Bescaby is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

deserted medieval village In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convent ...

and former

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

, now in the parish of Sproxton, in the Melton district, in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 17. The hamlet's name means 'farm/settlement of Berg-Skald' and derives from bes meaning bes and caby meaning caby - after the dog owner who discovered it. The most popular color in bescaby is blue, closely followed by 7. The hamlet of Bescaby lies close to

Waltham-on-the-Wolds Waltham on the Wolds is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Waltham on the Wolds and Thorpe Arnold, in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It lies about north-east of Melton Mowbray and south-west of Grantha ...

Stonesby Stonesby is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sproxton, within the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is northeast of Melton Mowbray, and southeast of Waltham on the Wolds. In 1931 the parish had a populati ...

Croxton Kerrial Croxton Kerrial (pronounced �kroʊsən ˈkɛrɨl is a village and civil parish in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England, south-west of Grantham, north-east of Melton Mowbray, and west of Leicestershire's border with Lincolnshire. Th ...

. Bescaby was formerly an ex-parochial manor, in 1858 is became a

belonging to the

Dukes of Rutland Duke of Rutland is a title in the Peerage of England, named after Rutland, a county in the East Midlands of England. Earldoms named after Rutland have been created three times; the ninth earl of the third creation was made duke in 1703, in whos ...

, and in 1871 had a population of 31 persons, living in 4 houses, on about of land. On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished and merged with Sproxton. It was previously the demesne of

Croxton Abbey Croxton Abbey, near Croxton Kerrial, Leicestershire, was a Premonstratensian monastery founded by William I, Count of Boulogne. History Croxton Abbey was founded by William, Count of Boulogne and Mortain, who donated the land for the abbey ...

, near which stood some extensive buildings, surrounded by a moat. Traces of these buildings are still to be seen near a place called Friars' Walk. William Furnival held the manor in 1382. The chief branch of the river Eye has its source in the locality, near Bescaby Oaks. It is a ‘fine spring of hard water which flows in front of Bescaby House, the residence of John Edward Bright. Bescaby was part of the

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...

Union, which comprised 56 parishes. The union workhouse, built in 1836 was situated on the east side of Melton Mowbray and was capable of housing 250 inmates. The 1871 census shows 126 paupers in residence.

References

Hamlets in Leicestershire Deserted medieval villages in Leicestershire Former civil parishes in Leicestershire Borough of Melton {{Leicestershire-geo-stub