Buckminster
Description in 1877:
"BUCKMINSTER, a pleasant village and township, on the eastern side of a range of the Wold adjoining Lincolnshire, 10 miles E.N.E. of Melton Mowbray, and S. W. of Grantham, in 1871 had 312 inhabitants, living in 76 houses; but Buckminster parish, which is in Framland Hundred, Melton Mowbray Union, and County Court District, also includes Sewstern township, and had a total population of 544 persons, living in 133 houses, on 3053 acres of land. The rateable value of the township is £2352 5s. 6d. Mr. David Lee, the Executors of the late Mr. Jno. Marshall, and the Representatives of the late Mr. Arthur Marshall have land in the village; but the manor and the greater part of the soil belongs to the Earl of Dysart, of BUCKMINSTER PARK, which is situated on the north side of the village, and contains a large and handsome Grecian mansion, built in 1798, by Sir W. Manners, Bart., who was created a baronet in 1793, and was heir-apparent to the Earl of Dysart and Lord Huntingtower, of Scotland, titles which were created the Tollemache family, in 1643."
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 Buckminster burials from 1813 - 1865 on microfiche. (802F)
- The parish was in the Waltham sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1935.
- In 1935, 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.
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
- The church tower was struck by lightning in 1841 but was repaired in 1843.
- The church tower was restored in 1894.
- The church itself was restored in 1883.
- The church holds a village feast on the first Sunday after Old Midsummerday.
- The church seats 220.
- In Sewstern, a small chapel of ease was built in 1842 to replace a much older chapel that had been destroyed. It seated 130.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1538.
- The church is in the rural deanery of Framland (second portion).
- The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel here prior to 1849.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
- The parish was in the Waltham sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1935.
- In 1935, the parish was transfered to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
Buckminster is a village, a township and a parish 10 miles southwest of Grantham, 9 miles east-northeast of Melton Mowbray and 123 miles north of London. The parish is in the Wold Hills and is bordered by Lincoln county to the east and Sproxton parish to the north. The parish covers about 3,000 acres and included the township and chapelry of Sewstern.
If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the B676 arterial road east out of Melton Mobray toward Colsterworth (Lincolnshire). The road bisects Buckminster village.
- The MeltonWeb site includes a
brief description of Buckminster.
- Most of the parish land was held in pasturage. Much of the remaining land was used for small farms.
- The Domesday Book website contains details of the entry for Buckminster.
- On a hill just north of the village stands Buckminster Hall, the seat of the Earl of Dysart. The building copies the Grecian style and was built in 1798.
- The national grid reference is SK 8722.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- This place was an ancient parish of the county and a Civil Parish as well.
- The parish was in the ancient Framland Hundred in the northern (or eastern) division of the county.
- The parish contained the village and chapelry of Sewstern, just to the south.
- In April, 1936, the chapelry of Sewstern, was abolished and the village made part of Buckminster parish.
- On that same date, Buckminster Civil Parish gained parts of Colsterworth, Gunby and Stainby parishes. It also exhanged an acre with Skillington parish.
Most of these population figures are for the township of Buckminster and do not include Sewstern township/
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1841 |
697 |
| 1871 |
312 |
| 1881 |
253 |
| 1891 |
328 |
| 1901 |
274 |
| 1911 |
246 |
| 1921 |
287 |
| 1931 |
265 |
| 1951 |
520 |
| 1961 |
441 |
- A Public Elementary School (National School) was built here in 1841. The school was rebuilt in 1898 to hold 120 children.
Follow this link to find help, report problems or contribute information.
This parish page was developed by Tim Arguile.
[Re-written: 2-September-2009 - Louis R. Mills]
