SAPCOTE, a pleasant village, 4 miles E. of Hinckley, and 10 miles S.W. by S. of Leicester, is on the west side of the vale of the Soar, which is here traversed by the Roman fosse-way. Its parish has 668 inhabitants and 1556A. 3R. 1P. of land.The quality of the soil is various, some strong and heavy with clay, and some gravel, but well adapted for dairying; some of the best cheese in the county being made here. There are some rocks of granite, and the meadows near the river, which is here but a small stream, are subject to inundation in wet seasons.A mineral spring here, called Golden Well, has been found serviceable in scorbutic complaints, and was much approved by the late Dr. Chessher, but has not been much used since his death.A neat Bath House was erected over it, at a cost of £600, by the late John Frewen Turner, Esq., who owned nearly the whole parish, and was lord of the manor, now held by Thomas Frewen, Esq., who is also patron of the rectory, valued in K.B. at £10. 11s. l0 1/2d., and now at £600, mostly derived from 270 acres of glebe, awarded in lieu of tithes, at the enclosure, in 1770.The Rev. John Homan, M.A., is the incumbent, and has a commodious residence near the church, built in 1732.The Church (All Saints) is a handsome structure, in the early English style of architecture, and consists of a nave, north aisle, north porch, and chancel, with a square embattled tower containing a clock and four bells, and surmounted by a taper spire, rising to the height of 120 feet.There is a piscina in the chancel, and a piscina and an aumbry in the north aisle.The ancient Norman font, after being ejected from the church for nearly fifty years, and suffering much from exposure and rough treatment was admirably restored in 1842, and replaced in its proper position. The hagioscope between the north aisle and chancel still exists. In 1800, a beautiful silver communion service was presented to the church by Miss Mary Frewen to replace the old one which was stolen Dec. 3lst, 1705; and an additional chalice was given in 1838, by Mrs. Frewen Turner. About the end of the last century, the building was much spoiled by the bad taste of the churchwardens but, during the incumbency of the Rev. J. Bickersteth, M.A., the late rector, great deal was done towards its restoration, much still remains to be done to complete the good work. In 1837 an organ was erected at a cost of more than £3140. In 1840, a new vestry was built. In 1843, the chancel was restored and nearly rebuilt The plaster ceiling was removed and the roof restored, new beams being added after the pattern of the ancient ones; a stone floor was laid down, and the pews in the chancel were replaced by neat open benches; a new eastern window, containing some modern stained glass, and two new windows on the south side of the chancel were inserted. The cost of these improvements was about £500. In 1852, a new reading desk, with open tracery in front, was put up; and in 1853, a new pulpit, of similar design, was erected. Here are several tablets belonging to the Frewen, Turner, Moffat, Harington, and Spencer families. The Right Rev. Robert Bickersteth, D.D., the present Bishop of Ripon, was the son of the late rector of this parish, and officiated here as curate in l841-2. The site of a Castle, probably built by the Bassetts, is still discernible near the church, and many antiquities have been found in this parish, especially in the neighbourhood of Calver or Cover Hill, which is conjectured to have been a Roman station. A curious tesselated pavement was discovered near this spot in 1770 ; and a brass celt, and several Roman and Saxon coins, were found in 1803, among which were a silver coin of the Emperor Germanicus and a brass coin of Constantine. Massive Roman tiles, traces of buildings, quantities of tesselae, and large covering slates, have been often found, and are still occasionally turned up by the plough. A Roman quern was dug up a few years ago, on Mr. William Spencer's farm, and is now in the Leicester Museum; and a stone coffin and fragments of ancient pottery have been found on Mill Hill. Another stone coffin was found in the churchyard, in 1788. Fossil shells are found here in abundance, and among others, the Nautilus Graecorum. Among the petrifactions dug up in tho gravel pit are the Blemnite, and the Astroites, or star-stone. The Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1805, at a cost of £470, and a gallery was added in 1825 at a cost of £150. In 1842, a school-room was built adjoining it. The manor has been held by the Bassetts, Ferrers, Greys, and Tuftons, and was purchased in 1664 by John Turner. It has been spelled in various ways, and is supposed to have derived its name from an ancient and now disused well of remarkably soft water, which was called Soap Well. The school was built by the late John Frewen Turner Esq., of Cold Overton, who in 1820 gave £1500 Three per Cent. Consolidated Bank Annuities, in trust to apply the yearly proceeds as follows:£12 to the schoolmaster, for teaching as many poor children as the rector should send to him; £20 for apprenticing two poor boys who have been educated at the school; and the residue in repairing the building andbestowing rewards of books or clothing on the scholars. He also left the dividends of £100 Three per Cent. Consols, to be applied, yearly in aid of a clothing fund, which is subscribed to by the scholars and many of the parishioners. The schoolmaster has also a yearly rent-charge of £13. 1s. out of the rectorial lands, left by the Rev. Stanley Burroughs, a late rector, in 1807. No boys are now apprenticed, as the whole endowment is insufficient to pay the master's salary, which is consequently made up by subscription and the children's pence. The last-named donor left £1000, secured on the tolls of the turnpike road from Dunchurch to Old Stratford, and directed the interest thereof to be applied in pensions for his four servants, during their lives, and afterwards to be given to the Friendly Society called the Sapcote Farmer's Club, for the relief of their sick and needy, according to the rules observed for the disposal of the monthly contribution of 1s. paid by each member; but this bequest was set aside in 1847, by Thos. Frewen, Esq., the heir-at-law, as being illegal, and the money was expended in building alms-houses for five poor men. The Church Close, 1A. 2R. 28P., has been vested from an early period for the reparation of the church, and contains a valuable stone quarry.

POST OFFICE at the Red Lion Inn. Letters despatched to Hinckley at 5 p.m.

Biddle William, shopkeeper

Birchnall Joseph, corn miller

Bishop Richard, wheelwright

Bishop Wm. painter,glazier, & par. clk.

Bradshaw George, gardener

Bray Sophia, shopkeeper

Clark Edmund, brewer & vict. Red Lion

Clark William, carpenter

Garratt William, baker

Holyoak Stephen, blacksmith

Homan Rev. John, M.A. rector

Kirby John, grocer

Marshall Wm. tailor and shopkeeper

Pridmore Arthur, victualler, Lord Bassett's Arms

FARMERS AND GRAZIERS.

Atkins John

Branson John

Hextall Joseph

Hunt Joseph

Lovett William

Messenger James

Messenger John

Messenger J. jnn

Moore William

Morley Ephraim

Nurse Wm. Sapcote Fields Farm

Perkins William

Pridmore Wm,sen.

Sleath Jane

Spencer Josha; h Knossington

Spencer William

Wood Jonathan; h Aston Flamville

CARRIERS.Wm. Biddle, Solomon Jesson, and John Kirby, to Hinckley Hon., Leicester Wed. & Sat., and Lutterworth Thursdays

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