Place:Thorpe Arnold, Leicestershire, England

Watchers
NameThorpe Arnold
Alt namesThorpe-Arnoldsource: Family History Library Catalog
Torpsource: Domesday Book (1985) p 163
TypeParish (ancient), Civil parish
Coordinates52.783°N 0.85°W
Located inLeicestershire, England
See alsoFramland Hundred, Leicestershire, Englandhundred in which the parish was included
Melton Mowbray Rural, Leicestershire, Englandrural district of which it was part 1894-1936
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, Englandurban district into which it was part transferred in 1936
Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire, Englandcivil parish into which it was part transferred in 1936
Melton District, Leicestershire, Englanddistrict municipality covering the area since 1974
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog
the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Thorpe Arnold is a small farming village in the English county of Leicestershire, England. The village is situated on the top of a hill to the northeast of the town of Melton Mowbray.

History

From the 12th century, Thorp took on its suffix of Arnold after the name of its new owners, vassals of Earl of Leicester, whose family name for a long time was Erna(u)ld (Arnold) de Bosco (Bois).

First Barons de Bosco, Arnold I and his son Arnold II, took an active part in political life of England and Normandy. Arnold II supported Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, and was rewarded by the earl with a grant of numerous manors in Leicestershire (including Thorpe Arnold, Brentingby, Evington, Humberstone and Elmesthorpe) and in Warwickshire (Clifton on Dunsmoor and Shrewley).

In the 17th century, Thorpe Arnold was owned by Sir Martin Lister, English politician, whose stepdaughter Frances Thornhurst lately became the mother of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough.

In 1936 Thorpe Arnold was abolished as a civil parish with its land divided between Melton Mowbray and the parish of Waltham on the Wolds with Waltham on the Wolds receiving more that 75% of the total.

Research Tips

  • The map on the place-page for Melton Mowbray Rural District illustrates the location of the various parishes and the geographical and administrative changes that occurred in 1936.
  • From this Findmypast page you can browse the Leicestershire parishes which have parish register transcripts online.
  • From this Ancestry page you can browse the Leicestershire parishes which have parish register transcripts online.
  • For both of the above sites, a subscription is charged. Transcriptions of these records may also be available free of charge on the FamilySearch website.
  • A further collection of online source references will be found on the county page for Leicestershire.