Market Bosworth
Description in 1877:
"Market Bosworth, market town, par., and township, Leicestershire, 7¾ miles NE. of Nuneaton and 104 NW. of London by rail - par., 7449 ac., pop. 3978; 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.
- 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. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2263 & 2265 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2506 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter.
- The original church construction date remains unknown.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Hinckley,
Coalville or
Leicestershire Central.
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.
- The market place is a Conservation Area and photos are availalbe at: Market Bosworth Market Place.
- 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 Hinckley Online, and the Richard III Society have provided a number of pages of content about the battle on their websites.
- 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.
- 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.
- The national grid reference is SK 4003.
- 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 became a modern Civil Parish when those 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.
- 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 1783 an infirmary was added.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1800 |
791 |
| 1841 |
2,539 |
| 1846 |
1,135 |
| 1871 |
949 |
| 1881 |
881 |
| 1891 |
836 |
| 1901 |
659 |
| 1911 |
729 |
| 1921 |
886 |
| 1931 |
864 |
| 1951 |
1,213 |
| 1961 |
1,253 |
- 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 caesed operation by 1881.
This parish page was originally developed by Tim Arguile. Follow this link to find help, report problems or contribute information.
[Last updated: 18-November-2011 - Louis R. Mills]
