Skeffington is a village and

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 authorit ...

in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It lies 11 miles/18 km east of Leicester on the A47

Uppingham Uppingham is a market town in Rutland, England, off the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, south of the county town, Oakham. It had a population of 4,745 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 4,853 in 2019. It is known for its ...

road, between Billesdon and Tugby and Keythorpe. The population at the 2011 census (including Rolleston) was 223.

Heritage

The derivation is from the Sceaft tribe, whose name may possibly have derived from ''sceap'', meaning sheep. The first written record of the village appeared as Scifitone in the Domesday Book in 1086, when it was under royal ownership and housed 186 villagers, 112 smallholders, 204 freemen and 1 priest. It was recorded as "Sceaftinton" in 1192. The village's church is dedicated to St

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

and is a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. It dates from the 13th century, but underwent a rebuild in 1860. There is jumbled medieval stained glass in the east chapel window, with damaged figures from a monument to Thomas Skeffington, M. P., sheriff of the county in Elizabethan times. There is also a 1651 monument to Sir John Skeffington; several floor slabs commemorate other members of the family. Skeffington Hall, adjacent to the church, is also Grade II* listed. It has some Tudor features. The estate passed in 1786 to an Irishman named Farrell who took the name Skeffington. He pulled down 21 houses in the village to improve his view from the Hall, but overspent, so that the estate was sold again in 1811. In 1860 it was bought by William Tailby, who founded the Billesdon fox hunt, of which he became master. The village lay historically in the hundred of East Goscote.

Amenities

The Anglican church is part of a group benefice with Keyham, Billesdon, Goadby, Hungarton and

Rolleston Rolleston may refer to: Places * Rolleston, Queensland, Australia * Rolleston, Leicestershire, England * Rolleston, Nottinghamshire, England ** Rolleston railway station * Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire, England ** Rolleston Hall * Rolleston, ...

. There are no commercial or educational facilities in the village. The nearest nursery school, primary school, public houses, shops, filling station and sports facilities are at

Houghton on the Hill Houghton on the Hill is a village and civil parish lying to the east of Leicester in the Harborough district, in Leicestershire, East Midlands in England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 1,524. An entry for Hought ...

(4 miles/6.4 km). There is an hourly daytime bus service from Skeffington Turn to Leicester and

, Mondays to Fridays.Traveline South and Eas
Retrieved 26 November 2015
/ref> The nearest railway station is at Leicester (10 miles/16 km). The nearest scheduled air services are at East Midlands Airport (30 miles/48 km).

Notable people

In order of birth: *Sir

William Skeffington Sir William Skeffington (c. 146531 December 1535) was an English knight who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland. Early life William Skeffington was born in Skeffington Hall, Leicestershire, the eldest son of Thomas Skeffington by his wife, Mary. ...

(c. 1465–1535), Lord Deputy of Ireland *Leonard Skeffington or Skevington (fl. first half of 16th century), son of William, was

Lieutenant of the Tower of London The Lieutenant of the Tower of London serves directly under the Constable of the Tower. The office has been appointed at least since the 13th century. There were formerly many privileges, immunities and perquisites attached to the office. Like the ...

and inventor of Scavenger's Daughter or Skevington Maiden, an instrument of torture. *

Anthony Skeffington Anthony Skeffington (died after 1535) was an English-born cleric and judge in Ireland. He was born in Skeffington, Leicestershire. He was a cousin (possibly a brother) of Sir William Skeffington, who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1529–32 ...

, cousin of William, (died after 1535),

Master of the Rolls in Ireland The Master of the Rolls in Ireland was a senior judicial office in the Irish Chancery under English and British rule, and was equivalent to the Master of the Rolls in the English Chancery. Originally called the Keeper of the Rolls, he was respons ...

* Sir John Skeffington, 2nd Baronet (c. 1590–1651), Staffordshire landowner and

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

politician, died at Skeffington. His wife was Cicely Skeffington, who came from the parish.

References

External links

Skeffington on the Leicestershire Villages website2001 census data
{{authority control Villages in Leicestershire Civil parishes in Harborough District