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Blaston

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Description in 1877:
"Blaston, a small village and civil parish, is in Gartree Hundred, Uppingham Union and County Court District; it is situated in a pleasant valley, 2 miles S.E. of Hallaton, 5 miles S.W. of Uppingham, and 8 miles N.E. of Market Harborough. For civil purposes Blaston St. Giles and Blaston St. Michael form one parish, which had 82 inhabitants in 1871, living in 20 houses, on 1,267 acres. For ecclesiastical purposes Blaston St. Michael, which contained 26 persons in 1871, is a chapelry, belonging to the parish of Hallaton."
WHITE's History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland. 3rd Edition 1877

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Census

  • The parish was in the Great Easton sub-district of the Uppingham 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 / 589
1861R.G. 9 / 2309
1871R.G. 10 / 3304
1891R.G. 12 / 2550
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Church History

  • There are two ecclesiastical parishes; St. Giles and St. Michael.
     
  • The Anglican parish church dedicated to Saint Giles is a small stone building. It was originally a Chapel of Ease.
     
  • The church appears to date from around 1500.
     
  • The church was restored in 1845.
     
  • The church was rebuilt in 1878.
     
  • The church seats 100.
     
  • Tim HEATON has a photograph of the Chapel of St Giles on Geograph, taken in August, 2006.
     
  • The Anglican parish church dedicated to Saint Michael is also a small stone building.
     
  • The church was rebuilt in 1867-68
     .
  • The church seats 50.
     
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Church Records

  • The St. Giles parish register dates from 1676.
     
  • Both churches were in the rural deanery of Gartree (third portion).
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Uppington Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Blaston is a village, a township and a parish sitting in a valley about 8 miles northeast of Market Harborough. The parish covers about 1,267 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A47 trunk road east out of Leicester City and turn south on the country road and pass thru Hallaton. Blaston will be to your left.
     
You can see pictures of Blaston which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Manors

  • Blaston Hall was occupied by Mrs. E. A. HARDCASTLE in 1912.
     
  • Blaston Hall has since been demolished.
     
  • There was also a Manor House which was occupied and owned by Capt. Eustice R. MAUDSLAY in 1912.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Manor House on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2007.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SP803955 (Lat/Lon: 52.551432, -0.817146), Blaston which are provided by:

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Military History

In St. Giles Church there is a marble plaque as a World War One Memorial. It honors Thomas Edward LEES of the Royal Horse Artillery who died on 21 October, 1918, age 20.

There is also in St. Giles a wooden battlefield cross in memory of gunner T. E. LEES.

Also in St. Giles is a brass plaque memorial to private Herbert Phipps MARTIN of the Coldstream Guards who died 17 May 1918. The plaque was given by his widow Grace.

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Politics & Government

  • The parish was in the southern division of the county in the ancient Gartree Hundred (or Wapentake).
     
  • The citizens of this parish have no formal Parish Council. They hold periodic Parish Meetings of all residents to discuss civic and political issues.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • The enclosure of Blaston took place in the middle of the 17th century.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the East Norton petty session hearings.
     
  • There was an annual grant of £12 and 10s. left by Valentine GOODMAN to the most needy and indigent member of this parish. This grant was established in 1685.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Uppingham (Rutland) Poorlaw Union.
     
  • In June of 1895, in a Poor Law union reorganization, Blaston was reassigned from Uppingham Poorlaw Union to Market Harborough Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1841102
187182
1881114
1891100
190192
191195
192176
193173
196155
200154
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Schools

  • The children of this place attend a school in Hallaton parish.