In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Leicester like this:
Leicester, parl. and mun. bor., market town, and co. town of Leicestershire, on river Soar, 29 m. NW. of Northampton and 99 m. NW. of London by rail, 3200 ac., pop. 122,376; 5 Banks, 8 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. It has been supposed that Leicester derived its name from the British King Lear. ...
As a Roman station it was known as Rates or Ratiscorim. The first charter of incorporation was granted by King John. Leicester is the chief seat of the English worsted hosiery trade; besides which there are iron foundries, mfrs. of elastic webbing, sewing cotton, boots and shoes, lace, &c., also agricultural implements. The town has water communication by the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal and the river Soar. At the Blue Boar Inn (now demolished) Richard III. slept on the night before the battle of Bosworth Field (1485); and at Leicester Abbey (now in ruins) Cardinal Wolsey died in 1530. Leicester has sent 2 members to Parliament since the reign of Edward I.
Leicester through time
Click here for graphs and data of how Leicester has changed over two centuries. For statistics for historical units named after Leicester go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Leicester in Leicestershire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/318
Date accessed: 16th April 2024
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