Place:Seal, Leicestershire, England

Watchers
NameSeal
TypeTownship, Parish (ancient)
Coordinates52.735°N 1.565°W
Located inLeicestershire, England
See alsoOver Seal and Nether Seal, Leicestershire, Englandcivil parish it became 1866-1889
West Goscote Hundred, Leicestershire, Englandhundred in which the parish was included
source: Family History Library Catalog


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

"SEAL, a township and a parish in Ashby-de-la-Zouch [registration] district, Leicester. The township lies on the river Mease, 2¾ miles S S W of Moira [railway] station, and 5½ S W of Ashby-de-la-Zouch; bears the name of Nether and Over Seal; and contains the village of Nether Seal and the hamlet of Over Seal, each of which has a post-office under Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Real property: £8,405. Population in 1851: 1,085; in 1861: 1,246. Houses: 270.
"The parish contains also parts of Donisthorpe hamlet and Blackfordby chapelry. Acres, with the rest of Donisthorpe, but without the part of Blackfordby: 4,890. Population in 1851: 1,330; in 1861: 1,576. Houses: 337. The manor, with Grangewood House, belongs to Capt. G. T. Mowbray. [Seal] Hall is the residence of E. W. Robertson, Esq.; and [Seal] Old Hall, of Admiral H. Bagot. A British camp was at Cadborough; and a barrow is near Dead Dane Bottom. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough. Value: £950. Patron: Sir T. Gresley, Bart. The church is early English. A chapel of ease is at Overseal, and was built in 1841. There are a Baptist chapel, two parochial schools, alms-houses with £104 a year, and other charities £14.

In 1866 the ancient, ecclesiastical parish of Seal became the civil parish of Over Seal and Nether Seal. The area was very close to the Leicestershire border with Derbyshire, and nearby there were other parishes which were enclaves of Derbyshire located within the borders of Leicestershire. In 1889 the county border was redrawn so that all Leicestershire parishes were attached to Leicestershire and all Derbyshire parishes were attached to Derbyshire. In so doing the two parishes were separated and Over Seal, Leicestershire became Overseal, Derbyshire and Nether Seal, Leicestershire became Netherseal, Derbyshire.

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