Pickwell with Leesthorpe
- The parish was in the Somerby sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1935.
- 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.
- In 1935, the parish was transfered to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2299 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2543 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
- There was a priest, and presumably a church, in the 1086 Domesday Book.
- The church is of Norman origin, built in the 11th century.
- The church tower was added in the 15th century, built of grey ashlar limestone.
- The church was extensively restored in 1861. A new altar was provided in 1897.
- The church tower and church roof were repaired in 1911.
- The church seats 200.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1572.
- The church is in the rural deanery of Goscote (first portion).
- The vestry minute books for 1717-1795 have survived and are archived.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
- The parish was in the Somerby sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1935.
- In 1935, the parish was transfered to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
Pickwell was a village and a parish 5 miles south-southeast of Melton Mowbray and 108 miles north of London. The parish abuts up against Rutland county and covered 2,326 acres before it was abolished, which included the hamlet of Leesthorpe.
If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the A606 trunk road southeast out of Melton Mobray. Turn off (to the right) onto Stygate Lane for Pickwell about 5 miles down the road.
- Several streams in the parish feed into the River Eye.
- Dr. William CAVE, chaplain to Charles II, was born here in December, 1637.
- Most of the parish land was used for grazing sheep and cattle. Most of the parish residents were graziers.
- Limestone was also quarried in the parish.
- The Manor House was built of ironstone in the 17th century.
- The Manor House is on Somerby Road and was the residence of Edward H. BOLDECK in 1881.
- Leesthorpe Hall was built of Ashlar Limestone circa 1700.
- The national grid reference is SK 7811.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- Although officially "Pickwell with Leesthorpe", the common tendency was just ot call the parish "Pickwell".
- The parish was a detached portion of the ancient Gartree Hundred in the eastern division of the county.
- In April, 1936, this parish was abolished and the area made part of Somerby Civil Parish.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1086 |
57 |
| 1801 |
121 |
| 1871 |
195 |
| 1881 |
249 |
| 1891 |
262 |
| 1901 |
237 |
| 1911 |
217 |
| 1921 |
170 |
| 1931 |
182 |
- A Parochial School (later termed a "Public Elementary School") was built in 1835. This was enlarged in 1883 to hold 70 children.
- In 1929, the school above reserved for juniors and the seniors were sent to school in Melton Mobray.
- In 1933, the school was closed and the the juniors attended school in Somerby.
- Through local efforts the school building was converted into a village hall.
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[Last updated: 20-November-2011 - Louis R. Mills]
