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Knaptoft

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Description in 1887:
"Knaptoft, par. and township, Leicestershire, 7 miles NE. of Lutterworth--par., 4,940 ac., pop. 697; township, pop. 54; has a mineral spring."
John BARTHOLOMEW, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)

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Census

  • 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:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 598
1861R.G. 9 / 2246 & 2248 & 2250
1871R.G. 10 / 3223
1891R.G. 12 / 2490
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to St. Nicholas.
     
  • The Anglican parish church was decayed by 1842.
     
  • Ian ROB has a photograph of the ruins of The Church of Saint Nicholas on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2012.
     
  • The local parishioners went to church in Shearsby and Mowsley.
     
  • The Anglican church at Shearsby was dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen.
     
  • St. Mary Magdalen church at Shearsby was built in early English times and has a tower built in 1789.
     
  • The church seats 300.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1711 for baptisms, 1713 for marriages and 1710 for burials.
     
  • The church was in the rural Guthlaxton deanery (third portion).
     
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Civil Registration

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

Knaptoft is a parish and two townships 9 miles south of Leicester and 4 miles northwest of Theddingworth. The parish covers just over 1,420 acres and includes the townships of Shearsby and Walton.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A50 south out of Leicester city past Arnesby. The village is tiny, just off the road between Leicester and Welford.
     
  • The Bath Inn in Knaptoft (actually closer to Shearsby) held a mineral spring called "The Spa", which was reputed to have medicinal benefits.
     
  • Three streams rise in the parish. One flows into the Welland River and thence to The Wash. A second flows into the Soar River and onto the Humber. A third flows into the Avon River.
     
You can see pictures of Knaptoft which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The land around the village has been mostly pasture for centuries.
     
  • In the 1800s many of the workers in the parish were either graziers or framework knitters.
     
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Manors

  • Knaptoft Hall was the residence of Wilfred GLOVER in 1912.
     
  • The web page author has been unable to find any discription of Knaptoft Hall.
     
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Maps

  • The national grid reference is SP 6289.
     
  • 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 SP630885 (Lat/Lon: 52.490777, -1.073399), Knaptoft which are provided by:

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Military History

The churchyard Lych Gate is a World War II War Memorial. It contains plaque with white lettering bearing the dedication. It was dedicated in September, 1950.

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Names, Geographical

  • The name Knaptoft is from the Old Norse knapi, or "servant".
     
  • The name is given in many old records as "Knapton".
     
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Politics & Government

  • The parish lies in the Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
     
  • Check the Parish Council site to see what is happening locally. The citizens have decided to forgo a formal parish council and instead they have regular Parish Meetings to discuss civic and political issues.
     
  • In 1898, a portion of the parish (Walton hamlet) was added to the parish of Walton with Kimcote.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Harborough District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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Population

YearInhabitants
1801249
1811312
1821601
1831641
1841669
1851650
1881315
190146
197145
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Schools

  • There was a Ladys' Boarding School in Knaptoft, operated by a Miss Ann WESTON in 1849.
     
  • A Public Elementary School was built in Shearsby in 1869 to 52 children.
     
  • A Free School was built in Walton township some time before 1881. It appears to have disappeared by 1911.