Hi Margaret As soon as I saw the name NORTH it brought back happy memories of my childhood, of NORTHs the Toy Shop on Hinckley road I feel sure we have spoken on them before now having a look at your lot in earlier years in 1871 & 1881 Sam is enumerated in Queniborough but no address In 1891 he is at 16 Jubilee street St Margarets Leicester as a Butcher In 1901 he is at 91 Belgrave as a Butcher & Retail(er?) By 1911 he is back in Queniborough at 2 New st as a market gardener No Sam NORTH in the 1873 returns of owners of land in Leicestershire NORTHs in the above were Benjamin residing Nottingham 22 acres Isaiah Loughborough just over 1 acre James trustees of (Loughborough) just over 16 acres Mary Countesthorpe just over 19 acres Sams mother Mary Ann was enumerated in 1861 at Gaddesby as a farmer 120 acres employing 1 lab Back to 1851 Sam is with parents William and Mary in Gaddesby, William a farmer of 135 acres (1 labourer) (generally land owners made sure the enumerator knew it) Mary Ann NORTH is with son in law Joseph FISHER in Great Dalby in 1881 Probate Calendars 1912 NORTH Mary Ann of Queniborough Leicestershire widow died 14th April 1890 Administration London 18 March to Samuel North retired Butcher Effects £20 I can see what I presume is your John at 1 Melton road in 1901, I suspect he would not recognise the area today I assume your John was John Chapman NORTH of 53 Loughborough rd who died 16th July 1943, his probate was granted to Samuel Ernest MASON and Frederick Samuel NORTH a stationer and toy dealer My conclusion from the above is that like most farmers of that period, your NORTHs were tenants rather than owners I also checked the various directories and none I found gave an address, just that they were farmers and graziers It was the norm for farmers to lease their land for three year periods, it was not unusual to farm the same land for many years, often a lease passing down from father to son Land was owned by a relatively small number of people In my experience farmers quite often bought a little land themselves to retire on but could only afford small amounts It might be worth checking with Leicestershire records office to see if they have anything on leases or tenants in Queniborough, I have some from my farming relatives in Buckinghamshire and they are quite illuminating where they survive Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 09/02/2014 11:00, Fabis wrote: > > My Great Grandfather owned and ran a farm in Queniborough around 1880 > unfortunately I do not know which farm it was Sam North was a > grazier/butcher but left around 1900 and moved to Belgrave in Leicester > where he moved into being a butcher. My grandfather, John North also > was a butcher in Belgrave > > Margaret Riley