Site-Search
Coming Soon
|
Site-Search |
|
Page and site |
|
Mountsorrel in Leicester County England History and GeographyMOUNTSORREL, a market town and chapelry, partly in the parish of ROTHLEY, but chiefly in that of BARROW upon SOAR, western division of the hundred of GOSCOTE, county of LEICESTER, 7½ miles (N.) from Leicester, and 104½ (N.N.W.) from London, containing 1422 inhabitants. The name of this place, prior to the Conquest, appears to have been Soar-hill, which, with its present appellation, is evidently derived from its situation on a mount or hill near the river Soar. On the highest of a range of hills, impending above the town, and called Castle hill, a fortress once stood, which is mentioned in the reign of Stephen, when it was assigned to Robert le Bossu, Earl of Leicester, and his heirs, on condition that Ralph, Earl of Chester, who also laid claim to it, should, with his family, be amicably received within the borough, bailiwick, and castle, whenever they might choose to reside there. In 1167, Robert Blanchmains, Earl of Leicester, on his rebellion against Henry II., was dispossessed of it with his other estates; the latter were subsequently restored to him, but the king retained the castle, and governors were appointed to hold it during this and succeeding reigns. In 1215, it was garrisoned by Saer de Quincey, its governor, for the Dauphin of France, whom the barons had invited to their assistance; and when the royal cause became triumphant, in the beginning of the reign of Henry III., was taken and razed to the ground. This small town is rather romantically situated, amidst rocky and variegated scenery, and consists principally of one street, which extends about three-quarters of a mile along the high road, and is paved with red granite from the adjacent cliffs; the houses in general are constructed of the same material. Worsted-hose and net-lace are manufactured here; and the Soar canal affords facility for the conveyance of stone for the repair of roads throughout the neighbourhood. The market, which is almost disused, is on Monday; and there is a fair on the 29th of July, during which a court of pie-powder is held. There is a small stone bridge over the Soar. The markethouse, a small building in the centre of the town, was erected in 1793, at the expense of Sir John Danvers, Bart., who at the same time removed a curious and ancient cross, which occupied a portion of the site, into his own ground. In addition to the usual manorial courts, a court of pleas is held every three weeks, for the recovery of small debts within the eastern and western divisions of the hundred of Goscote, having the same jurisdiction over that district as a county court has over the county at large. The chapel, dedicated to St. Peter, is a chapel of ease to the vicarage of Barrow. There are places of worship for Baptists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, and Wesleyan Methodists. A free school, for educating twelve boys, was founded in 1742, by Sir John Danvers; the endowment is about £12 per annum. There are several considerable benefactions for the relief of the poor. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
Readers of this page were also interested in: Acton in Middlesex County England History and Geography ACTON, a parish in the Kensington division of the hundred of OSSULSTONE, county of MIDDLESEX, 5 miles (W.) from London, containing 1929 inhabitants. The name is supposed to be derived from the Saxon word Ac, signifying oak, the neighbourhood having in former times abounded in timber of that description, and some land in the parish having from time immemorial been called Old Oak Common Ilchester in Somerset County England History and Geography ILCHESTER, a borough, parish, and formerly a market town, locally in the hundred of Tintinhull, county of SOMERSET, 4 miles (S.S.E.) from Somerton, and 122 (W.S.W.) from London, containing 994 inhabitants Ludgershall in Wilts County England History and Geography LUDGERSHALL, a borough and parish (formerly a market town) in the hundred of AMESBURY, county of WILTS, 16½ miles (N.N.E.) from Salisbury, and 71 (W.S.W.) from London, containing 477 inhabitants. This place, formerly called Lurgeshall and Lutgashall, was anciently of considerable extent, and is supposed to have been the residence of some of the Anglo-Saxon kings Rotherham in York County England History and Geography Weedon-Beck in Northampton County England History and Geography WEEDON-BECK, a parish in the hundred of FAWSLEY, county of NORTHAMPTON, 4 miles (S.E. by E.) from Daventry, containing 1178 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Northampton, and diocese of Peterborough, rated in the king's books at £11, endowed with £800 private benefaction, £200 royal bounty, and £900 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of T. R Whitchurch in Salop County England History and Geography |
