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Wistow

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Description in 1871:
"WISTOW, a parish, with two townships, in Billesdon district, Leicestershire; on the Union canal, near Glen r. station, and 7 SE of Leicester. Post town, Leicester. Acres, 2,100. Real property, £3,488. Pop., 247. Houses, 56. The manor, with W. Hall, belongs to Sir H. Halford, Bart. The Hall received Charles I., after his escape from the battle of Naseby; and contains his saddle and stirrups, and some interesting portraits. The living is a vicarage, with Newton-Harcourt chapelry, in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £92. Patron, Sir H. Halford, Bart. The church is early English."
John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870-72"

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Census

  • The parish was in the Billesdon subdistrict of the Billesdon 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 / 2254
1871R.G. 10 / 3229
1891R.G. 12 / 2495
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Winstan. The name is often rendered as "Wistan".
     
  • The church is in the park near the Hall.
     
  • The church was built before 1575.
     
  • Andrew TATLOW has a photograph of St. Wistan's Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2006.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1575.
     
  • The church was in the rural Gartree deanery (second portion).
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Billesdon subdistrict of the Billesdon Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Wistow is a village and an ancient parish sitting 7 miles south-east of Leicester and 9 miles north of Market Haborough. The parish covered just over 892 acres (in 1881), 905 acres in 1912 and was much larger in 1936.

The village has always been a rather small affair. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A6 motorway south-east out of Leicester city into Newton Harcourt. Turn right toward Kilby. The village is on Kibworth Road.
     
  • On the web-page author's small scale map (large area) the village of Wistow is not noted.
     
  • The Union Canal passes through the parish.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2014.
     
You can see pictures of Wistow which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Manors

  • Wistow Hall was the seat of Sir Henry St. John HALFORD, baronet and loard of the manor, in 1881.
     
  • In the Hall is a glass case containing the saddle and stirrups of King Charles I after his escape from the battle of Naseby.
     
  • By 1912, Wistow Hall had passed to Thomas Francis FREMANTLE.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of Wistow Hall on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2014.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SP638959 (Lat/Lon: 52.557208, -1.060375), Wistow which are provided by:

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Politics & Government

  • The parish lies in the Gartree Wapentake (or Hundred) in the southern division of the county.
     
  • In April, 1936, the parish was enlarged when Newton Harcourt parish was abolished and 1,132 acres added to this parish.
     
  • The citizens of this parish have decided to forgo a formal parish council and, instead, have periodic joint Parish Meetings with the citizens of Newton Harcourt.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Harborough District Council, but they are NOT funded to assist you with family history searches.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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

 YearInhabitants
1801201
1811225
1821307
1831298
1841296
1851261
187146
188149
190161
191153
1971263
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Schools

  • No school is noted in the sources used for this web page.