Bescaby
Description in 1877:
"BESCABY, or Besk Abbey, formerly an extra-parochial manor, has been constituted a civil parish, and in 1871 had a population of 25 persons, living in 4 houses, on about 1200 acres of land. It is in Framland hundred, Melton Mowbray Union and County Court District. The parish belongs to the Duke of Rutland, and was formerly the demesne of Croxton Priory, near which there stood here some extensive buildings, surrounded by a moat. Traces of these buildings are still to be seen, near the place called Friars' Walk. William Furnival held the manor in 1382, with a view of frank pledge, as of the Honor of Winton. The chief branch of the river Eye has its source in this parish, near Bescaby Oaks ; it is a fine spring of hard water, and flows in front of Bescaby House, the residence of Mr. John Edward Bright."
[White's "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland," 3rd Edition 1877]
- The Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society have published details of Bescaby burials from 1813 - 1865 on microfiche.
- The parish was in the Waltham sub-district of the Melton Mowbray 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.
- The 1891 Census for Leicestershire can be found at the Leicestershire County Council.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2304 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2546 |
The web-page author could find no mention of a church in this village.
Most church records for parishioners would be filed under Waltham-in-the-Wolds. You might also check Saltby and Sproxton church records.
- The parish was in the Waltham sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
Bescaby was an extra-parocial area that became a parish. It was also a lordship and a village, lying 7 miles north-east of Melton Mowbray and 8 miles south-west of Grantham, Lincolnshire. The parish sits between Waltham and Saltby and covered 1,208 acres including Holwell Spring, which is noted as the source of the River Eye.
The village is designated an "abandoned medieval village". If you are planning a visit:
- The village can only be reached by public road from Waltham-on-the-Wolds.
- Croxton Park covered 300 acres and was the Manor House in the parish.
- The national grid reference is SK 8226.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- The BESCABY surname, in several variations, appears unique to Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. There is a surname mailing list run by Pauline Kennedy. You are welcome to subscribe at no cost.
- This parish was an "extra parocial area" of Leicestershire for centuries and was converted to a modern Civil Parish in 1858.
- The parish was in the Framland Hundred (Wapentake) in the northern division of the county.
- In April, 1936, the Civil Parish was abolished and all 1,227 acres were amalgamated with Sproxton Civil Parish.
- District governance for civic and political matters is under the Melton Borough Council.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became a part of the Melton Mowbray Poorlaw Union.
- Bastardy cases would be heard in the Melton Mowbray petty sessional hearings.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1821 |
9 |
| 1841 |
7 |
| 1851 |
17 |
| 1871 |
25 |
| 1881 |
9 |
| 1891 |
31 |
| 1901 |
20 |
| 1911 |
22 |
- The children of this parish attended school in Waltham-on-the-Wolds parish.
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Last updated: 19-November-2011 - Louis R. Mills
