Cosby
Description in 1871:
"COSBY, a village and a parish in Blaby district, Leicestershire. The village stands on an affluent of the river Soar, near the Midland railway and the Fosse way, 1¾ mile NNE of Broughton-Astley r. station, and 7 SSW of Leicester; and has a post office under Lutterworth. The parish includes also the hamlet of Little Thorpe. Acres, 2, 550. Real property, £4, 653. Pop., 974. Houses, 228. The property is much subdivided. A number of the inhabitants are stocking-makers. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £138. Patron, Thomas Pares, Esq. The church is old but good. There are a Baptist chapel and charities £6."
[John Marius Wilson's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael and All Saints.
- The church was built around 1335.
- The church seats 200.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1557.
- The church is in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (first portion).
- The Particular Baptists had a chapel built here in 1830. This chapel could seat 200.
- The Primitie Methodists had a chapel here by 1912.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
- The parish was in the Enderby sub-district of the Blaby Registration District.
Cosby is a large village and a civil parish 96 miles north of London, 7 miles south of Leicester city and 7 miles north of Lutterworth. The parish covers 2,146 acres and includes the village of Littlethorpe, where there is a bridge over the River Soar.
A stream runs through the village. If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the A426 arterial road south out of Leicester and through Blaby about 5 miles. Just past Whetstone, a road to the right leads to Cosby. A short distance to the south, the A426 and the M1 motorway cross.
- The Narborough Golf Course is nearby.
- In the 1800s and early 1900s, many of the workers in the parish were framework knitters. Farming and boot making were other common occupations.
- The ARMSTON family resided in this parish for oer 500 years.
- The Manor House was occupied as a farm-house in 1912.
- The national grid reference is SP 5495.
- 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 Leicestershire and a modern Civil Parish as well.
- The parish is in the ancient Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
- In March, 1885, this parish was enlarged by gaining a part of Narborough Civil Parish.
- In April, 1935, this parish was enlarged by gaining 2 acres from Broughton Ashley Civil Parish, but gave up 174 acres to Narborough Civil Parish.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Blaby Poorlaw Union.
- Bastardy cases would be heard in the Leicester petty session hearings.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1841 |
779 |
| 1871 |
944 |
| 1881 |
1,004 |
| 1891 |
1,161 |
| 1901 |
1,351 |
| 1911 |
1,560 |
| 1921 |
1,577 |
| 1931 |
1,701 |
| 1951 |
1,533 |
| 1961 |
1,776 |
- A Public Elementary School (National School) was built here in 1872 to accomodate 185 infants.
- A second Public Elementary School was built here in 1912 for 170 boys and girls.
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[Created: 3-September-2009 - Louis R. Mills]
