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Swepstone

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Description in 1871:
"SWEPSTONE, a parish, with a village and two hamlets, in Ashby-de-la-Zouch district, Leicester; 4 miles S by E of Ashby-de-la-Zouch r. station. It has a post-office under Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Acres, 2,287. Real property, £4,475. Pop., 566. houses, 137.

The manor belongs to J. Gurdon, Esq. The living is a rectory, united with Snareston, in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £1,050.* Patron, the Rev. W.Hodgson. The church is ancient, and has a tower of 1842. There are Independent, Wesleyan, and Primitive Methodist chapels, a national school, and charities £95."
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]

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Cemeteries

Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of St. Peter's porch with the graveyard just beyond on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Measham subdistrict of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch 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 and Volume 7 covers the Measham subdistrict.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1851H.O. 107 / 2084
1861R.G. 9 / 2267
1871R.G. 10 / 3243
1891R.G. 12 / 2508
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Church History

  • It is reported that a Saxon church probably existed here before the Norman Conquest, but no trace of it now exists.
     
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter.
     
  • The build date for the church is uncertain, but appears to be in the 14th century.
     
  • The chancel was rebuilt in 1869 and the churchyard extended.
     
  • In 1870 the south porch was rebuilt.
     
  • The church seats 500.
     
  • Angela STRELUK has a photograph of Swepstone's church on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2005.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1515.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of West Akeley.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists and the Wesleyan Methodists each had a chapel in Newton Bergoland hamlet prior to 1849.
     
  • The Independents had a chapel built in Newton Bergoland in 1807.
     
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Measham subdistrict of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Registration District.
     
  • Civil Registration started in July, 1837.
     
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Description & Travel

Swepstone is a small village and a parish 120 miles north of London, just 5.5 miles north-west of Market Bosworth and 4 miles south-west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The parish covers 2,318 acres and includes the hamlets of Newton Burgoland and Newton Nethercote.

A small brook called the Mease runs through the parish to join the River Sence. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A447 to Ibstock and turn west onto the B586. Follow that for about a mile and a half to Swepstone.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2019.
     
  • Stop in at the Village Hall as photographed by David ROGERS on Geo-graph, taken in 2008. Stop in and ask for a schedule of forth-coming events.
     
You can see pictures of Swepstone which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

The Odd House is the only Pub. in the village.

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Manors

  • The web page author could find no description of Swepstone Hall.
     
  • Swepstone Hall was the residence of Herbert David Paul KITCAT in 1912.
     
  • There is a Manor House in Swepstone, but again, the web page author could find no description of it.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK367105 (Lat/Lon: 52.691055, -1.457748), Swepstone which are provided by:

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Military History

There is a War Memorial plaque associated with the recast bells of St Peter's Church.

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Names, Geographical

In the 1086 Domesday Book the name is rendered as "Scopestone".

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in county Leicester and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • in 1881, the parish covered 2,287 acres. By 1891, that had increased to 2,318 acres.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient West Goscote Hundred in the western division of the county.
     
  • You may contact the local Swepstone Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to help with family history lookups.
     
  • District governance is provided by the North West Leicestershire District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch petty session hearings.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, Swepstone became part of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1801412
1841614
1871556
1881526
1891509
1901525
1911570
1921630
1931629
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Schools

  • A Public Elementary School was built in Newton Burgoland hamlet in 1873 to hold 100 children.
     
  • A Public Elementary School (National School) was built at Newton Nethercote in 1843 to accomodate 48 children.