1891 Census of Sileby.

These records are a transcription of the enumerators’ sheets for the 1891 census for the village of Sileby. I have tried to minimise any transcription errors by cross-referencing with the 1881 census and Leicestershire Directories of the period, but there are bound to be some irregularities due to human error on my part, the enumerator’s or the householder who originally completed the schedules on which these sheets are based. There are also parts of the documents that are so faded as to be indecipherable. Any information I was still unsure about I have highlighted in red text. Please refer to the original census records if you have any queries about the accuracy of this transcription.

The 1891 census shows Sileby as it was in the days of our great grandfathers, just as the hosiery and footwear industries came to the village, which, replacing agriculture and home-based framework knitting looms as the main sources of employment. Brick making and Lime working also made a large contribution to employment in the village.

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 had grown slightly from the 1881 census, but Seagrave Road still consisted of but a few dwellings, Mountsorrell Lane was Church Road, and Cossington Road was divided into Cossington End and Cossington Road.

The population of the village in 1891 was given as 2,308.

I have divided the records into 7 pages to decrease download times –

1. Barrow Road, Underhill, Church Road, The Vicarage and Mill Villa

2. King Street, Seagrave Road.

3. Swan Street, Hanover Farm, Bell Isle Farm and Quebec Farm.

4. South Church Lane, Church Lane and High Street

5. Cossington End and Cossington Road.

6. Brook Street, Hopsic, Rookery and The Banks.

7. Back Lane, Mount Pleasant, High Fields, Symetry Hill, Peas Hill Farm and Ratcliffe Road