Bitteswell

• The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth 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.
1861	R.G. 9 / 2244
1871	R.G. 10 / 3220
1891	R.G. 12 / 2489

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
   
• The church was first built around 1350.
   
• The church's western tower was restored in 1842.
   
• The church was restored in 1881-82.
   
• A new churchyard was consecrated in 1902, adding an acre to the church property.
   
• The church seats 230.
   
• Dave THOMPSON has a photograph of Bitteswell Church and the lych gate at Geo-graph, taken in October, 2015.
   

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1558.
   
• The church was in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (second portion).
   

• The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth Registration District.
   
• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
   

Bitteswell is a parish and a village located 92 miles north of London, 2 miles southeast from Ullesthorpe and 1 mile north of Lutterworth. The parish covers 1,820 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the B577 northwest out of Lutterworth for about one mile.
   
• Mat FASCIONE provides a welcome village sign on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2013.
   
• Mat FASCIONE also has the real Village sign on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2007.
   

• Geograph
• Flickr

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Bitteswell to another place.

• For centuries much of the parish was good grazing land. There were several small farms worked as well.
   
• In 1907, a reading room was established in the parish by purchasing an old building and converting it.
   

• Bitteswell Hall was built in 1838 on an estate of 600 acres about one mile from the village.
   
• Bitteswell Hall was the property and residence of Major R. H. H. Jary in 1912.
   
• The Atherstone foxhounds met next to Bitteswell Hall.
   
• Bitteswell also had a Manor House which was the property and residence of Robert W. Young in 1912.
   

• You can view an online map at the Axcis site.
   
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
   

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SP536858 (Lat/Lon: 52.467516, -1.212433), Bitteswell which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

Inside the parish church, in a gold coloured frame, is a faded Roll of Honour from World War One. There are 17 names listed.

In the wall surrounding the churchyard, there is a stone War Memorial plaque set in place facing the road.

• This place was an ancient parish in Leicester county and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• The parish lies in the Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
   
• You may contact the Bitteswell Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they CANNOT do Family History searches for you.
   
• District governance is provided by the Harborough District Council.
   

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Lutterworth petty session hearings every other Thursday.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Lutterworth Poorlaw Union.
   
• In 1847 the parish opened six almshouses for 12 aged poor of Bitteswell. These were endowed by a bequest from W. and Elizabeth WELCH.
   

Year	Inhabitants
1841	495
1871	400
1881	364
1891	330
1901	324
1911	308
1921	351
1931	293
1951	346
1961	320

• A Boys' School was established here in 1844. Shortly after that a Girls' School was opened. Both were replaced by the school below.
   
• A Public Elementary School was built here in 1871. This school was replaced in 1888 by a new building on a new site and this could accomodate up to 90 children.