Eastwell

1. STANLEY, D and STANLEY, M. (1977) "Eastwell Leicestershire". Privately Published.
    
2. FAHY, N. M. and STANLEY, D. H. (1998) "Submission for The Miss Linford Award 1998. Manor Farm Site Eastwell, Leicestershire. Investigations of Suspected Medieval Manor". Eastwell Manor Farm Research Group 1997-98.
    
3. FARNHAM, G. (c 1920) "Medieval Parish Notes". Pages 179-190.
    
4. NICHOLS, John. (c 1790) "History of Leicestershire". Pages 166-171.
    

There are two cemeteries in Eastwell, the Church of England churchyard on the main road and the former Roman Catholic Church in Stanleys Lane (now private property). Note that "Some ancient gravestones were removed from the south side of the Churchyard, to the lower boundary wall during the last [i.e. 19th] century, to enable a notable hunting parson, Edward Bullen, to mow more hay for his horse." [1]

• The parish was in the Clawson sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
   
• In a 1911 re-organization of the district, this parish was assigned to the Waltham sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
   
• Our census section for the county gives general information.
   
• We have transcripts of the 1851 census and 1891 census for Eastwell. These were transcribed by Victor Paul.
   
• Microfilm copies or transcriptions of some nature are available at the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Melton Mowbray library, LDS Family History libraries and (1851) the Leicestershire and Rutland FHS.
   
• The Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society have indexed the 1851 Census for Leicestershire. The whole index is available on microfiche. The society has also published it in print and Volume 25 (Clawson Sub-District) includes Eastwell.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
   

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael and All Angels.
   
• The parish church in its early days had associations with Croxton Abbey and we know that in 1209 Robert de Arraby gave the church to the abbey and convent of Leicester. The outstanding feature is the stone screen between the chancel and the nave and it has been suggested that the church consisted of only the chancel initially.
   
• John SUTTON has a photograph of Saint Michael's Church and churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2010.
   
• Kate JEWELL has a nice photograph of Saint Michael's Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2008.
   
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of Saint Michael's nave on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2016.
   
• The Eyre family (see Manors) remained Catholic through the civil war and aftermath and "appeared to have had a certain religious influence in the village for as late as 1780 Eastwell had the largest population of Catholics in the county apart from Leicester itself."
   
• A Catholic Chapel was built in 1798 after the one at the Hall was destroyed when sold to the Duke of Rutland. The Chapel was licenced for marriages [Whites Directory 1863] and seems to have been financially supported by the Exton family. The 1891 census does not show a resident priest and Wrights Directory of 1888 records "R.C. Church service occasionally conducted by a Priest from Nottingham."
   

Records held at the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Record Office include:

• Baptisms May 1813 to March 1990
• Burials November 1813 to March 1990
• Banns April 1825 to April 1989
• "Leicestershire Parish Registers", Vol. VI (1911) edited by W.P.W. Phillimore and Thomas Randall. These volumes contain marriage records extracted from Parish Registers including Eastwell 1588-1837 on pages 73 to 80 of this volume.
• Monumental inscriptions. Eastwell Parish Church. Transcribed by the Eastwell Family History Society. L 929.5 Eas SRI
• Monumental inscriptions, 11 cards. In set of drawers. Womens Institute survey?
• Baptisms, marriages, burials. 1585 to 1692. DE 1240/1
• Transcript of DE 1240/1 above. DE 1240/2
• Baptism, burials, marriages. 1719 to 1812. DE 1240/3
• Baptism, burials, marriages. 1722 to 1749. DE 1240/3 (two fiche)
• Marriages, banns. 1754 to 1827. DE 1240/4
• Marriages. 1815 to 1827. DE 1240/5
• Register of Services 1924 to 1938. DE 1240/6
• Register of Services 1938 to 1957. DE 1240/7
• Churchwardens Account Book. 1776 to 1896. DE 1240/8
• School Managers Minute Book. 1910 to 1946. E/M3/B/97/1
• Induction of George David Faithfull 5 June 1812. DE/2214/1
• Induction of Edward Bullen. 3 December 1830. DE/2214/2
• Certificate of redemption of tithe rent charge in Eastwell. 12 June 1922. DE/2214/3
• Three marriage licences. (1) Smith/Goodson 12/Feb/1855 (2) Swain/Goodson 21/Feb/1857 (3) Flint/Holmes 29/Oct/1822. DE/2214/4
• Faculty for memorial tablet for Lieut. Hugh Guy. 30 May 1946. DE/2214/5
• Faculty for mural tablet in memory of Percy Gore Graham (Rector 1924-1942). 1 July 1958. DE/2214/6
• Form of faculty on unopposed proceedings. 20 July 1970. DE/2214/7
• Certificate of exoneration from Land Tax for Eastwell Rectory. 10 June 1807. DE/2214/8
• Fire insurance policy of the Rectory House, Eastwell. 7 September 1854. DE/2214/9
• Schedule of registers and communion plate. 26 June 1901. DE/2214/10
• Terrier. Eastwell. 1934. DE 2309
• Constable account book. 1776 to 1863. DE 2335
• Poor rate book. August 1900 to February 1902. DE/2369/1
• Poor rate book. November 1921 to May 1934. DE/2369/2
• Register of Services. 1957 to 1971. DE/2483/1
• Marriage licences. 1935, 1945, 1953. DE/2483/2/1-3
• Vestry minute book. 1912 to 1973. DE/2483/3
• Register of marriages. December 1838 to July 1990. DE 4051

LDS film 496698 is the above Phillimore/Randall volume.

LDS film 592704 is the Bishops Transcripts for 1593 to 1846 of births, deaths and marriages.

• The parish was in the Clawson sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
   
• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   
• In a 1911 re-organization of the district, this parish was assigned to the Waltham sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District.
   

Eastwell is a village and a parish in the Wold Hills, lying 5 miles north-east of Long Clawson and 7 miles north of Melton Mowbray.

• Geograph
• Flickr

19^th Century directories that include Eastwell and are held at the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Record Office include Whites, Hagars, Melvilles, Drakes, Harods, and Wrights.

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Eastwell to another place.

• Bibliography items 2 and 4 have details of the genealogy of the BRABAZON family.
   

• Saxon items found locally suggest there was a settlement at Eastwell in those times.
   
• The 1086 Domesday Book refers to "Estwelle" and mentions "7 villiens with 3 bordars".
   

Court records of 1490 and 1507 suggest that enclosure was at least partially achieved by then. Full enclosure was complete by 1656.

The register of land used for the preparation of the Tithe Award Map in 1847 showed the land owners to be:-

• The Duke of Rutland with 1,276 acre, rent for 346 pounds/year.
   
• Rev. Joseph Bick (Roman Catholic) with 10 acres, rent 2 pounds 2 shillings/year.
   
• The Rector (Glebe land) 37 acres, rent 6 pounds/year.
   
• James Smith with 5 acres.
   

• There were effectively only three lords of the manor of Eastwell from 1275 to 1921. There were two manors until 1653, of one little is known but it was owned by a Mr Blith when sold in 1631 to Rowland Eyre.
   
• Lord Brabazon established his seat in Eastwell around 1275 and the current Manor Farm sits on the original site. The Brabazons sold the estate in 1653 to Rowland Eyre (thus uniting the two manors) and he built the present Eastwell Hall in 1630.
   
• The last Eyre died in France in 1792 and the Estate was bought by the Duke of Rutland a few years later, thus becoming part of his Belvoir Estate. Death duties lead to Eastwell being sold in 1921, primarily to the then tenants.
   
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the Hall on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2016.
   

• See our Maps page for additional resources.
   

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK775286 (Lat/Lon: 52.849334, -0.850644), Eastwell which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

The village hall originally had been given by the Belvoir estate in memory of the fallen of the Great War. Most of the timber structure has been previously demolished. What remains is the kitchen block. May 2012 update: Melton Borough Council have given permission for the hall to be demolished and a new, larger hall erected.

There is a rectangular stone tablet set into the wall near north porch doorway. Incised lettering and family shield. Dedicated to Lieutenant Hugh GUY, Leics Regt., KIA in September, 1944.

• This place was an ancient parish in Leicester county and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• The parish is in the ancient Framland Hundred in the county.
   
• This Civil Parish was abolished in April, 1936, and all 1,361 acres were amalgamated into Eaton Civil Parish.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Belvoir petty session hearings which were held every other Monday.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Melton Mowbray Poorlaw Union.
   

• 1327 - 13 named on Lay Subsidy listing.
• 1381 - 47 adults named on Poll Tax listing.
• 1543 - 14 men named on Lay Subsidy listing.
• 1564 - 38 families. [4]
• 1666 - 20 men named in Hearth Tax.
• 1790 - 98 inhabitants, 18 families [4].
• 1801 - 107 (Census)
• 1830 - 109 (Curtis History of Leicestershire)
• 1841 - 131 (Melville's Directory of 1854)
• 1851 - 158 (Census)
• 1863 - 160 inhabitants in 34 houses (Whites Directory of 1863)
• 1871 - 159 inhabitants in 32 houses (Whites Directory of 1877 citing 1871 census)
• 1881 - 163 (Wright's Directory 1888 citing 1881 census)
• 1891 - 200 (Census)
• 1922 - 194 (Kelly Directory of 1922)
• 1931 - 152 (Vision of Britain)
• 1998 - 200 (Melton Mowbray Council)

• The Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society have a branch that meets regularly at nearby Melton Mowbray..