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Leicestershire Towns & Parishes

Nearby places

Burton Overy

Description in 1877:
"Burton Overy, a neat village, in a pleasant valley, 8 miles S.E. of Leicester, has in its parish, which is in Gartree Hundred, Billesdon Union, and Leicester County Court District, 469 persons, living in 106 houses, on 1,660 acres of land, watered by a rivulet, and having a strong clayey soil. The Earl of Stamford and Warrington is lord of the honor, and Sir J. H. Palmer is lord of the manor, which has been called Burton Noveray; but the soil belongs chiefly to the Rev. F. Thorp, the Misses Coleman, G. Coleman, Esq., R. Haymes, Esq., and J. Woodruffe, Esq. Hugh de Grentemaisnell had land here in 1086, and since then the land has been held by the Ferrers, Quincy, Verdun, Meynell, Noveray, and other families. The Church (St. Andrew) is an ancient structure, with a tower and three bells, and was restored in 1866-8, when it was re-seated, the chancel newly roofed, the pulpit and reading-desk erected, and the gallery removed at a cost of £700, defrayed by subscription."
White's "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland, 3rd Edition," 1877

Census

• The parish was in the Billesdon sub-district of the Billesdon 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 11 covers the Billesdon sub-district which includes Burton Overy.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Andrew.
  
  
• The original date of construction is not reported, although the tower is the oldest part of the church and dates from the 13th century.
  
  
• Most of the church appears to date from the 14th century or 15th.
  
  
• The church was restored in 1864-68.
  
  
• The church roof was restored in 1907.
  
  
• The church seats 225.
  
  
• You can find more about church history at the Leicestershire Churches website.
  
  
• The church is open to visitors almost every day. The disabled will have to negotiate a few small steps to enter.
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1575, but there are gaps in baptisms from 1645 to 1653.
  
  
• The church is in the rural deanery of Gartree (second portion).
  
  
• The Congregationalists built a chapel here in 1855.
  
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Billesdon sub-district of the Billesdon registration district.
  
  
• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
  
  
• Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be obtained from the Superintendent Registrar at Market Harborough.
  
  
• For method of obtaining copy certificates see the Civil Registration section on our Leicestershire page.
  
  

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Description and Travel.

Burton Overy is a village and a parish 8 miles south-east of Leicester city, 8 miles north-west of Market Harborough and about 98 miles north of London. The parish covers approx. 1,900 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the A6 arterial road southeast out of Leicester city and turn left (north) after passing through Great Glen. That county road should, after about a half mile, bring you to Burton Overy village. Check current maps because the webpage author's map shows a bypass under construction.
  
  
• Stop at "The Bell" public house for refreshments and visit the church across the parking lot.
  
  

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History

• After the Norman Conquest the parish passed into the hands of Hugh de GRENTEMESNIL.
  
  
• Much of the parish land was used for grazing. Farmers used the remainder to grow wheat, beans, oats and barley.
  
  
• In 1844 there were 20 stocking frames in the village. Stocking manufacture never seems to have developed into a factory industry here.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 6898.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Names, Geographical

• In the 1086 Domesday Book the name is given as "Burtone".
  
  
• A short time later, the name appears as "Burton Novrey".
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• This place was an ancient parish of the county and a modern Civil Parish until 1936.
  
  
• The parish was in the ancient Gartree Hundred (or Wapentake) in the southern division of the county.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• The Common Lands were enclosed here in 1766.
  
  
• Mr. WIlliam WOODWARD left the interest on £200 in 1829 to distribute as meat and bread to the poor at Christmas.
  
  
• The parish maintained its own workhouse from at least 1761 through 1836.
  
  
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Billesdon Poorlaw Union.
  
  
• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Market Harborough petty session hearings.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1086	34
1377	72
1801	399
1811	386
1821	383
1831	418
1841	449
1851	484
1861	465
1871	469
1881	424
1891	348
1901	292
1911	304
1951	259
2001	289

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Schools

• Some children of this parish attended school in Galby.
  
  
• A Public Elementary School (formerly a National School) was built here in 1857 to hold up to 65 students. This school was in use until 1958.
  
  

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