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Bagworth

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Description in 1877:
"BAGWORTH is a village, township, and chapelry, in Thornton parish, 10 miles W. N. W. of Leicester, on the south side of the Leicester and Burton Railway, on which it has a station. It contains 505 inhabitants and about 2,141 acres of land, forming a picturesque district of hill and dale, watered by several small rivulets, and including the scattered farms of Merry Lees (300 acres), Bagworth Park and Heath, Lindrich, &c. A large colliery, for many years worked by the late Viscount Maynard, now belongs to the Bagworth Colliery Co."
White's "History, Gazetteer and Directory of the Counties of Leicester and Rutland. 3rd Edition 1877"

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Census

  • The parish was in the Ibstock sub-district of the Market Bosworth 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 / 603
1861R.G. 9 / 2265
1871R.G. 10 / 3241
1891R.G. 12 / 2507
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to The Holy Rood.
     
  • The church construction date remains unknown, but the church is refered to in directories as "a very old building, with a very low tower".
     
  • The church was entirely rebuilt in 1873.
     
  • The church seats 200.
     
  • The two ancient church buildings had to be demolished due to subsidence, The current building is a plain concrete structure.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1560.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Akeley (southern division).
     
  • The Society of Genealogists holds copies parish records from 1559 - 1778 included along with those of Thornton and Stanton under Barton which can be studied at their library in London.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in 1904.
     
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Civil Registration

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

Bagworth is a village, a township, a chapelry and a parish which lie about 115 miles north of London, 1 mile west of Thornton and 12 miles north of Leicester city. The parish covers about 2,240 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • Take some time to enjoy Bagworth Heath Woods on Heath Road. It is 1/2 miles south of Bagworth village on the location of the former Desford Colliery. There are several walks maintained for your enjoyment.
     
  • There are photos of the parish at the Parish Council site.
     
  • By automobile, take the M1 toward Coalville. The parish is just off to the west as you near Coalville.
     
  • By bus, check the Arriva Bus schedule.
     
  • Andrew TATLOW has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2006. Consider stopping in and asking for a schedule of forth-coming events.
     
You can see pictures of Bagworth which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Bricks were made here in the 1800s.
     
  • Much of the land was used for pasture.
     
  • Coal was mined here and two large colliers dominated the parish in the late 1800s. Bagworth Colliery is in the Guiness Book of Records for its coal production per man-shift. The Bagworth Colliery closed in February, 1991. The Desford Colliery closed in 1984.
     
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Manors

  • There is a mention of Bagworth Hall in 1912, but no description.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK448070 (Lat/Lon: 52.658879, -1.339103), Bagworth which are provided by:

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Military History

In the churchyard is a stone cross, erected in memory of the men connected with this parish who gave their lives in World War I..

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Military Records

The is the list of names provided for the War Memorial:

Name Rank Unit Died Other info.
Albert Edward BAINBRIDGE corporal 2nd Btln., Lincolnshire Regt. 14 Oct. 1944 Age 26
Walford Sydney BALL private 1/8 Durham Light Infantry 29 Mar. 1918 Age 23, born in Bagworth
John BENNETT        
Walter BEVINS        
John BOWLEY        
Percy CAVILL private 6th Btln., Northamptonshire Regt. 29 Oct. 1918 Age 26
Charles Henry CHAMBERLAIN private 1st Btln., Lincolnshire Regt. 3 Nov. 1918 Age 26
Violet G. CLARKE        
H. COOPER        
Thomas Samuel DAVIES ordinary seaman Royal Navy, HMS Victory 18 Mar. 1917 Age 23, son of Lydia DAVIES of Stanton-under-Bardon
Bertie FARMER corporal 1/4 Btln., Leicestershire Regt. 16 Aug. 1918 Age 24, not found in CWGC database.
Alfred Lorenzo HEATHCOTE private 1/5 Btln., Leicestershire Regt. 23 Apr. 1915 Age 30, born Aylestone Park, Leics.
Henry Alfred HOLLAND        
W. JORDAN        
William KENNY        
Daniel LINFORD sergeant 5th Btln, Oxford and Bucks Light Infanty 18 June 1918 Age 42, husband of Clara Ethel LINFORD of Ellistown, Leics.
William Henry Charles LOCKWOOD private 12th Btln., Royal Sussex Regt. 31 July 1917 Age 24
John Thomas LOVETT private 14th Btln., York and Lancaster Regt. 28 Aug. 1916 Age 24
Alfred Philip LOWE corporal 7 Btln., Leicestershire Regt. 13 Mar. 1943 Age 29
Horace Noel LOWE lance corporal 2nd Btln., Leicestershire Regt. 26 May 1941 Age 24
George Edward PASTON private 1st. Btln., King's Liverpool Regt. 21 Sept. 1914 Age 32, not found in CWGC database.
Joseph REED private 1st. Btln., Leicestershire Regt. 4 Dec. 1917 Age 24
Norman George REED pilot, flight sergeant 626 sqdn., RAF Volunt. Resrv. 5 June 1945 Age 21
Joseph Arthur TURNER trooper Royal Armoured Corps 15 Jan. 1943 Age 23
Francis WARD private 1/5 Btln., Leicestershire Regt. 24 Sept. 1918 Age 24
Leonard WARD        
William Butler WRIGHT corporal Royal Engineers 30 July 1943 Age 22
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Politics & Government

  • This ancient Chapelry was incorporated as a Civil Parish in December, 1866.
     
  • The parish is in the ancient Sparkenhoe Hundred in the western division of the county.
     
  • In March, 1886, the parish was reduced by transferring a detached portion to Newbold Verdon Civil Parish.
     
  • In April, 1935, the parish was amalgamated with Thornton (gaining 2,092 acres) and became Bagworth and Thornton Civil Parish.
     
  • The parish stared out in 1881 at 3,930 acres, then shrunk to 2,156 by 1891. In 1901 it was 2,244 acres until 1935. The combined parishes then totalled 4,336 acres.
     
  • The Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council provides district governance.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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

 YearInhabitants
1841569
1871505
1881604
1891642
1901631
19111,419
19211,481
19311,568
19512,103
19611,869
20011,836
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Schools

  • A school was founded here by Viscount MAYNARD in 1760.
     
  • A Public Elementary School (National School) replaced the school above, probably around 1875.
     
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Societies

The parish has its own Bagworth Historical Society, which formed in 2001. They meet at Bagworth Working Mens Club every 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm. They have at least three publications you may be interested in.