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Gumley

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Description in 1871:
"GUMLEY, a parish in Market Harborough district, Leicester; near the Union Canal, 4 miles N of Theddingworth r. station, and 4½ NW by N of Market Harborough. Post town, Market Harborough. Acres, 1,550. Real property, £2,793. Pop., 214. House 50. The property is divided among a few. The manor belongs to Sir William Hartopp, Bart. Gumley Hall also belongs to Sir William, but is occupied by Viscount Ingestre; and it commands extensive views. The parish is noted for its fox earths; and it has a chalybeate spring, and a reservoir of the Union Canal. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £390. Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln. The church is old but good; consists of nave, chancel, aisle, and porches; and has a square tower, with octagonal spire. Charities, £25."
John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales', 1870-72

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Census

  • The parish was in the Market Harborough sub-district of the Market Harborough 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.
1861R.G. 9 / 2250
1871R.G. 10 / 3226
1891R.G. 12 / 2491
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Helen.
     
  • The church dates from the 14th century.
     
  • The church was restored in 1875.
     
  • The church seats 140.
     
  • Tim HEATON has a photograph of the Church of St Helen on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2011.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1698 for baptisms; marriages from 1704 and burials from 1700.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Gartree (first portion).
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Market Harborough sub-district of the Market Harborough Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Gumley is a parish and a village in Leicestershire. It is 100 miles north of London, 13 miles south-east of Leicester city and 4.5 miles north-west of Market Harborough. The parish covers just over 1,360 acres. The Saddington Reservoir lies to the north-west of the village and is partly within the parish.

The village sits in the hills just north-west above the Grand Union Canal. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, it is probably easiest to take the A50 trunk road south out of Leicester city for about 12 miles and turn left at Mowsley and continue to Gumley.
     
  • The Grand Union Canal passes through the south of the parish
     .
You can see pictures of Gumley which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The parish was first recorded in 749.
     
  • King Offa visited Gumley in 772 and 779.
     
  • The Saddington Reservoir was built between 1793 and 1797. The southern part lies in Gumley parish. It was built as a catchment basin for the Grand Union Canal. The reservoir covers about 60 acres.
     
  • The parish was known for centuries for its foxearths.
     
  • The parish was largely used for grazing land.
     
  • Nigel COX has a photograph of the Grand Union Canal, Bridge No. 60 on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2014.
     
  • Matt FASCIONE has a photograph of the Bell Inn on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2007.
     
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Land & Property

  • Major Thomas Guy Frederick PAGET (1886- 1952) owned land in this parish.
     
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Manors

  • Gumley Hall is a large red-brick manor house with excellent views around the county. The Hall was built in 1764 for Joseph CRADDOCK.
     
  • In 1912, it was the residence and property of George Murray SMITH, lord of the manor.
     
  • During World War II the Hall was used for training resistance fighters and for Special Operations Executive.
     
  • After the war Leonard CHESHIRE was given the use of the Hall for those servicemen returning homeless after demobilisation.
     
  • The Hall became dilapidated and was demolished in 1964.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SP680901 (Lat/Lon: 52.504567, -0.99962), Gumley which are provided by:

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Military History

  • A war memorial was erected in 1920 by public subscription on the hill north-west of the village.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the War Memorial west of the village on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2007.
     
  • Colin PARK has a similar photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2009.
     
  • And ANDREW TATLOW has a photograph of the War Memorial plaque on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.
     
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Military Records

ANDREW TATLOW has a photograph of the names on War Memorial List on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.

And the second plaque is List 2 on Geo-graph, again taken in June, 2013.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish is in the ancient Gartree Hundred in the southern division of the county.
     
  • The citizens of this parish have decided to forgo a formal Parish Council. Instead, they hold periodic Parish Meetings of all concerned citizens to discuss civic and political issues..
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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

 YearInhabitants
1801224
1841240
1871265
1881232
1891169
1901201
1911172
1921133
1931148
1951183
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Schools

  • The Public Elementary School was built in 1864 for 53 children. The school closed in 1933.