Mountsorrel Leicestershire Family History Guide
Mountsorrel is a chapelry of Barrow upon Soar Ancient Parish and Rothley Ancient Parish in Leicestershire.
Alternative names: Mount Sorrel, Mountsorrel North End
Parish church: St. Peter
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1677
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1604
Nonconformists include: Baptist, Presbyterian, Primitive Methodist, Unitarian, and Wesleyan Methodist.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
MOUNTSORREL, a small town and two township-chapelries, in Barrow-upon-Soar district, Leicester. The town stands on rising-ground, on the W side of the river Soar, 1½ mile W of Sileby r. station, 1½ S by W of Barrow r. station, and 4 SE of Loughborough.
It is nearly overhung by a boldly precipitous height, called Castle-hill, about 100 feet in altitude; takes its name thence, by corruption, of “Mount-Soar-Hill; ” had anciently, on the hill, a strong castle of Robert le Bossu, which was occupied by the rebel barons against Henry III., and razed to the ground by that king’s command; had formerly also, near its own centre, an old market-cross, which was removed by Sir John Danvers, at the end of last century, to his grounds at Swithland.
It is built and paved with a remarkably hard and durable syenite, found in the neighbourhood; is a seat of petty-sessions, and of a court-leet and court-baron; and has a post-office under Loughborough, two chief inns, an old four-arched-bridge, a market house, two churches, four dissenting chapels, a free school for 12 poor boys, a national school, and charities £146. The market house was built by Sir John Danvers, on the site of the old cross; and is a small round structure, with an octostyle portico, and a cupola.
St Peter’s church, or the church of M.-North-End, is an old building, with a tower. Christ church, or the church of M.-South-End, was erected in 1844, at the expense of Miss Brinton; is a small building, in the pointed style; and has a tower and spire. One of the dissenting chapels is for General Baptists; was formerly occupied by Presbyterians; and is noted for occasional ministrations in it of the famous Dr. Watts.
A weekly market is held on Monday; a fair of 9 days duration begins on 10 July; stocking weaving is carried on; and considerable trade is done in connexion with the Mount-sorrel quarries and granite works. The quarries are in the near neighbourhood; give employment to upwards of 600 men and boys; produce millstones, building-stones, paving-stones, and road-metal; were connected by railway, in 1861, with the Midland railway at the Barrow station; and send off vast quantities of material daily to many parts of the kingdom.
The two township-chapelries are M.-North-End and M.-South-End; and the former is in Barrow-upon-Soar parish, the latter in Rothley parish. Acres of the two, 680. Real property in 1860, prior to the extension of the quarries, £3, 626; of which £102 were in the quarries. Pop. of M.-North-End, in 1851, 802; in 1861, 857. Houses, 197. Pop. of M.-South-End, in 1851, 795; in 1861, 897. Houses, 200.
The manor belongs to the Earl of Lanesborough. The livings are p. curacies in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, of M.-North-End, £260; of M.-South-End, £130. Patron, of the former, the Vicar of Barrow; of the latter, the Rev. Kemble.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848
MOUNTSORREL, a market-town and chapelry, partly in the parish of Rothley, but chiefly in that of Barrow, union of Barrow, hundred of West Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester, 7½ miles (N.) from Leicester, and 104½ (N. N. W.) from London; containing 1536 inhabitants.
The name of this place, prior to the Conquest, appears to have been Soar-hill, which, like its present appellation, is evidently derived from its position 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, stood a fortress, 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 this with his other estates: the latter were subsequently restored to him, but the king retained the castle, and a governor was appointed to hold it. In 1215, it was garrisoned by Saer de Quincy, 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., it was taken and razed to the ground.
The town is rather romantically situated, amidst rocky and variegated scenery, and consists principally of one long 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 netlace are manufactured; about 250 persons are employed in frame-work knitting. The Soar canal affords facility for the conveyance of stone.
The market, which is almost disused, is on Monday: there is a fair on the 10th of July, during which a court of pie-poudre is held. The market-house, 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 grounds.
The chapelry comprises 322a. 3r. 36p.; the substratum abounds with granite, which is of excellent quality for paving, masonry, and other purposes, and is raised in large quantities, affording employment to a number of men, varying from 100 to 300, according to the demand. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £180; patron, the Vicar of Barrow: the chapel, dedicated to St. Peter, is a neat structure containing 500 sittings.
At Mountsorrel South-End, forming the Rothley portion of the chapelry, is a district church, built, with a parsonage-house, in 1844, at a cost of £5500, by Miss Brinton, who has the patronage of the living: the church is in the early English style, with a spire, and contains a painted east window and a fine-toned organ.
There are four places of worship for dissenters; also a school endowed with about £12 a year. Several considerable benefactions have been made for the relief of the poor.
The Barrow union workhouse is situated in the township.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Directory Transcriptions
Kelly’s Directory of the Watch, Clock and Jewellery Trades 1880
MOUNTSORREL
Watch & Clock Maker
Wood John
Source: The Post office [afterw.] Kelly’s directory of the watch and clock trades, goldsmiths and jewellers [&c. afterw.] Kelly’s directory of the watch, clock and jewellery tradesBy Kelly’s directories, ltd · 1880
Administration
- County: Leicestershire
- Civil Registration District: Barrow upon Soar
- Probate Court: Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Rothley
- Diocese: Peterborough
- Rural Deanery: Akeley
- Poor Law Union: Barrow upon Soar
- Hundred: West Goscote
- Province: Canterbury