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Asfordby

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Description in 1887:
"ASFORDBY, a parish and a pleasant village, consists chiefly of one street, on the north side of the navigable river Wreak, 3 miles W. of Melton Mowbray. Its parish, which is in East Goscote Hundred, Melton Mowbray Union and County Court District, contains 513 inhabitants, comprises 1,210 acres of land, generally having a clayey soil and a flat surface."
[White's "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland. 3rd Edition," 1887]

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Cemeteries

  • The Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society have published details of Asfordby burials from 1813 - 1865 on microfiche. (Ref: 819F)
     
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Census

  • The parish was in the Melton Mowbray sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1934.
     
  • In 1934, the parish was transfered to the Melton and Belvoir 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 24 covers the Melton Sub-District which includes Asfordby.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2301
1871R.G. 10 / 3295
1891R.G. 12 / 2544
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
     
  • The date of construction is unreported, but Norman work still remains in the structure.
     
  • The church was repaired in 1830.
     
  • The church was restored in 1869.
     
  • The church seats 300.
     
  • David KELLY has a photograph of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2003.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE also has a photograph of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2012.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1564.
     
  • Phillimore's Marriages, volume 1, covers 1564 thru 1897.
     
  • Bishop's Transcripts for the parish start in 1561.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Goscote (second portion).
     
  • The church has also been listed as in the rural deanery of Framland (third portion).
     
  • The Society of Genealogists holds copies of records from All Saints Parish Church including copies of marriages from 1564 - 1837.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel here prior to 1849. The Wesleyans rebuilt their chapel in 1884 and enlarged it in 1889.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the former Methodist chapel on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2016. The chapel is now a private residence.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists had built their chapel in 1840 and enlarged it in 1889.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Melton Mowbray sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1934.
     
  • In 1934, the parish was transferred to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Asfordby was a village and a parish 3 miles west of Melton Mowbray and 115 miles north of London. The parish covers 2,726 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A6006 arterial road west out of Melton Mobray. Asfordby is about a mile past Asfordby Hill.
     
  • Asfordby parish sits on the north bank of the River Wreake.
     
You can see pictures of Asfordby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Much of the parish land was used for grazing.
     
  • Stilton cheese was made here.
     
  • Iron ore was found in the neighbourhood. Four blast furnaces were built here by the Holwell Iron Company.
     
  • You may be able to find a copy of John Harold Worley's "Asfordby 1905-1922; Memories of a Leicestershire village" in a local library.
     
  • Kate JEWELL has a photograph of the Horseshoes Pub on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2006.
     
  • These are the names associated with the Horse Shoes Inn in various directories:
     
Year Person
1849Mrs. Barbara TOON
1881Thos. HAZELWOOD
1912Arthur HEARN
1925Arthur HEARN
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Manors

  • In 1849, John Dick BURNABY had his family seat here in Asfordby Hall.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK708189 (Lat/Lon: 52.763072, -0.952211), Asfordby which are provided by:

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Military History

  • There is a medieval cross in the parish that is treated like a war memorial, but there is no official dedication of it as such and no plaques attached.
     
  • Basher EYRE has a photograph of the presumed War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2014.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a more-focused photograph of the Medieval Cross on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2016.
     
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Military Records

  • Trooper George PARLBY, died 14th December 1915 age 30. Husband of Lois A JONES (formerly PARLBY) of New Street, Asfordby. Buried in All Saints Church, Asfordby.
     
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient East Goscote Hundred in the northern division of the county.
     
  • In 1881, the parish covered 1,210 acres. This was enlarged by 1891 to 1,568 acres.
     
  • In April, 1935, this parish was enlarged by gaining 8 acres from the Melton Mowbray Civil Parish and 1,150 acres from Welby Civil Parish. This brought the parish to 2,726 acres.
     
  • You can also contact the Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they will NOT do family history lookups for you. The site has a number of parish photographs.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Melton Mowbray petty session hearings.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Melton Mowbray Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1801364
1811367
1821424
1831467
1841482
1851467
1861485
1871513
1881539
1891717
19011,062
19111,336
19211,409
19312,003
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Schools

  • A school room (later a National School, then a Public Elementary School) was built in 1843. It was enlarged in 1859 and 1886. It was founded by Morris CAM.
     
  • A Council School was built in Asfordby Hill in 1909 to hold 280 students.