Ab Kettleby

Extract from White's Leicester and Rutland Directory 1877

AB-KETTLEBY, a parish and a pleasant village and township, on an eminence in Framland Hundred, Melton Mowbray Union and County Court District, is three miles N.N.W. of Melton Mowbray, and 15 miles S.E. of Nottingham; it is situated on the turnpike between the two towns, and on the southern acclivity of the red-sandstone hills which hound the Vale of Belvoir. Its parish, including Holwell township, contains 2920 acres, and had 349 inhabitants in 1871; its township comprises about 945 acres, and has 202 inhabitants. The Earl of Dysart is lord of the manor, but the soil belongs mostly to the Duke of Rutland, and T. R. D. Bingham and Henry Smith, Esqrs., and Bottesford Hospital. At the Domesday Survey, Gerard held here under Roger de Buci 6 carucates; 2 ploughs were in demesne, and here were 7 villans, 4 bordars, 6 socmen, a priest with 5 ploughs, and a meadow 120 perches long by 20 wide. About 1100 Richard Basset gave the church to Laund Priory. In 1284 Robt. Tateshall had a grant of free warren here, and the parish was enclosed in 1761. The CHURCH (St. James) is an interesting pile, of great antiquity, and comprises chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, and a square tower, containing three bells, and surmounted by a spire. The church was restored and re-seated in 1858, at a cost of £700. The pulpit and the reading-desk are of carved oak. In the chancel is a curious ancient monument of Everard Digbe, Esq., of Holwell, who died in 1628, and also mural tablets in memory of several members of the Cross family. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £15 0s. 5d., and now at £297 has 56A 2R. 33P. of glebe in Ab-Kettleby, and 35A. 3R in Holwell. It is in the patronage of Captain T. R.'D. Bingham, of Wartnaby Hall, and incumbency of the Rev. John Fairbairn Johnson, M.A. who has a commodious vicarage-house. Here is a WESLEYAN CHAPEL, built in 1848. A village SCHOOL was erected in 1862 by the late H. C. Bingham, Esq. The Clerk's Close, 1A. 38P., was awarded at the enclosure in lieu of other land. The poor have the following CHARITIES, viz., a yearly rent charge of 30s. out of the parsonage at Nether Broughton, left by John Neale, in 1606, for distribution in coals; £2 10s. a year from lA. 2R. 25P., allotted at the enclosure in lieu of land purchased with £28 left by John Steele, in 1669 (one-third for the poor of Holwell); l0s. a year from the Corporation of Grantham (half for Holwell) out of land at Barrowby, Lincolnshire; 6s. a year out of the Poor's Close, in Nether Broughton; 2s. 6d. out of the poor-rates, as interest of £2 l0s. left by J. Steele; £1 5s. a year left by Mrs. Stoakes, out of a farm here; and 15s. a year out of land at Holwell Mouth, left by Mr. Dexter, who also charged the same land with 10s, per annum for repairing the spring there. The parish feast is on July 25.

POST OFFICE at Mrs. Sarah Goodacre's. Letters viâ Melton Mowbray, which is the nearest Money Order Office.

Extract from Kelly's Leicester and Rutland Directory 1881

AB-KETTLEBY is a township and parish, in the Northern Division of the county, Framland hundred, Melton Mowbray union and county court district, rural deanery of Framland third portion, archdeaconry of Leicester and diocese of Peterborough, 3 miles north-north-west from Melton Mowbray, 15 north-east front Leicester and 116 from London by rail, on the road from Melton Mowbray to Nottingham. The church of St. James is an old building in the Norman style, consisting of chancel, nave and aisles, with a square western embattled tower, surmounted by a lofty spire, with 2 bells, dates of which are 1653 and 1765, restored in 1853, the expense being borne by H. C. Bingham esq. and the parish: there is a monument, with inscription in verse, to Everard Digby, of Holvwell, who died 2nd. November, 1628: there is a brass in the south aisle to the memory of John Neale, who died March 8th, 1606.             The register dates from the year 1790. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £297, in the gift of Capt. Thomas D. Bingham and held by the Rev. Samuel George Rees M.A. Jesus College, Oxford. Here is a Wesleyan chapel, erected in 1943. In 1606, Mr. John Neale left a yearly rent-charge of £1 10s. out of the parsonage at Nether Broughton, for the poor; and in 1699, Mr. John Steele left a sum of money for the purchase of land the proceeds (now amounting to :£2 10s. per annum) to be given to the poor of Ab-Kettleby and Holwell; several other charities, producing about £3 a year, were left at different periods. The Earl of Dysart is lord of the manor, and Henry Smith esq. and Capt. Thomas D. Bingham are the chief landowners. The soil is various; subsoil, clay and ironstone.The crops are barley, wheat and oats, but the land is chiefly pasture. Stilton cheese is made here. The acreage (Including Holwell) is 2,169 ; rateable value, £3,156 ; the acreage of Ab-Kettleby is 945; rateable value, £1,459; the population in 1881 was 230 in the township and 498 in the parish.
POST Office.-Mrs. Sarah Goodacre, receiver. Letters are received from Melton Mowbray per foot post at 7.15 a.m. ; dispatched at 6 p.m. weekdays only. The nearest money order office is at Melton Mowbray
A large School was erected here in 1863, at the sole expense of H. C. Bingham esq. & is supported by contributions; George Carter, master

CARRIER- Thomas Martin, to Melton, every tuesday; to Nottingham, every Saturday

Rees Rev. Samuel George M.A.[vicar], Vicarage COMMERCIAL. Brown Austin, Sugar loaf Brown James, grazier Burnham William, grocer Dalby Joseph, blacksmith Freckingham Richd. Farmer & grazier Hardy William, tailor Keyworth William, baker & miller Martin Thomas, shopkeeper & carrier

Musson Arthur, farmer & grazier Musson Charles, carpenter Ruddle James, grazier Sharpe William, shopkeeper & shoe maker Smith John, shoe maker Stevens Thomas, wheelwright Taylor John, farmer & grazier Walker Joseph, farmer & grazier Wells Geo. Samuel, farmer & grazier Woolhouse John, farmer & grazier

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