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Worthington

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Description in 1871:
"WORTHINGTON, a township-chapelry, with three hamlets, in Breedon-on-the-Hill parish, Leicester; 5 miles NE by N of Ashby-de-la-Zouch r. station. Post town, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Acres, 1,600. Real property, £5,603; of which £655 are in mines, and £60 in quarries. Pop., 1,172. Houses, 252. The manor belongs to the Earl of Ferrers. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £105. Patron, Lord Scarsdale. The church is plain. There are a school-church at Gelsmore, Wesleyan chapels at W. and Griffydam, and charities £75."
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870-72"].

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Census

  • The parish was in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch sub-district 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.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2269
1871R.G. 10 / 3247
1891R.G. 12 / 2510
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Matthew.
     
  • The church appears to date from around 1200.
     
  • The church was restored in 1890.
     
  • The church seats 200.
     
  • Jonathan BILLINGER has a photograph of St. Matthew's Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2008.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1653 (sources vary).
     
  • The Anglican church had no burial ground. Funerals were held in Breedon on the Hill.
     
  • The Anglican church was in the rural deanery of West Akeley.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel in Wothington township and a larger one in Griffydam township before 1849.
     
  • Clifford DARBY has a photograph of the Methodist Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2005.
     
  • The Wesleyan Reform Methodists had a chapel in Griffydam township around 1912.
     
  • Andrew TATLOW has a photograph of the Griffydam Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2006.
     
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch sub-district of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch registration district.
     
  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
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Correctional Institutions

  • Chris DOWNER has a photograph of the village lock-up on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
     
  • Jonathan BILLINGER has a photograph of the lock-up plaque with useful information on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2008.
     
  • It is not known if any records exist for this gaol.
     
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Description & Travel

Worthington is a parish, a township, a chapelry and a village in Leicestershire, England. Worthington is a parish of 2,108 acres, 5 miles north-east of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Worthington was one of three townships in Breedon on the Hill; Griffydam, Newbold and Worthington. There was an additional township called Gelsmore, but the web page author has not discovered its political affiliation.

If you are planning a visit:

You can see pictures of Worthington which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

"The Bitterman" has a photograph of the Malt Shovel Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2012. The Pub. is on main Street on the eastern side of the village.

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Manors

  • The web page author could find no mention of a Hall at Worthington. There is a note about a Manor House in a 1912 Kellly's Directory, but no description.
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK406207 (Lat/Lon: 52.78236, -1.399504), Worthington which are provided by:

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Military History

  • In 1925, Major Sir George Arthur Hamilton BEAUMONT, the 11th baronet, was the chief landownder, but he was not a resident of the parish. The BEAUMONTS had a long history in Leicestershire.
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Names, Geographical

Although Worthington is the preferred name of the parish, officially it is "Worthington and Newbold."

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Politics & Government

  • For centuries Worthington was just a township and a chapelry in Breedon on the Hill parish. Sources are unclear on when it became its own Civil Parish, but Vision of Britain tells us it was in December, 1866.
     
  • The parish was in the southern (some sources say "western") division of the county in the ancient West Goscote Hundred.
     
  • In April, 1936, Worthington parish was enlarged by 368 acres by gaining part of Breedon on the Hill Civil Parish.
     
  • On that same date, Worthington parish was reduced by 4 acres to enlarge Coleorton Civil Parish.
     
  • Again, on that same date, Worthington parish was enlarged by 12 acres when Thringstone Civil Parish was abolished.
     
  • In 1881, the parish had covered 3,400 acres. It was half that by 1891, then bounced up to 2,108 acres with the 1936 changes above.
     
  • You may contact the Worthington 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 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, the parish became part of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
18411,143
18611,172
18711,134
1881970
1891928
1901953
19111,016
19211,002
19311,088
19511,213
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Schools

  • There was a Church of England School built in Worthington township prior to 1849.
     
  • Ian CALDERWOOD has a photograph of the Primary School on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2012.
     
  • There was a National School built in Griffdam township prior to 1849.
     
  • A Public Elementary School was built in Newbold township and enlarged in 1899 for 263 children.