Hide

Market Bosworth

hide
Hide

Description in 1877:
"Market Bosworth, market town, par., and township, Leicestershire, 7¾ miles NE. of Nuneaton and 104 NW. of London by rail - par., 7,449 ac., pop. 3,978; township, pop. 881; P.O., T.O., 1 Bank. Market-day, Wednesday. Market Bosworth has a grammar school of 1593, at which Dr. Johnson was usher; 2 miles S. of the town is Bosworth Field, where in 1485 Richard III. was defeated by the Earl of Richmond (afterwards Henry VII)."
John BARTHOLOMEW's "Gazetteer of the British Isles," 1877.

Hide
topup

Archives & Libraries

The Market Bosworth Community Library in Station Road is a branch of the Leicester County Council Library System. It is open 6 days each week (verify by phone if you are visiting). The Library is run totally by volunteers, and has a Tourist Information centre.

topup

Cemeteries

Market Bosworth parish council manages and operates the Shenton Lane Cemetery on the south edge of the town.

Betty LONGBOTTOM has a photograph of the Shenton Lane Cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.

topup

Census

  • The parish was in the Market Bosworth sub-district of the Market Bosworth 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.
1841H.O. 107 / 602
1861R.G. 9 / 2263 & 2265
1871R.G. 10 / 3239
1891R.G. 12 / 2506
topup

Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter.
     
  • The original church construction date remains unreported.
     
  • The present church was built in the 17th century, keeping some 14th and 15th century features.
     
  • The church was repaired and restored in 1859.
     
  • The church seats 400.
     
  • John SALMON has a photograph of St Peter's Church on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2012.
     
topup

Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1567, but some sections are "dilapidated". Some sources give a date of 1569, others 1570, for the registers.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Sparkenhoe (second portion).
     
  • The Society of Genealogists holds copies of records of marriages from 1567 - 1699, baptisms and burials from 1567 - 1670 which can be studied at their library in London.
     
  • The General Baptists and the Independents each had a chapel here by 1849.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here also.
     
  • Market Bosworth Free Church in Barton Road is about 50 metres from the Post Office. The Church was formed in 1949 and was originally a Baptist Chapel which became unused in the mid 1930s. In 1947 there were no non-conformist churches in Market Bosworth. A group of Christians formed themselves into a body known as the Free Church.
     
topup

Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Market Bosworth sub-district of the Market Bosworth Registration District.
     
  • The Registrar's Office in Market Bosworth closed in 1945. Certificates of birth, death and marriage can now be obtained from the Superintendent Registrar at  Leicestershire Central.
     
topup

Description & Travel

Market Bosworth is a small market town and a parish which lie 113 miles north of London, about 8 miles north of Nuneaton, 13 miles west of Leicester city and 7 miles north of Hinckley. The Ashby-de-la-Zouch canal passes about a miles to the west. The parish covers about 2,718 acres and once included the hamlets of Coton and Naneby.

The village/town sits on a pleasant height. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A447 north out of Hinckley to the B585 arterial road. Turn left (west) and go about one mile to Market Bosworth. The road runs right through the heart of the village.
     
  • Bosworth Battlefield Centre and Country Park is provided by Leicestershire County Council, and has extensive displays and special events.
     
You can see pictures of Market Bosworth which are provided by:

topup

Gazetteers

topup

History

  • Market Bosworth's greatest claim to fame is probably the Battle of Bosworth Field, which took place near to Market Bosworth, and at which King Richard III was killed, on 22 August 1485.
     
  • The Richard III Society has provided a number of pages of content about the battle on their website.
     
  • The town used to hold a livestock fair on the 8th of May and the 10th of July.
     
  • This town was another place in Leicestershire known for its framework knitted hosiery. Brick-making was a key industry, as was coal mining, but the largest industry was agricultural.
     
  • Around 1850 the town added a police station, a bank and a post office.
     
  • This town's Gas and Coke Company was formed in 1874-75.
     
  • The famous mathematician Thomas SIMPSON was born here on 20 August, 1710.
     
  • In the mid-1800s. most of the population were employed in agriculture, framework knitting and brickmaking.
     
topup

Manors

  • Bosworth Park was a large brick mansion set in a fine park of 400 acres.
     
  • Bosworth Hall became the seat of the DIXIE family in 1567.
     
  • Bosworth Park manor house was restored in 1887.
     
topup

Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK406030 (Lat/Lon: 52.623252, -1.401683), Market Bosworth which are provided by:

topup

Military History

  • Betty LONGBOTTOM has a photograph of the Memorial Plaque in the church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.
     
  • David BARNES has a photograph of the War Memorial in the Market Place on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2005.
     
  • John SALMON has a slightly different view of the War Memorial Cross on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2012.
     
  • There is a single Commonwealth War Grave in St. Peter's Churchyard for World War II.
     
topup

Military Records

NameRankUnitDiedFamily
Doris Evelyn NORMANWrenWomen's Royal Naval Service, HMS Ferret20 Nov. 1943Age 18, Daughter of Cecil George and Gladys Evelyn NORMAN
topup

Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish when Ghose were established.
     
  • The parish is in the ancient Sparkenhoe Hundred in the southern division of the county. It had previously been in the hundred of Gartree.
     
  • The parish covered a large area in 1881 (6,410 acres), but was reduced to a more manageble size (2,716 acres) by various boundary changes prior to 1891. These boundary changes account for most of the population drop.
     
  • In August, 1882, the parish was reduced to enlarge Barton in the Beans Civil Parish.
     
  • In March, 1884, the parish was reduced by giving up the Naneby House portion to Cadeby Civil Parish. This was about 108 acres of land.
     
  • On the same date above, the parish was reduced to enlarge Congerstone Civil Parish.
     
  • You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they CANNOT assist you with family history searches.
     
  • The Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council provides district governance.
     
topup

Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Sparkenhoe (Market Bosworth) petty session hearings each week, alternating between Hinckley and Market Bosworth.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became the centre of the Market Bosworth Poorlaw Union.
     
  • The new workhouse was built here in 1856 and in 1873 an infirmary was added.
     
topup

Population

 YearInhabitants
1800791
18412,539
18461,135
1871949
1881881
1891836
1901659
1911729
1921886
1931864
19511,213
19611,253
topup

Schools

  • The Grammar School was an ancient institution, founder unknown. It was in existance in 1528, refounded in 1593 and reorganized in 1878.
     
  • The Public Elementary School was built some time before 1881.
     
  • A National School (for girls) was built around 1850.
     
  • In the mid-1800s there was a ladies boarding school here, run by the BAKER sisters, Mary & Elizabeth. It appears to have ceased operation by 1881.