Hoby & District Local History Society Lecture

“John Breedon of Rotherby (1767-1859), pictured above: The Rise and Fall of a Farming Family.”
by Mrs Janet Spavold
Janet Spavold, historian, will give a talk on ‘John Breedon of Rotherby (1767-1859): The Rise and Fall of a Farming Family’ at the Hoby & District Local History Society on Wednesday 17th May, 7.30pm, Hoby Village Hall, LE14 3DT. All are welcome; the price for non members is £2.00, pay on door or visit www.hobyanddistricthistory
John Breedon was one of the last farmers who had direct links to Robert Bakewell of Dishley, near Loughborough, the celebrated agricultural reformer. Breedon chose Bakewell’s New Leicester Longwool sheep, pictured below, a breed he promoted all his farming life.
His financial success was reflected both in his farming business and in his family’s social success, culminating in his purchase of Rotherby Hall and much of the village. He was involved with the local Nonconformist religious groups which at that time also meant involvement with radical politics in and around Leicester. Through his daughter’s marriage he developed business links with the hosiery trade in Leicester.
This talk deals with both the family history, and the history of Rotherby and some of its buildings.
Janet Spavold‘s working life has been spent in higher education, first teaching Medieval Literature, then running a Local History degree course. For 20 years she ran a WEA/Nottingham University evening class research group in local history and the group published three books. Her own research covers a wide range of historical material.
The Hoby & District Local History Society is a voluntary organisation. The Society brings together people from all walks of life who are interested in the local history of the Leicestershire villages of Hoby, Rotherby, Ragdale and Brooksby and the District around them. The society was founded in 2013 as part of a village First World War research project for which it received a National Lottery Grant.