Hide

Breedon on the Hill

hide
Hide

Description in 1887:
"Breedon on the Hill, par., N. Leicestershire, 5 miles NE. of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, 6410 ac., pop. 1,924. "
[John BARTHOLOMEW's "Gazetteer of the British Isles," 1887]
"STAUNTON-HARROLD, a township in Breedon-on-the-Hill parish, Leicester; ... More"
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]

Hide
topup

Census

  • The parish was in the Melbourne sub-district of the Shardlow 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:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2269
1871R.G. 10 / 3247
1891R.G. 12 / 2720
topup

Church History

  • There was a monastery built here about 676. It was refounded as an Augustine priory around 1144 AD, founded by Rebert de FERRARIES (or FERRERS), Earl of Nottingham and Derby. The priory was dissolved in 1535.
     
  • The Anglican church is built on the site of the priory and dates from the 13th century
     .
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to both Saint Mary and Saint Hardulph (or Hardolph).
     
  • The church seats 200.
     
  • Rog FROST has a photograph of The Church on Geo-graph, taken in October 1998.
     
topup

Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1580 (some sources give 1562).
     
  • The Anglican church was in the rural deanery of West Akeley.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel in Tonge before 1849.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists also had a chapel in Wilson before 1869.
     
topup

Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Melbourne sub-district of the Shardlow registration district.
     
  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
topup

Correctional Institutions

Ian CALDERWOOD has a photograph of the Breedon Lockup on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007. Did any of your relatives spend a night or two there?

The Lock-up would be used to hold people for a brief period of time until a magistrate could decide what to do with them.

Graham HOGG also has a photograph of the Breedon Lockup built around 1793 on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2017.

topup

Description & Travel

Breedon-on-the-Hill is a parish, a township and a village in north-west Leicestershire, bordering Derbyshire. Breedon is a parish of 2,775 acres, 5 miles north-east of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and only 2.6 miles from Melbourne in Derbyshire. Tonge is a hamlet in the parish about one-half mile east of Breedon village. Wilson is a hamlet just over a mile north of Breedon.

The village forms a rough semi-circle around the base of a massive limestone rock. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A453 arterial north-east out of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It passes through the heart of Breedon village.
     
  • Breedon is only 3 miles from the East Midlands Airport.
     
  • M J. RICHARDSON has a photograph of the Road into Tonge on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2016.
     
You can see pictures of Breedon on the Hill which are provided by:

topup

Gazetteers

"STAUNTON-HARROLD, a township in Breedon-on-the-Hill parish, Leicester; ... More"
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]

topup

History

  • On the hill above Breedon is an Iron-Age Hill Fort called "Bulwarks". In the middle of Bulwarks is the Anglican parish church.
     
  • In 1874 the Midlands Railway built a branch line through the eastern part of the parish. In 1980, British Railways closed the line and subsequently the track was dismantled. The trackbed is now part of National Cycle Route 6.
     
  • M. J. RICHARDSON has a photograph of the Three Horseshoes Inn on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2016.
     
topup

Manors

  • Colonel William Robinson PARTRIDGE lived in the Manor House in 1881.
     
topup

Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK406228 (Lat/Lon: 52.801237, -1.399244), Breedon on the Hill which are provided by:

topup

Military History

  • The War Memorial was built in 1926 in the Italian style and contains plaques for both World Wars.
     
  • The War memorial built in 1926 by local men Messrs SALT, LESTER and BARSBY. A public subscription from the community raised £150.00 to pay for the project. An unveiling by the Countess of Loudoun took place before a crowd of about 500 people.
     
  • The War Memorial is now Grade II listed with English Heritage since 2011.
     
  • Michael PATTERSON has a photograph of the War Memorial on the Green on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2006.
     
  • Chris DOWNER has a similar photograph of the War Memorial on the Green on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
     
  • Chris BROWN also has a photograph of the War Memorial, the green and some of the village on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2017.
     
topup

Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in Leicester county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • In 1086 Breedon was an appendage of Tonge hamlet.
     
  • Although "Breedon on the Hill" is the preferred name of the parish, just plain "Breedon" is an acceptable alternative.
     
  • The parish was in the western division of the county in the ancient West Goscote Hundred.
     
  • In April, 1936, Breedon parish was reduced by 368 acres transferred to Worthington Civil Parish.
     
  • In April, 1965, Breedon parish was enlarged by 2 acres taken from Melbourne Civil Parish in Derbyshire.
     
  • You can contact the local Parish Council about political or social issues, but they are not staffed to perform family history searches for you.
     
  • District governance is provided by the North West Leicestershire District Council.
     
topup

Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Shardlow Poor Law Union.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch petty sessional hearings.
     
topup

Population

 YearInhabitants
1801815
1811908
18411,103
1871824
1881717
1891649
1901704
1911752
1921730
1931806
1951810
2001958
topup

Schools

  • There was a National School for boys built in 1833.
     
  • A National School for girls and infants was built in 1874.