicester city. The parish is only 4 miles from Leicester city centre and covers 795 acres.
If you are planning a visit:
- The village can be approached by several main roads on the northwest side of Leicester city.
- The Anstey brook flows through the parish to eventually join the River Soar.
- There is no mention of a Manor House in the Directories of 1881 and 1912.
- The national grid reference is SK 5408.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- Anstey was an ancient Chapelry in Thurcaston parish in county Leicester.
- Anstey became a separate Civil Parish in December, 1866.
- In 1884 a part of Bradgate Park was transferred to this parish.
- The parish was in the ancient West Goscote Hundred in the mid division of the county.
In April, 1935, a number of "adjustments" were made throughout Leicestershire to various Civil Parish boundaries in order to ensure a more equal voting status and to recognize populatiuon growth and decline. This resulted in the following:
- In April, 1935, Anstey Pastures Civil Parish was abolished and 75 acres were amalgamated with this Civil Parish.
- In April, 1935, Beaumont Leys Civil Parish was abolished and 6 acres were amalgamated with this Civil Parish.
- In April, 1935, Glenfields Civil Parish was created and 12 acres of this Civil Parish were transfered to the new one.
- In April, 1935, 127 acres of this Civil Parish were transfered to Leicester Civil Parish.
And 18 years later:
- In April, 1953, 112 acres were transfered to Newtown Linford Civil Parish in return for 142 acres gained from that parish.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1861 |
734 |
| 1871 |
1,012 |
| 1881 |
1,279 |
| 1891 |
1,759 |
| 1901 |
2,544 |
| 1921 |
3,010 |
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[Last updated: 20-November-2011 - Louis R. Mills]
