Newton Linford (Newtown Linford)
Description in 1871:
"NEWTOWN-LINFORD, a village and a parish in Barrow-upon-Soar district, Leicestershire. The village stands on an affluent of the river Soar, near Charnwood forest, 3 miles N by E of Kirby-Muxloe r. station, and 5½ N W of Leicester; and has a postal-pillar under Leicester, and a good inn. The parish comprises 3,990 acres. Real property, £2,572. Pop., 500. Houses, 102. The manor belongs to the Earl of Stamford. Roecliffe Hall is the residence of Sir F. W. Heygate, Bart. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £100. Patron, the Earl of Stamford. The church is an old building, with a tower; and was restored in 1860. Charities, £10."
[John Marius Wilson's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]
- The village cemetery is at the of the hill on Groby Lane.
- The parish was in the Rothley sub-district of the Barrow upon Soar 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. Volume 21 covers the Rothley sub-district.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2281 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2521 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
- The church was built circa 1400.
- The church was restored in 1860 and a south porch added.
- The church was restored again in 1893.
- The church seats 200.
- There is an online Church History with more detail.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1654.
- The church was in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (first portion).
- A typescript of the parish register from 1654 to 1938, was made by A. Bernard Clarke in 1938. The web-page author does not have information on where copies may be obtained.
- The parish was in the Rothley sub-district of the Barrow upon Soar Registration District.
- Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
Newton Linford is a village and a parish about 6 miles north-west of the city of Leicester and 110 miles north of London. The village sits in the Charnwood Forest area of the county. The parish covers about 3,920 acres and includes areas known as Roecliffe, Holgate, Bradgate Park and High Lees.
The River Lin runs through the village and turns east to empty into the reservoir. If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the B5327 north-west out of Leicester city toward Ashby-de-la-Zouch. .
- Leicestershire Villages have a village website with description and history.
- The FLICKR web-site has some village scenes you might find interesting.
- Much of the village was designated as a conservation area in 1972.
- The village tries to hold a Scarecrow Festival each September.
- Roecliffe Hall was the seat of the HEYGATE family in recent centuries.
- In Bradgate park one can find the ruins of the GREY family mansion. Lady Jane GREY reigned as queen for 9 (some say 11) days after the death of Edward VI.
- The national grid reference is SK 5210
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- The village's name originates from the relocation of people when the FERRERS family of Groby turned Bradgate into a deer park. The people who lived within the estate were moved to the "New Town" - or hamlet as it would have been then, at the ford of the river Lin (once located at the junction of Markfield Lane and Main Street).
- The village was first documented in 1293 and was previously known as "Lyndynford".
- This place was an ancient chapelry in Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish probably in 1866.
- The parish was in the ancient West Goscote Hundred in the mid division of the county.
- The parish is currently in the Bradgate County Electorial Division and the Charnwood Borough Council.
- The village is "twinned" with Bradgate, Iowa, USA.
- In March, 1884, the parish was reduced in size to enlarge Markfield, Rothley, Ulverscroft and Charley Civil Parishs.
- In April, 1935, the parish boundaries were changed by land swaps with Anstey and Groby Civil Parishs.
- In April, 1953, the parish boundaries were changed by land swaps with Anstey Civil Parish.
- In April, 1968, the parish boundaries were changed by land swaps with Swithland and Ulverscroft Civil Parishs.
- You can contact the local Newtown Linford Parish Council with political or civil issues, but they are NOT staffed to do family history research for you.
- You can also contact the Charnwood Council with political or civil issues. They, too, are limited by budget issues and are NOT staffed to do family history research for you.
- In 1800 Mary HEARD left £1,000 to the poor of this parish and the parishes of Anstey and Illston-on-the-Hill. The yearly return was about £31.
- As a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became part of the Barrow-upon-Soar Poorlaw Union.
- Bastrady cases would be heard in the Leicester petty sessional hearings.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
377 |
| 1811 |
403 |
| 1841 |
495 |
| 1851 |
483 |
| 1871 |
450 |
| 1881 |
479 |
| 1891 |
357 |
| 1901 |
361 |
| 1911 |
419 |
- The parish had an Infant School prior to 1881.
- A County Council School opened here in 1907.
- The school has its own web site, but there is no history or list of past students.
Follow this link to find help, report problems or contribute information.
Last updated: 20-November-2011 - Louis R. Mills]
