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Kegworth

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Description in 1871:
"KEGWORTH, a small town, a township, and a parish, in the district of Shardlow and county of LeicesterThe town stands on an eminence, on the W bank of the river Soar, at the boundary with Notts, 1 mile W of Kegworth r. station, and 6 NW by N of Loughborough; was anciently called Cogeworde; had long a weekly market; carries on trade in frame work knitting, embroidering, basket making, malting, and brewing; and has a post office under Derby, a telegraph at its r. station, a stone bridge over the Soar, a church, three dissenting chapels, an endowed national school, and charities £47. The church is an old and handsome edifice; consists of nave, aisles, transept, and chancel, with tower and spire; and was restored in 1859. The township includes the town, and extends into the country. Real property, £6,418. Pop., 1,773. Houses, 412.-The parish contains also the chapelry of Isley-Walton, and comprises 2,260 acres. Real property, £7,163. Pop., 1,189. Houses, 420. The property is subdivided. The manor belongs to John B. Story, Esq. The living is a rectory, united with the p. curacy of Isley-Walton, in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £875. Patron, Christ's College, Cambridge."
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]

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Archives & Libraries

Alex McGREGOR has a photograph of the Kegworth Library on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2013.

The Kegworth Community Library in High Street is a branch of the Leicester County Council Library System. It is open 5 days each week (verify by phone if you are visiting) and is largely staffed by volunteers.

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Cemeteries

A Saxon cemetery was found here two hundred years ago.

Kegworth Cemetery was opened in 1936.

Trevor RICKARD has a photograph of Kegworth Cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2011.

Eirian EVANS also has a photograph of Kegworth Cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2008.

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Kegworth Cemetery entrance on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.

Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Churchyard at St. Andrew's on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Castle Donington subdistrict 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 / 2488
1891R.G. 12 / 2719
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church for Kegworth is dedicated to Saint Andrew.
     
  • The church was built here about 1370.
     
  • The Royal Arms mounted in this church date from 1684.
     
  • The church was thoroughly repaired and the upper part of the spire rebuilt in 1843.
     
  • The church was restored in 1859-1860.
     
  • The church tower was restored in 1875.
     
  • The church spire needed partial rebuilding in 1903 and the bells were rehung.
     
  • The church seats 600.
     
  • Trevor RICKARD has a photograph of St. Andrew's Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2011.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1556.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of East Akeley.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodist chapel on High Street was in use by 1849. The United (Free) Methodist chapel on the Derby road was in use by 1849. The Primitive Methodists opened their chapel in Nottingham road in 1902. The General Baptist chapel, also on High Street was founded in 1760.
     
  • The General Baptists would build a chapel here in 1815 and enlarge it in 1865. Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the chapel date-stone on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Methodist chapel on High Street on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2007.
     
  • Mat also has a photograph of the Baptist chapel on High Street on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2007.
     
  • Mike FAHERTY also has a photograph of the Baptist chapel on High Street on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Castle Donington sub-district of the Shardlow registration district.
     
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Description & Travel

Kegworth is a small town, a township and parish 6 miles northwest of Loughborough and 11 miles east-south-east of Derby and 115 miles north of London. Nottinghamshire forms the eastern border of the parish. The parish covers about 2,290 acres.

The town sits on a rise on the west side of the River Soar. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, the town lies near the intersection of the M1 motorway and the A6 trunk road. Kegworth is just east of that intersection.
     
  • John BENISTON has a photograph of a Refurbished milepost on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2019.
     
  • A railway line of the old Midland Railway passes just east of the town, but passenger service is not reported.
     
  • David LALLY has a photograph of the River Soar with longboats moored to the dock on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2014.
     
You can see pictures of Kegworth which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Kegworth was situated well within the territory of the Caritani, one of the Ancient British tribes.
     
  • The privilege to hold a weekly market was granted in 1290.
     
  • A stone bridge was built in 1785 to cross the River Soar.
     
  • The kennels for the pack called the "Donington hounds" were kept here.
     
  • The people of Kegworth were chiefly employed in frame-work knitting and embroidery. The town was also known for its malthouses and corn mills.
     
  • In 1911, the town had a Temperance Hall in the Derby Road that could seat about 300.
     
  • The poet Thomas MOORE lived here during 1812 and 1813.
     
  • Trevor RICKARD has a photograph of the memorial for the Air Disaster that struck Kegworth in 1989 on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2011.
     
  • Mike FAHERTY has a photograph of the Old Flying Horse, an old Tudor pub., on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.
     
  • Alex McGREGOR has a photograph of the Anchor Inn on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2013.
     
  • Ian CALDERWOOD has a photograph of the Station Road Allotmentsin use since 1900 on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2015.
     
  • Well worth a visit, Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Kegworth Museum on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.
     
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Manors

  • Old directories mention a Manor House, but give no descriptions.
     
  • The Manor House is a Grade II structure with English Heritage.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Manor House on Geo-0graph, taken in June, 2018.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK488267 (Lat/Lon: 52.835615, -1.277047), Kegworth which are provided by:

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Military History

Originally there was an alabaster tablet mounted inside the church, bearing the names of the men of the parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-18. This has since been moved to the War Memorial creche outside the church.

There are two Commonwealth War Graves in St. Andrews Churchyard from World War I.

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Military Records

The War Memorial is a shrine on the walkway to the St. Andrew's Church having slate tablets with gold inscription set on stone backing within stone hooded niche of the brick wall.

The two Commonwealth War Graves in the churchyard are for (data from www.cwgc.org):

NameRankUnitDiedFamily
J. BOWLERCorporal"B" Coy. 1st Bn, Sherwood Foresters12 May 1915Son of James and Jane Mary NORTH
G. STEVENSONPrivate1st Bn, Lincolnshire Regiment23 Aug. 1916Husband of Sarah Ann STEVENSON
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Names, Geographical

  • The ancient name for this parish was "Cogesworde".
     
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Newspapers

Jane TAYLOR in Redcar contributes this snippet from the Derby Mercury of 15 July, 1802, MARRIED: "On Sunday last, at Melbourne, in this county, Mr. PARES of Kegworth, to Mrs. LOMAS, daughter of Mr. ORME, late of the former place."

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient West Goscote Hundred in the northern division of the county.
     
  • You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they can NOT do family history searches for you.
     
  • Since 1974 the parish became a member of the North West Leicestershire District Council.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018. Stop in when the Hall is open and ask to see the schedule of forth-coming events to see if any local or personal history lectures are offered.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, Kegworth became part of the Shardlow Poorlaw Union.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Loughborough petty sessional hearings.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
18011,416
18411,945
18611,773
18711,788
18812,142
18912,149
19012,078
19112,220
19212,139
19312,107
19512,508
19612,645
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Schools

  • A Free School was founded here in 1575 by licence of Queen Elizabeth.
     
  • Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the former Free School on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2018.
     
  • A National School was built here in 1839 and the endowment for the Free School was transferred here. This school was enlarged in 1871 and again in 1892.