In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Besselsleigh like this:
BESSELSLEIGH, a parish in Abingdon district, Berks; 3 miles NNW of Abingdon r. station. Post Town, Abingdon. Acres, 893. Real property, £950. Pop., 92. Houses, 22. The manor belonged anciently to the Leighs; passed by marriage to the Besils or Bessels; passed again by marriage to the Fettiplaces; was purchased by William Lenthall, Esq., speaker of the Long Parliament; and belongs now to his descendants. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Oxford. Value, £280.* Patron, K. J. W. Lenthall, Esq. The church is a small building, with chancel and belfry.
Besselsleigh through time
A Vision of Britain through Time includes a large library of local statistics for administrative units. For the best overall sense of how the area containing Besselsleigh has changed, please see our redistricted information for the modern district of Vale of White Horse. More detailed statistical data are available under Units and statistics, which includes both administrative units covering Besselsleigh and units named after it.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Besselsleigh, in Vale of White Horse and Berkshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1411
Date accessed: 25th May 2013
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