These records are taken from the transcription
of the 1881 U.K. Census made available to
the public by the Church of the Latter Day
Saints (L.D.S.). I have tried to reproduce
them as they appeared, complete with spelling
irregularities in the original records and
any transcription or interpretation errors
(of which there are several). Please refer
to the original census records if you have
any queries about their accuracy.
The
1881 Census shows Sileby as it was in the
days of our great grandfathers, before cars,
electricity or any large industry came to
the village. Even the Boot and Shoe industry,
which had such an effect on the village
in later years, had not yet arrived in any
strength. Agriculture and home-based framework
knitting looms provided the great majority
of employment, along with shirt stitching
for many of the female population.
The
village was based on the same four streets
that still form it’s heart – High Street,
King Street, Swan Street and Brook St/The
Banks, with Barrow Road being very similar
to it’s present size. Ratcliffe Road and
Seagrave Road each consisted of but a few
dwellings, Mountsorrell Lane was Church
Lane, and Cossington Road was divided into
Cossington End, Cossington Road and Cossington
Lane.
Thepopulation of the village in 1881 was given as 2,037.
I
have divided the records into 5 pages to
decrease download times –
