Countesthorpe
Description in 1871:
"COUNTESTHORPE, a chapelry in Blaby parish, Leicestershire; on a branch of the river Soar, and on the Midland railway, 5½ miles S by W of Leicester. It has a station on the railway, and a post office under Leicester. Acres, 1,920. Real property, £2, 940. Pop., 975. Houses, 219 Some of the inhabitants arc stocking-makers. The living is a p. curacy, annexed to the rectory of Blaby, in the diocese of Peterborough. The church was built in 1842, but has the tower of a previous edifice. There are chapels for Independents, Baptists, and Primitive Methodists."
[John Marius Wilson's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]
- A cemetery of one acre was set aside in 1862 with two mortuary chapels. It was under the control of the parish council's burial board.
- The parish was in the Wigston sub-district of the Countesthorpe 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 10 covers Countesthorpe.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2256 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2497 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Andrew.
- The origin of the church is uncertain, but was earlier than 1704.
- The church was rebuilt in 1842, except for the tower.
- The church seats about 400.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1600.
- The church is in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (first portion).
- The Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society have indexed Countesthorpe baptisms from 1560 - 1920, burials from 1568 - 1911 and deaths from 1568 - 1911. These have been published on microfiche.
- The Baptist chapel was built here in 1829.
- The Primitive Methodist chapel was built here before 1881.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
- The parish was in the Wigston sub-district of the Countesthorpe Registration District.
Countesthorpe is a township, a parish and a village just south of Leicester city. It is 97 miles north of London and 6 miles south of Leicester. The parish covers 1,213 acres.
If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the A426 motorway south out of Leicester city. Just south of Blaby, turn left (east) for Countesthorpe.
- In the 1800s and early 1900s, most of the workers in the parish were frame-work knitters turning out stockings.
- This parish was home to the Leicester Poorlaw Union "Workhouse Cottage Homes," about 3/4 mile west of the village, built in 1884, where 194 pauper children were housed.
- Countesthorpe Hall is an ancient building, formerly the seat of the PEVERIL family, the VERNONs and the RUTLAND families.
- The Hall was restored about 1850 and in 1881 was the residence of the Misses STONE.
- The national grid reference is SP 5895.
- 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 Chapelry in Blaby parish in Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish in Decmber, 1866.
- The parish was in the ancient Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
- In April, 1935, this parish was enlarged by 23 acres taken from Blaby Civil Parish.
- One year later, in April, 1936, this parish was reduced by 142/ acres to enlarge Wigston Magna Civil Parish.
- Countesthorpe is now part of the Leicester Urban Area.
- You can contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to assist you with family history research.
- District governance is provided by the Blaby District Council.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Blaby Poorlaw Union.
- Bastardy cases would be heard at the Leicester petty sessional hearings.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1871 |
1,026 |
| 1881 |
1,103 |
| 1891 |
1,344 |
| 1901 |
1,429 |
| 1911 |
1,450 |
| 1921 |
1,473 |
| 1931 |
1,921 |
| 1951 |
2,109 |
| 1961 |
2,249 |
- The Public Elementary School (National School) was built about 1838 and endowed by Mr. Henry RALPH. It could accomodate 64 children. This school was rebuilt in 1914 to hold up to 200 students.
- The County Council had a school built to hold 140 children.
- An Infants School was built about 1873 to hold 79 children.
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[Last revised: 26-November-2011 - Louis R. Mills]
