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leaves the county near Hinckley. The mail-coach road from London to Lichfield, &c. passes along the southern edge of this hundred; and turnpike roads are made between Hinckley and Leicester, Hinckley and Ashby de la Zouch, and the latter place and Atherstone in Warwickshire. Within this district are the two market-towns of Hinckley and Bosworth, and near the latter is the memorable scene of battle called Bosworth-Field, where the long disputed contest, between the Houses of York and Lancaster, was finally terminated by the death of Richard the Third.

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"In 1346, the Hundred of Sparkenhoe (on the aid then granted for knighting Edward of Woodstock, the king's eldest -son) was assessed 341.; and then said to contain 17 knights' fees*. The high sheriff of Leicestershire pays annually, to the Earl of Stamford, 101. for licence to come into this hundred to execute any part of his office+.

"The townships in this hundred, according to Mr. Nichols, are,

Anebein, now a depopulated

village.

Appleby Magna, a rectory; in

cluding the hamlet of Apple-
by Parva.

Aston Flamvile, a rectory; in-
cluding the chapelries of Bur-
bach and Sketchley, with the
hamlet of Smockington.
Barwell, a rectory; including
the chapelries of Potters-
Marston and Stapleton.
Basset-house; extra parochial.
Beaumont Leys; extra-paro-
chial.
[MARKET] BOSWORTH, a
`rectory; including the cha-
pelries of Barleston, Carle-

*Rot. Aux. 20 Edw. III.

ton, Coton, Shenton, and Sutton Cheynell; with the hamlets of Anebein, Naneby, West Osbaston, and Redmere Plain. Bruntingthorpe, Danet's Hall, and Westcotes; extra-parochial.

Cadeby, a rectory; including
the hamlet of East Osbaston.
Congeston, a rectory.
Croft, a rectory.
Desford, a rectory.

[Fenny] Drayton, a rectory.
Elmesthorpe, a rectory.
Enderby, a vicarage; including
the chapelry of Whetstone in
Guthlaxton Hundred.
Glenfield, a rectory; including
the

+ S. Carte, MS.

the chapelries of Groby

Castle, Braunston, and Kirby
Muxloe.

Hether, a rectory.
Higham, a rectory; including
the chapelry of Lindley.
HINCKLEY, a vicarage, with
the rectory of Stoke Gold-
ing united; including the
chapelries of Dadlington and
Wykin, and the hamlet of
The Hyde.

Ibstock, a rectory; including

Orton on the Hill, a rectory; including the chapelries of Gopsal and Twycross, and the hamlet of Morebarne.

Peckleton, a rectory.
Ratby, a vicarage: including
the hamlets of Bocheston,
Newtown, Old Hay, and
Whittington Grange.
Sapcote, a rectory.

Shakerston, a vicarage; includ

ing the chapelry of Oddes

ton.

the chapelries of Dunnington, Snareston, a chapelry to Sweb

Hugglescote, and Pickering's

or Swinfen's Grange. Kirby Malory, a rectory; in⚫cluding the chapelry of EarlShilton.

· Lea Grange, extra-parochial. Leicester Forest, and Barn Park.

Lubbesthorpe, a chapelry to

Aylston (described under
Guthlaxton.)

Markfield, a rectory.
Nailston, a rectory; including

the chapelries of Barton and Normanton. Narborough, a rectory; including the chapelry of Huncote. Nowbold-Verdun, a rectory; including the hamlet of Bres

cote.

-Norton, a rectory; including the chapelry of Bilston.

ston.

Sharnford, rectory.

Shepey Magna and Parva, a

rectory in two medieties; including the chapelry of Ratcliff-Culey.

Sibbeston, a rectory; including the chapelries of Upton and Whellesborough, and Temple

Hall.

Stoney-Staunton, a rectory. Thornton, a vicarage; including

the chapelry of Bagworth, the hamlet of Staunton under Bardon, and Bardon Park. Thurleston, a rectory; including

Brakenholme, New Hall, and Normanton Turvile." › Tooley Park; extra-parochiał. Witherley, a rectory; including the chapelry of Atterton.”

HINCKLEY,

HINCKLEY,

The principal town in this hundred, is situated near the borders of Warwickshire. Soon after the conquest it was created a barony, and held by Hugh de Grentemaisnel, who erected a stately castle here, and also a parish church. "The ruines of the castle," says Leland, "now longying to the king, sumtyme to the Earl of Leicester, be a 5 miles from Leyrcester, and in the borders of Leyrcester forest, and the boundes of Hinckeley be spatious and famose there." In Burton's time only the earthworks of the castle remained and these are now nearly levelled. The site had long been occupied as a gardener's ground, when, in 1760, it was purchased by William Hurst, Esq. who built a handsome dwellinghouse on it; when the foundation of a bridge, which crossed the castle ditch, was discovered. The ditch and town-wall may yet be traced in many places, and also the vestiges of what are called two Roman works; a mount near the river, and the ruins of a bath near the church. A Priory was founded here, according to Tanner, by Robert Blanchmaines, and according to Dugdale by Bossu the father of Robert; but Mr. Nichols controverts those claims, and ascribes it to Hugh de Grentesmaisnel, who gave the priory, with the appropriation of the parish church, to the Abbey of Lira in Normandy. This priory, like all foreign cells, was often seized by the Crown, during the wars with France, and was wholly suppressed by Henry V. when its lands were annexed to the priory of Montgrace in Yorkshire; and, after the dissolution, were given by Henry VIII. with the church, to the dean and chapter of Westminster, the present impropriators.

The parish of Hinckley is of very great extent, and includes Stoke-Golding, Dadlington, Wyken, and The Hyde, which, though distinct villages (the latter being in the county of Warwick), are considered as hamlets of Hinckley. The town, under its original lords, certainly enjoyed the privileges of a borough; and probably sent deputies to the great council of the nation: but

VOL. IX.

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being connected with the house of Lancaster, and taking a decided part in favour of that party in the civil contest; whatever those privileges were, they became forfeited to the conquering monarch of the house of York. The town is now divided into The Bo-. rough and the Bond without the liberties. The limits of what is now called the Borough, were anciently those of the town: which has been extended by the successive addition of four streets, The Bond End, The Castle End, The Stocken Head, and The Duck Paddle. The civil government of Hinckley is vested in the Mayor, Constables, and Headboroughs. The assizes for the county were formerly held here: but the gaol, and the gallows are now re-. moved. On inclosing the common field where the latter stood,, many human bones were found in a state of petrifaction. The introduction of the stocking manufacture has greatly augmented, the traffic of Hinckley. The first frame was brought into the town, before the year 1640, by William Iliffe, and is said to have, cost him sixty pounds; which must have been a very considerable sum at that time, as the price of a good frame is not more than fifteen guineas at present. With this single frame, which, with the help of an apprentice, he kept constantly working day and night, he gained a comfortable subsistence for his family. The manufacture is now so extensive, that a larger quantity of hose is supposed to, be made here than in any town in England. Nottingham has more frames; but many of those being confined to the finest sorts of silk and cotton, the number of stockings there made is less than, at Hinckley, where the frames are generally employed on strong serviceable hose, of a lower price, in cotton, thread, and worsted. The number of frames in the town and adjacent villages is computed at upwards of 1,200,which furnish employment to nearly 3,000 persons. A respectable market is held on Mondays; and, on August 26, an annual fair, which, as may be inferred from Shakspeare's mention of it in his second part of Henry the Fourth, was anciently in high repute.

The Parish Church of Hinckley is an ancient edifice: the body of it is probably to be ascribed to the thirteenth century; the

west

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west door resembles those of the time of Edward I. or II. The window immediately over it is supposed to be an improvement made about the reign of Edward IV. when windows were in general enlarged, and divided with four or five mullions. The upper windows were also improved about that time, but were most probably built temp. Edward II. when they were generally divided in the middle by one mullion. The building of the steeple, which is forty yards high, may also be dated with probability in the reign of Edward IV. "The church," says Burton, "is very fair and large, having a very great and strong spire steeple, so spacious within, that two rings of bells may hang therein together, and hath (for the better ornament thereof) a very tunable ring of five bells and a chime: to which a treble bell was added by public subscription, in 1777;" and, in 1779, the great bell was exchanged, which now renders them a complete set. The length of the church, from the chaneel to the western door, is twenty-two yards; the width, near the chancel, twenty-six yards and a half; in the body, eighteen and a half. The chancel is six yards by thirteen. The roof is of beautiful old oak; the beams are supported by large pendant Cherubim (like those in Westminster Hall), and ornamented with a number of grotesque faces. In the chancel was a large window, which contained various arms, with figures of saints, warriors, &c. on small panes of painted glass; which, as it darkened the Chancel, was changed for plain glass in 1766, when several fragments of the old window were crowded together at the top.

To the church of Hinckley four chapels were annexed, that of Stoke, (now a parish church), that of Dadlington, and those of Wyken and Hyde, which have been long since entirely demolished. The ancient chapel of STOKE was taken down at the beginning of the fourteenth century, by Sir Robert de Champaine, who, by his marriage with the daughter and heiress of Sir Roger de Stoke, became possessed of a moiety of the manor. By this Sir Roger the present church was founded, in or about the year 1304, and dedicated, in honor of his lady, to St. Margaret: a memorial inscription of which still remains against the wall in the north aile of the church. From that period Stoke is to be considered as a separate

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