Midlands - Leicestershire, UK

The Midlands line is here broken into 3 branches - Leicestershire, (this page), Derbyshire and Twyford. It was started by my 10th great grandfather, Henry Kirkman born bef 1500 in Melbourne, Derbyshire, along with his elder brother William. They were husbandmen. As their numbers grew, they also farmed in the neighbouring village of Kings Newton, and Kirkman records there continued until around 1750.

As the family grew, Henry’s eldest son, William moved to Belton in Leicestershire where he (or his son William b 1550) is recorded as paying taxes of goods £3, tax 5s. in 1598. The Kirkmans played a full part in Belton village life for more than a century. They would have known the beautiful Norman church of St John the Baptist well. We find from the Churchwarden’s records that throughout the eighteenth century they were Overseers of the Poor, Overseers of the Highways,

Constables, and signed off the Church Accounts.

William b bef 1495’s grandson William Kirkman b abt 1535 in similar fashion started a new Kirkman farming dynasty in the twin villages of Hemington & Lockington, about 5 miles west of Melbourne. Kirkmans lived in these village for some 7 generations, with over 200 Kirkman events recorded in the Parish register. The Hearth Tax rolls in 1664 showed John Kirkman having one hearth in Lockington, and Robert having one fireplace in Hemington.

Henry Kirkman b 1611, the great great grandson of his namesake in Melbourne, sired 2 new Kirkman Lines. One began with his son Robert b 1642 in Castle Donington. There were over 100 Kirkman events recorded in that Parish by the end of the nineteenth century.

The other was founded by his grandson Robert Kirkman b 1683, who went back over the boarder in search of farm land and settled in Cauldwell, Derbyshire. Robert is my 4th great grandfather. His ancestors moved back to Leicestershire to the little villages of Barlestone & Bagworth. Their farms can still be seen today. They prospered, and my great grandfather Robert Kirkman b 1815 (see his photo on the home page) had portraits of himself and his wife painted. This great tree, including the lines in Derbyshire and Twyford, today has over 4500 individuals in it.

Key Locations

Belton
Castle Donington
Hemington
Lockington
Loughborough
Barlestone
Bagworth
Barton