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Orton on the Hill

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Description in 1871:
"ORTON-ON-THE HILL, a village and a parish in Market-Bosworth district, Leicester. The village stands near the boundary with Warwickshire, 3 miles E of Polesworth r. station, and 4 N of Atherstone. The parish comprises 2,290 acres. Post-town, Atherstone. Real property, £2,779. Pop., 334. Houses, 79. The property is divided. The manor, with Orton Hall, belongs to the Rev. D. S. Perkins. The parish is a meet for the Atherstone hounds. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £236.  Patron, the Bishop of Peterborough. The church is old and tolerable, and has a tower and spire."
John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72

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Census

  • The parish was in the Market Bosworth 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.
1861R.G. 9 / 2264
1871R.G. 10 / 3240
1891R.G. 12 / 2506
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Edith.
     
  • The church was built in the twelfth century.
     
  • The church seats 250.
     
  • David ROGERS has a photograph of Saint Edith's Church on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2008.
     
  • Geoff PICK also has a photograph of Saint Edith's Church on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1594 for baptisms and marriages and from 1554 for burials.
     
  • The Bishop's Transcripts cover 1604 - 1887 with gaps.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Akeley (southern division).
     
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Civil Registration

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

Orton on the Hill is a village and a parish which lie 106 miles north of London, 7 miles west of Market Bosworth and 4 miles north of Atherstone. The parish bordered Warwickshire to the west and covered about 2,033 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A444 trunk road north out of Nuneaton and at Twycross, turn west onto the county road into Orton on the Hill.
     
You can see pictures of Orton on the Hill which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Parliamentary troops visited the parish during the Civil War in 1643 and took several horses from the locals.
     
  • Geoff PICK has a photograph of the Unicorn Inn on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
     
  • These are the names associated with the Unicorn Inn in various directories: 
Year Person
1849-- Not listed --
1881-- Not listed --
1912Harry RUDIN
1925Joseph RUDIN
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK304039 (Lat/Lon: 52.632008, -1.552271), Orton on the Hill which are provided by:

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in Leicester county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Sparkenhoe Hundred in the southern division of the county.
     
  • In March, 1855, this Civil Parish gained several acres from Merevale Civil Parish in Warwickshire.
     
  • In April, 1935, this Civil Parish was abolished and all 2,033 acres were amalgamated with Twycross Civil Parish.
     
  • You can contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they are NOT staffed to help with family hisotry searches.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Sparkenhoe (Market Bosworth) petty session hearings each week, alternating between Hinckley and Market Bosworth.
     
  • The Common Land was enclosed here in 1786.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Market Bosworth Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1801303
1811279
1821370
1831350
1841348
1851330
1861334
1881275
1921208
1931191
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Schools

  • A National School (later a Public Elementary School) was built here in 1839.