Category: Historic Melton

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024

56 – Central Methodist Church

Following John Wesley’s visit to Mr Ellis in the little village of Markfield on the edge of Charnwood Forest in June 1741, Methodism arrived in Leicestershire. This was a favourite stopping place for Wesley preaching here on fifteen occasions.

Dr Ford, the Vicar of St Mary’s in Melton was a lifelong friend and convert of Wesley. Therefore, although Wesley preached across the county of Leicestershire on at least twenty-four other occasions, he never came to Melton Mowbray to preach.

We know that a Methodist Society existed in Melton from around 1779 and two of its members were James and Ann Brown. Their grandson and his wife, John and Mary Miles were buried in the grounds of Sage Cross Church.

The first Methodist Chapel to be erected in Melton, was on the same site as where Sage Cross Church stands and was opened on 18^th September 1796. The land was owned by Mr Robert Pearson who was a druggist near the Cornwall at the top of Corn Hill, or High Street as we know it today.

Over the next twenty-five years, the congregation grew steadily and by 1825, increasing membership led to the chapel undergoing substantial alterations turning it more into a new building when it opened in October 1825.

On April 7^th 1870, a meeting was called to discuss building a new chapel and schoolroom as the suggestion to further enlarge the old chapel was turned down. A new Church was agreed and whilst it was being built, services were held in the Temperance Hall on King Street and the Sunday School at the British School across the road. The first service in the new Church was held on August 17^th 1871.

In July 1932 a conference agreed to the Union of the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist Church, however no enthusiasm was shown locally. However, the last service was held at the Primitive Church on the 7^th November 1965 and the Union commenced.

In the 1980s, the Central Methodist Church was knocked down leaving only the Church Hall standing. A new modern building for worship was erected and opened for its first service in April 1988.

Earlier this year, the Sage Cross Church merged with the Sandy Lane Church and the building put up for sale, bringing an end to 228 years of Methodism at Sage Cross.

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024

55 – Seedsfield House – The Old Vicarage

In the May 2024 Historic Melton article, I looked at the story of the Old Vicarage, Seedsfield Hosue on Leicester Road.

Compared to other areas in town, Leicester Road was quite late in being developed with West End Villas, a pair of three-story semi-detached villas, opposite Aldi car park being the first houses to be built around 1880.

The builder, Robert Weaver, lived in one of them with his wife Dorothy, and the other was occupied by Rev Joseph Twidale and his wife Catharine, of the Baptist Church, now the United Reformed Church.

The lake behind the villas, and what is now a vehicle storage yard, is known as Weaver’s Lake and was most probably dug to provide earth for the railway embankment running across the bottom of the grounds.

A few years later in the late 1880s, a new property known as Seedsfield house was erected on Leicester Road and this was built for Joseph Dickinson, a pork pie & cheese producer.

Only a few years earlier, Joseph had submitted a claim for injury to his seeds field. The claim was made up of two items: the award of his valuer, £2 10s and 15s for man’s time rolling and seeding down the portion damaged. Maybe the house was built on that very field, hence the name.

No more houses were built on Leicester Road until the 1930s when the Melton Urban District Council built the Lake Terrace estate. Around the same time, the owners of Seedsfield House had decided to build a smaller more modern property on vacant land next door and in the late 1930s, a new Seedsfield House was built.

Consequently, the old Seedsfield House was put up for sale and purchased by the St Mary’s Church for use as a vicarage. The first vicar to take up residence was the Rev Canon Harold Bates and his wife, who moved from the original vicarage (Blakeney Institute) opposite St Mary’s Church.

Harold Bates was the vicar at St Mary’s from 1937 until he died in 1945. He was a veteran of WW1 and helped the Reverend Tubby Clayton set up Talbot House, Toc-H in Poperinge Belgium. During WW2, Harold could quite often be seen at night patrolling around his beloved St Mary’s.

In 1962, the Church purchased a new property at 67 Dalby Road for use as a new vicarage, resulting in Seedsfield House being sold off and becoming known as The Old Vicarage.

December 27, 2024December 28, 2024

54 – Meltonians Painting the Town Red

One hundred and eighty-seven years ago, on the 6^th April 1837, an event took place in town that put Melton Mowbray in the news. The event involved some notable Meltonians and today we know the event as “Painting the Town Red” but at the time it was reported as an “Aristocratic Spree or Riot”.

Today the phrase “Meltonian” means “A native or inhabitant of the Melton district” but back in the 1830’s the term Meltonian also included people that came to Melton to take part in the past times fox hunting and horse racing.

3rd Marquess of Waterford – Henry Beresford

But who were these Meltonians? A gentleman named Henry Beresford, the 3^rd Marquess of Waterford and his aristocratic friends, including Mr Reynard, Sir F Johnstone and the Hon. Mr Villiers had spent the day at Croxton Park races and were making their way back into Melton. They were stopped at the Thorpe End toll house and refused entry as they were too drunk.

They then rode around town and entered by a different route ending up at Lord Rokesby’s Club in Burton End. At around 3am in the morning, they returned to the toll house and boarded up the windows.

A Spree at Melton Mowbray – Larking at the Grantham Toll Gate – or Coming kn for the Brush by H Alkin

After getting their hands on some red paint, they proceeded down Sherrard Street, into marketplace and down Burton Street causing mayhem as they went.

The doors of the properties of Mr Norman and the surgeon Mr Berridge were smeared with red paint and the door knockers from Mr Gray, Miss Gray and Mr Corner were ripped off. Flowerpots at Mr George Bishops were also smashed and at the Swan Inn, the Marquis was lifted up and he painted the White Swan turning it into a “Red Eagle”.

Most of the houses in this part of town including the Post Office came in for a splash of red. A caravan at Burton End was tipped over and the Red Lion pub sign was ripped down and thrown into the canal.

A year after this event took place, the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane London hosted a play titled “The Meltonians” which ran for 17 performances from the 16^th April to 5^th May 1838. The play which was written by Richard Brinsley Peake was described as “a perfectly illegitimate drama and extravaganza.”

December 27, 2024December 28, 2024

53 – Park House and the Wool Trade Connections

One of the things Melton is famous for is its involvement in the wool trade, being part of the Trade Council of Edward III in 1339. In the March edition of Historic Melton, I look at the connection between Park House on Leicester Street and the ancient medeival wool trade.

Melton Cloth is traditionally made of wool that is woven in a twill form and recognised for its windproof and waterproof qualities. Garments such as donkey jackets, Navy Pea coats, military uniforms and the scarlet hunting jackets are examples of clothing made from Melton Cloth. Queen Victoria even had a pair of curtains commissioned for Windsor Castle made from Melton Cloth.

But what is there today in Melton that connects us to this historic trade?

The building we know today as Egerton Lodge was built in the 16^th Century and originally known as Park House. It is often confused with Parke House situated at Thorpe End which was named after a local solicitor, James Parke, who lived there in the late 18^th Century.

In 1597, Park House was home to William Alkins, a Town Warden. He was also a Merchant Stapler working for the Company of Merchants of the Staple of England, a company incorporated by Royal Charter in 1319. Dealing in wool and skins it also controlled the export of wool to the continent during the late medieval period.

An ancient woolhouse run by the Merchants of the Staple believed to have been built in the early 1200’s once stood on the South side of Sherrard Street. Although this disappeared many years ago, remnants of this 13^th Century building still exist.

Another Park House, now the House of Beauty by Bailey, stands on Leicester Street. Standing proud on its roof is an intricately carved medieval pinnacle believed to be from the woolhouse and sited there when it was built in 1892. Stone tracery from one of the woolhouse windows is also said to be preserved in St Mary’s Church.

There were also several pubs in town that hinted towards the wool trade, for example, the Golden Fleece on Leicester Street, the Woolpack Inn, originally on Sherrard Street then later at Thorpe End and the Bishops Blaze on Sherrard Street. Bishop Blaze was the Patron Saint of Wool Coombers.

Like many of Melton’s historic buildings, evidence of the wool trade has now been lost but signs are still there if you know where to look.

December 23, 2024December 27, 2024

52 – The Paras arrive in Melton Mowbray

On the 80th anniversary of the Paras arriving in Melton, the February 2024 Historic Melton article took a look at the story of the units of the Parachute Regiment that were part of the 4th Brigade.

The airborne troops of the 4^th Parachute Brigade (Bde) had been fighting in Tunisia, North Africa and in September 43, they were part of the force known as Operation Slapstick that invaded Southern Italy to recapture and liberate it from Axis forces.

The 4^th Bde, which was made up of 156 Parachute Battalion (Bn), 10^th & 11^th Parachute Bn, 2^nd Air Landing Anti-Tank Battery and the 133^rd Parachute Field Ambulance (PFA), was withdrawn back to the UK to make preparations for the invasion of mainland Europe as part of D-Day.

On 27^th November, the units of the 4^th Bde boarded the troopship “Staffordshire” and set sail for England. They arrived back in England, docking in Liverpool on December 16^th, a cold damp day, so different to the sunny climate they had left behind.

Following their arrival at Liverpool, 156 Bn, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Richard Des Voeux made their way to their new billets at various locations in Rutland. Des Voeux was not happy with the situation, so he arranged for them all to be brought together in Melton Mowbray in February 1944.

Lt Col Sir Richard des Voeux Commanding Officer 156 Battalion

156 Bn were not the first of the Airborne troops to arrive in Melton as just prior to Christmas 43, No 16 Parachute Field Ambulance arrived back in the UK and took up residence in their new billets at Scalford Hall and The Spinney. However, their stay was short as by the 4th January they had received orders to move out to new billets at Culverthorpe in Lincolnshire.

On arrival in Melton, the troops of 156 Bn were billeted in several hunting lodges in town. The Bn HQ along with HQ Company were billeted in Staveley Lodge, Support Company at the Spinney, ‘A’ Company were at Scalford Hall and ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies at Newport Lodge. However, following several arguments with the owner of Scalford Hall, a certain Colonel Mustard of Colman’s Mustard fame, ‘A’ Company moved into the Spinney to join the Support Company.

Meanwhile, the Bde HQ set up at The Grange in Knossington and 10 Bn were to set up camp at Burrough Court, as well as several buildings in Somerby, including Somerby House, Somerby Hall, Grove Stables and The Vines at Thorpe Satchville.

133^rd PFA set up base at Barleythorpe Hall, just across the border into Rutland and the 2^nd Air Landing Anti-Tank Battery were based at Harrowby Camp in Grantham.

Following their return to the UK, the 11^th Bn were scattered around the Leicester area but in May 44 moved into the militia camp up on Welby Lane here in Melton.

The Red Devils had arrived in Melton!

One of my previos blogs, looks at the story of the Medium Machine Gun Platoon from 156 Battalion. To read it click here.

December 23, 2024December 27, 2024

51 – The Origins of the name ‘Melton Mowbray’.

Back in January 2024, HistoryFare started a regular column in the Melton Times, called ‘Historic Melton’.

The history of Melton Mowbray can be traced back hundreds of years and the first Historic Melton article published in January 2024 looked at the origins of the name ‘Melton Mowbray’.

Melton’s history can be traced back thousands of years and there are several theories on where the name ‘Melton Mowbray’ comes from, and we need to consider each part in its own context.

The first theory is that ‘Melton’ is a derivation of ‘Milltown’ due to the two water mills that existed for several centuries and were mentioned in the Domesday Book. These were sited at Beck Mill Holm at the end of Chatterbox Lane off Kings Street and Corn Mill Holm where the River Eye meets the Scalford Brook at the back of Mars/Petfoods.

The second theory again relates to the Domesday Book of 1086. In this great survey, the town is listed as ‘Medeltun’. ‘Medeltun’ or ‘Middleton’/‘Middletown’ descends from the town being a central township with a Mother Church (St Mary’s) surrounded by 5 hamlets: Burton Lazars, Eye Kettleby; Sysonby, Welby & Freeby. 

Over the years, the name Milltown, or even Medletun has morphed into what we today now know as Melton. 

The first Norman Lord of the Manor was Godfredus or Geoffrey de Wirce who was originally from France, around the Anjou/Brittany border area. Geoffrey had fought alongside William the Conqueror and continued to be the King’s advisor. He married a Saxon Lady named Alviva who was a niece of Lady Godiva from Coventry in Warwickshire.

Alviva, a Saxon heiress, was a noiece of the Earl of Leofric of Coventry and his legendary wofe, Lady Godiva. During the 11th Century, Lady Godiva held lands across Leiocestershire, namely the manors of East Norton, Billesdon and Appleby. Alveva was also a landowner being the Lady of the Manor of Castle Donington and Manor of Aylestone.

This marriage brought about the signing of a document in 1077 proving that back then, Melton was a thriving market town.

It would appear that Alveva and Geoffrey had no children, or no surviving children as after his death in 1088, his vast estates including the manor of Melton reverted to the Crown and were then divided between Nigel de Albini and Robert de Mowbray (Molbrai) Earl of Northumberland with the Melton lands being passed to Albini.

Nigel was the Bowbearer to William Rufus (King William II) and was ‘girt with the sword of knighthood’ (knighted) by King Henry I, with whom he was a great favourite.

Robert de Mowbray marched against King Malcolm of Scotland, contrary to the orders of King William Rufus. As part of his punishment, his lands were given over to Nigel de Albini who by all accounts was a favourite of the King.

Nigel had two sons Roger and Hamo, by his second wife Gundreda and Roger assumed the name of Mowbray by Royal Decree. It is therefore from the Mowbray family name that the latter part of the towns name originates. 

The Mowbray family crest can still be seen in various places around town such as stained glass windows in St Mary’s Parish Church and on the porch of Egerton Lodge. The family crest also forms the basis of the Melton Mowbray Town Estate crest.

Melton Mowbray Town Estate