Bitteswell
Description in 1871:
"BITTESWELL, a parish in Lutterworth district, Leicester; near Watling-street, 1 mile NNW of Lutterworth, and 2 ESE of Ullesthorpe r. station. It has a post office under Lutterworth. Acres, 2,630. Real property, £4,384. Pop., 438. Houses, 105. The property is subdivided. There is a mineral spring. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £428. Patrons, the Haberdashers' Company and Christ's Hospital, London. The church is good; and there are an endowed school, six alms-houses, and other charities £69."
John Marius Wilson's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72
- The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth 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 table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
- The church was first built around 1350.
- The church's western tower was restored in 1842.
- The church was restored in 1881-82.
- A new churchyard was consecrated in 1902, adding an acre to the church property.
- The church seats 230.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1558.
- The church was in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (second portion).
- The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth Registration District.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
Bitteswell is a parish and a village located 92 miles north of London, 2 miles southeast from Ullesthorpe and 1 mile north of Lutterworth. The parish covers 1,820 acres.
If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the B577 northwest out of Lutterworth for about one mile.
- For centuries much of the parish was good grazing land. There were several small farms worked as well.
- In 1907, a reading room was established in the parish by purchasing an old building and converting it.
- Bitteswell Hall was built in 1838 on an estate of 600 acres about one mile from the village.
- Bitteswell Hall was the property and residence of Major R. H. H. Jary in 1912.
- The Atherstone foxhounds met next to Bitteswell Hall.
- Bitteswell also had a Manor House which was the property and residence of Robert W. Young in 1912.
- The national grid reference is SP 5385.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- You can view an online map at the Axcis site.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- The parish lies in the Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Lutterworth Poorlaw Union.
- In 1847 the parish opened six almshouses for 12 aged poor of Bitteswell. These were endowed by a bequest from W. and Elizabeth WELCH.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1841 |
495 |
| 1871 |
400 |
| 1881 |
364 |
| 1891 |
330 |
| 1901 |
324 |
| 1911 |
308 |
| 1921 |
351 |
| 1931 |
293 |
| 1951 |
346 |
| 1961 |
320 |
- A Boys' School was established here in 1844. Shortly after that a Girls' School was opened. Both were replaced by the school below.
- A Public Elementary School was built here in 1871. This school was replaced in 1888 by a new building on a new site and this could accomodate up to 90 children.
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[Created: 23-July-2009 - Louis R. Mills]
