Place:Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Wigston Magna was a large ancient parish within Leicestershire, England just to the south of Leicester, on the A5199 road which leads to Northampton. It became a civil parish in 1866, and an urban district in 1894. It was often referred to as Wigston Two Steeples because it had two churchrs, or as Great Wigston because there was also a nearby parish named Wigston Parva or "Little Wigston".

Change of name

In 1930 Wigston Magna's name was officially changed to Wigston (redirected here). In 1936 it was enlarged by gaining East Wigston civil parish and parts of Blaby, Countesthorpe, and Lubbesthorpe civil parishes from Blaby Rural District. This amounted to an increase in area of 1396 acres.

In 1974 Wigston joined with Wigston Parva and Oadby Urban District to become the non-metropolitan District of Oadby and Wigston. The administration of the new district is made up of wards rather than civil parishes.

Geography

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Wigston is five miles south of Leicester, at the centre of Leicestershire and the East Midlands. Oadby is to the east, connected by the B582 road. To the west along the B582, or Blaby Road is South Wigston.

The Grand Union Canal runs from Wistow, south of Wigston, to nearby Kilby Bridge, and for several miles through South Wigston, Glen Parva, Blaby and on towards Leicester.

A nineteenth century description

A History of Britain through Time provides the following description of Wigston Magna from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"WIGSTON-MAGNA, a large village, a parish, and a [registration] subdistrict, in Blaby [registration] district, Leicestershire. The village stands near the Leicester and Market-Harborough and the Leicester and Rugby railways, 4 miles SSE of Leicester; has recently undergone much improvement; carries on considerable trade, in framework-knitting and in other departments; and has a post-office under Leicester, two [railway] stations, a mortuary old church with restored tower and spire, a handsome parochial church with lofty spire, an ornate Independent chapel of 1841, three other dissenting chapels, national and British schools, alms houses with £151 a year, and other charities £66. The parish comprises 2,780 acres. Real property: £9,863. Population in 1851: 2,441; in 1861: 2,521. Houses: 556. The property is much subdivided. W. Hall is the seat of M. Turner, Esq. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough. Value: £220. Patron: alternately the Haberdashers' Company and Christ's Hospital, London.

"The [registration] sub-district contains 5 parishes and 2 parts. Acres: 13,210. Population: 7,314. Houses: 1,630."

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