History Articles

The Lea family of Belgrave

We are grateful to David Lea, the author of the definitive book “Swithland Slate Headstones”, for sharing this account of his family in Belgrave….

George Harrison 1824 – 1881

George, his brother Isaac and his two sisters were the children of William Harrison and Sarah Abell, who died when their children were very…

Edward Aitchison RN

The career of Captain Edward Aitchison was loosely similar to the fictional character Horatio Hornblower in the series of 11 books by C.S. Forester…

Captain Prescott William Stephens RN

Prescott William Stephens, the son of the Rev. Richard Stephens ( vicar of St. Peters 1824 – 1871) and his French wife, Emilie Anne,…

Copyright notice

Copyright: You may use the information in these pages for personal research or study, but if you plan to publish them for financial gain…

Famous Belgrave People

Jennie Fletcher (19 March 1890 – 17 January 1968), British competitive swimmer Later known by her married name Jennie Hyslop, Jennie was a British…

A short history of Belgrave Hall and Belgrave House

Belgrave in the early eighteenth century was a small village near, but not, as now, part of Leicester. The Soar was bridged here, and…

The First Horse Drawn Tram at Belgrave

The first tramways in Leicester started horse-pulled operation in 1874, by the Leicester Tramways Company. The first route was from the Clock Tower to…

The First Electric Tram at Belgrave

This image, take from a postcard that was posted in 1904, shows the first city-bound electric tram service ready to leave Thurcaston Road on…
Hilda in early 1993

Hilda Annie Mitchell  1917-1993

Many older Belgrave people will remember Hilda. She had a life-long physical disability and travelled all over the parish in a so called, ‘invalid…