Place:Packington, Leicestershire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Packington is a village and civil parish in the District of North West Leicestershire. It is situated close to the A42 road and to the towns of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Measham. The population of Packington according to the 2001 UK census was 738. Nearby villages include Normanton-le-Heath and Heather.

History

The lordship of Packington was in the possession of the infamous Lord Henry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughborough during the Civil War. In 1644 the constables of the town paid a compulsory levy of £51 for the "Contribution" to Parliament, providing quartering for troops from Fairfax’s army from the Tamworth garrison. Three Packington inhabitants, Mr Harsnett, William Corbett and Jane Cresswell made claims for free quarter in June, 1646. Rev. Thomas Pestell, senior, the incumbent, was a strong supporter of the king. He resigned the vicarage to his son around 1644 after being robbed and plundered several times. The younger Thomas Pestell was later ejected from his vicarage as a "great libertine", and fled to the royalist garrison at Ashby de la Zouch.

In 1846, the manor of Packington was left by Sir Charles Abney Hastings, bart., of Willesley Hall back to the Marquis of Hastings (Charles's father had been an illegitimate son).

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

"PACKINGTON, a village and a parish in the [registration] district of Ashby-de-la-Zouch; the parish chiefly in Leicestershire, but partly in Derbyshire. The village stands ¾ of a mile E of the boundary with Derbyshire, and 1¼ S of Ashby-de-la-Zouch [railway] station; and has a post-office under Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The parish contains also the hamlet of Snibston, and part of the chapelry of Coalville; and comprises 2,020 acres in Leicestershire, and 340 in Derbyshire. Real property, £24,488; of which £18,502 are in mines. Population in 1851: 1,294; in 1861: 1,190. Houses: 242. The decrease of pop. was caused by migration of colliers. Population of the Derbyshire portion: 252. Houses: 57. The manor belongs to Lady Edith Hastings. The land and collieries of Snibston belong to a colliery company. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough. Value: £330. Patron, Lady Edith Hastings. The church is early English; has, at different times, been partly rebuilt; and consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, with a tower. A very old chapel is in Snibston; and there are chapels for Baptists and Wesleyans, a free school, and charities £59."

The hamlet of Snibston was moved to the neighbouring parish of Ravenstone with Snibstone. In 1897 Packington was moved entirely into Leicestershire.

Research Tips

• The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Rural District page includes a map illustrating the civil parishes of the district. Packington is #11 on the map.