Broughton Astley

• The parish has a cemetery on Frolesworth Road. It is managed by the parish council's Burial Board.
   
• J. THOMAS has a photograph of the public Cemetery on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.
   

• The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth 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:
   

• The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin.
   
• The church is Early Norman and was built around 1325, although portions were rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries.
   
• The church was restored in 1882.
   
• The north porch was added in 1897.
   
• The church seats 450.
   
• John SALMON has a photograph of St. Mary's Church on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
   

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1581 and is in good condition.
   
• The church was in the rural Guthlaxton deanery (second portion).
   
• The Particular Baptists built a chapel founded here in 1650 in Sutton-in-the-Elms.
   

• The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth Registration District.
   
• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   

Broughton Astley is a parish and a village 94 miles north of the city of London, 9 miles south of the centre of Leicester city, and 6 miles east from Hinckley. The parish covers just over 1,920 acres.

The village is described as a "large straggling village, formed as an amalgamation of three communities". The village sits on a small brook. If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the M1 motorway south out of Leicester to the no. 20 roundabout and follow the B4114 south. Where that road intersects the B581, turn left into Broughton Astley.
   
• Steven ROWE has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2007. You should stop in when it is open and ask for a schedule of forth-coming events. The Hall can be hired for family re-unions.
   

• Geograph
• Flickr

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Broughton Astley to another place.

You can see the administrative areas in which Broughton Astley has been placed at times in the past. Select one to see a link to a map of that particular area.

• In the 1086 Domesday Book, there are references to the districts of Broctone, Sutone and Torp.
   
• The above names evolved into Broughton, Sutone became Sutton or Sutton-In-The-Elms and Torp became Primethorpe. The original names are of Saxon or Danish style, of the period 560-900AD.
   
• In the 1800s and early 1900s a large part of the population were frame-work knitters making hosiery.
   

• Broughton Astley Hall was unoccupied in 1912.
   

• You can view an online map at the Axcis site.
   
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
   

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SP530925 (Lat/Lon: 52.527802, -1.2202), Broughton Astley which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• OldMaps (Old Ordnance Survey maps.)
• Old Maps Online (Other old maps.)
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• Kevin FLYNN has a photograph of the War Memorial near St. Mary's Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2006.
   
• J. THOMAS also has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.
   

There are two Commonwealth War Graves in St. Mary's churchyard from World War I:

1. Oliver John MARRITT, priv., 17th Btn. Sherwood Foresters, age 30, died 30 Sept. 1917.
2. George ADNITT REYNOLDS, priv., Depot unit Leics Regt., age 22, died 7 June 1917. Son of Joseph and Violetta REYNOLDS.

There are three Commonwealth War Graves in the public Cemetery from World War II:

1. William BOSWORTH, driver, Royal Engineers, age 20, died 25 Aug. 1940. Son of John and Lily BOSWORTH.
2. Victor Clarence FRETTER, Srgt., 220 Sqn. RAF Vol. Rsrv., age 23, died 10 Aug. 1942. Husband of Joan FRETTER, of Countesthorpe.
3. Arthur William GROOCOCK, priv., 7th Btn. North Staffs. Regt., age 24, died 28 Apr. 1941. Husband of Beryl M. GROOCOCK.

• This place was an ancient parish in Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• There are three villages in the parish; Broughton, Primethorpe and Sutton-in-the-Elms. Broughton and Primethorpe merged some years ago and Sutton in the Elms sits across the B581 from Broughton.
   
• The parish lies in the Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
   
• In March, 1885, this Civil Parish was enlarged by gaining the Platt House portion of Croft Civil Parish.
   
• In April, 1935, this Civil Parish was reduced by giving 2 acres to Cosby Civil Parish.
   
• Steve ROWE has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2007. Be sure to stop in when it is open and ask for a schedule of forth-coming events.
   
• You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to help you with family history searches.
   
• District governance is provided by the Distirct of Harborough.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Lutterworth petty session hearings every other Thursday.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Lutterworth Poorlaw Union.
   

Year	Inhabitants
1841	728
1871	746
1881	708
1891	785
1901	1,172
1911	1,339
1921	1,292
1931	1,440

• Orchard Primary School (formerly the National School) which is situatated in the old "Primethorpe" area. The orginal school was built in 1847.
   
• Old Mill Primary School is the link of the village.
   
• Hallbrook Primary School is a new school about 20 years old in the new "Hall Farm" part of the village.
   
• Broughton Astley is the home of Thomas Estley Community College. The community college is named after the man who first suggested combining Broughton and Primethorpe in the 18th century.