Please note: Family pages are organised by surname; however, this does not mean that all those people featured are related to each other. Where possible we will try to be clear about any connections there may be.

Records for the Speed family go back to at least 1746 in Hickling, although it isn’t yet clear whether the various appearances of the family name are connected. The earliest detailed reference we have to the Speed family in Hickling (to date) is of Thomas Speed (born Langham, Rutland) who was the landlord of The Plough between (approximately) 1864 and about 1880 – although the records we have are contradictory and further checks are needed. In 1879, a newspaper article reports that he was having problems with his neighbour (see image, right).

Section 1 (family of Joseph Speed born in Hickling in 1746)

• Marriage: Joseph Speed to Eleanor Colly – 19^th April 1746, Hickling
• Baptism: John Speed 20^th January 1747, Hickling (parents Joseph & Eleanor)
• Baptism: Sarah Speed 17^th May 1749, Hickling (parents Joseph & Ellen)
• Baptism: Anne Speed 27^th January 1750, Hickling (parents Joseph & Ellen)
• Baptism: Mary Speed 16^th August 1752, Hickling (parents Joseph & Eleanor)
• Baptism: Joseph Speed 24^th August 1755, Hickling (parents Joseph & Eleanor)
• Baptism: John Speed 8^th April 1759, Hickling (parents John and Anne)
• Burial: John Speed 12^th January 1764, Hickling (son of Joseph & Ellen Speed) – for checking, doesn’t appear to tally with records either side)
• Baptism: Henry Speed 28^th December 1766, Hickling (parents John and Ann)
• Burial: Henry Speed (infant born 1768) 21^st January 1768, Hickling (parents unnamed) – marginal note; ‘mortality among the children owing to measles’.
• Marriage: Mary Speed to Thomas Mathers of Stonesby, Leics 27^th January 1773, Hickling (one record states, Margaret)
• Marriage:  Mary Speed to William Hopkin of Quenbery 26^th December 1780, Hickling
• Burial: Joseph Speed 22^nd February 1784, Hickling – labourer/pauper
• Burial: John Speed 10^th January 1789, Hickling
• Burial: Ann Speed, widow, 7^th January 1798, Hickling

Further research needed; it isn’t yet known whether there is any link between these early families and the family of Thomas Speed (section 2).

Section 2 (family of Thomas Speed born Langham 1818).

• Marriage: Thomas Speed to Ann Hives – 2^nd July 1845, Hickling
• Birth/Baptism: Fanny Speed Q4 1845, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name, Hives). Baptised 1^st February 1846 (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Birth/Baptism: Elizabeth Speed Q1 1847, baptised 14^th February 1847, Hickling (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Burial: Elizabeth Speed 13^th June 1847, Hickling (age 5months)
• Baptism: John Thomas Speed born Q3 1848 and baptised 23^rd July 1848 (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Baptism: Elizabeth Speed born Q1 1850 and baptised 5^th February 1850, Hickling (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Burial: Elizabeth Speed 7^th April 1850, Hickling (infant)
• Census 1851
  • Thomas Speed   – Head – Married – Male – 33 – 1818 – Miller – Langham, Rutland
  • Ann Speed – Wife – Married – Female – 25 – 1826 – Hickling
  • Fanny Speed – Daughter – Female – 5 – 1846      – Scholar – Hickling
  • Thomas Speed – Son – Male – 2 – 1849 – Hickling
• Birth: William Speed Q3 1851 (mother’s maiden name, Hives)
• Death: William Speed Q3 1851
• Baptism: Edward Speed 12^th September 1852, Hickling (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Baptism: George Speed 2^nd April 1854, Hickling (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Baptism: Robert Speed 28^th January 1857, Hickling (parents Thomas & Ann)
• Baptism: Jane Speed 19^th September 1858, Hickling (parents Thomas and Anne)
• Baptism: Hannah Speed 16^th December 1860, Hickling (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Census 1861
  • Thomas Speed – Head – Married – Male – 44 – 1817 – Labourer – Langham, Rutland
  • Ann Speed – Wife – Married – Female – 35 – 1826 – Hickling
  • Fanny Speed – Daughter – Unmarried – Female – 15 – 1846 – Tambourer – Hickling
  • Thomas Speed – Son – Male – 12 – 1849 – Plough boy – Hickling
  • Edward Speed – Son – Male – 9 – 1852 – Scholar – Hickling
  • George Speed – Son – Male – 7 – 1854 – Scholar – Hickling
  • Robert Speed – Son – Male – 5 – 1856 – Scholar – Hickling
  • Jane Speed – Daughter – Female – 2 – 1859 – Hickling
  • Hannah Speed – Daughter – Female – 0 – 1861 – Hickling
• Baptism: Joseph Speed 15^th June 1862, Hickling (parents Thomas and Ann)
• Baptism: Mary Speed 20^th December 1863, Hickling (parents John* and Anne – maiden name, Hives)
• Birth/Baptism: William Speed Q2 1865 (mother’s maiden name, Hives). Baptised 17^th Feb 1867, Hickling (parents John & Anne)
• Birth/Baptism: James Speed Q4 1866 (mother’s maiden name, Hives). Baptised 17^th Feb 1867, Hickling (parents John* & Anne)
• Birth: Betsy Ann Speed Q4 1868 (mother’s maiden name, Herring)
• Baptism: Albert Speed 15^th August 1870, Hickling (parents John* and Anne – maiden name, Hives)
• Burial: Albert Speed 20^th August 1870 (age 7 weeks)
• Census 1871
  • Village, Hickling:
    • Abigail Hives – Head – Female – 83 – 1788 – Hickling
    • (note; Abigail Hives was the previous landlady of the Plough)
    • Fanny Speed – Granddaughter – Female – 24 – 1847 – Hickling
    • Thomas Speed – Grandson – Male – 22 – 1849 – Hickling
  • Plough Inn, Hickling:
    • *John Speed – Head – Male – 53 – 1818 – publican and farmer – Langham, Rutland (although clearly written as ‘John’, this seems to be Thomas from 1861; also note baptism* records – did Thomas become known as John once his eldest son, Thomas, became an adult?)
    • Anne Speed – Wife – Female – 44 – 1827 – Hickling
    • Hannah Speed – Daughter – Female – 10 – 1861 – Hickling
    • Joseph Speed – Son – Male – 8 – 1863 – Hickling
    • Mary Speed – Daughter – Female – 6 – 1865 – Hickling
    • William Speed – Son – Male – 5 – 1866 – Hickling
    • James Speed – Son – Male – 4 – 1867 – Hickling
• Birth: Robert Speed Q3 1871, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name, Taylor)
• Birth: Jane Speed Q2 1873, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Birth: Sarah Jane Speed Q3 1873, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Death: Sidney Herbert Q2 1873, age 9, Bingham District (born 1864)
• Birth: George Speed Q1 1875, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Marriage: Thomas Speed to Louisa Maltby – 11^th May 1875, Hickling
• Birth: Clara Alice Speed Q2 1876, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Baptism: Robert Speed 19^th March 1876, Hickling (parents Thomas and Louisa)
• Birth/baptism: George Speed Q4 1877, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given). Baptised 12^th May 1878 (parents Thomas and Louisa)
• Birth: Mary Elizabeth Speed Q1 1877, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name, Taylor)
• Birth: Ellen Speed Q2 1878, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name, Harvey)
• Birth: Lucy Speed Q4 1878, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Birth: Annie Speed Q3 1880, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name Maltby)
• Death: Harriet Speed Q4 1881 (age 11, born 1870), Bingham District
• Death: Jane Speed Q4 1881 (age 8, born 1873), Bingham District
• Death: Mary Elizabeth Speed Q4 1881 (age 4, born 1877), Bingham District
• Census 1881.
  • Thomas Speed – Head – Married – Male – 32 – 1849 – Cottager carter – Hickling
  • Louisa Speed – Wife – Married – Female – 29 – 1852 – Hickling
  • Robert Speed – Son – Single – Male – 5 – 1876 – Scholar – Hickling
  • George Speed – Son – Single – Male – 3 – 1878 – Hickling
  • Annie Speed – Daughter – Single – Female – 0 – 1881 – Hickling
• Baptism: Annie Speed 17^th December 1882, Hickling (parents Thomas and Louisa)
• Death: George Speed Q1 182 (age 6, born 1876), Bingham District
• Birth/Baptism: Joe Speed born Q4 1882, baptised 17^th December 1882, Hickling (parents Thomas and Louisa)
• Death: Robert Speed Q1 1882, Bingham District (age 10, born 1872)
• Marriage: Joseph Speed to Eliza Clark 27^th November 1883, Hickling
• Baptism: Thomas William Speed 2^nd March 1884, Hickling (parents Joseph and Eliza)
• Birth: Emily Speed Q1 1885, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Birth/Baptism: Emma Speed Q4 1885 and baptised 1^st November 1885 (parents Joseph and Eliza)
• Birth: James Speed Q4 1887, Bingham District (mother’s maiden name not given)
• Marriage: Betsy Ann Speed to Walter Beel Q4 1888, Bingham District
• Baptism: James Speed 5^th February 1888, Hickling (parents Joseph & Eliza)
• Baptism: Annie Speed 3^rd November 1889, Hickling (parents Joseph & Eliza)
• (no further records found which are specific to Hickling)
• Census 1891.
  • Mill Lane, Hickling
  • (Arthur Price is shown as landlord of The Plough Inn)
    • Thomas Wright – Head – Married – Male – 34 – 1857 – Farm labourer – Hickling
    • Jane Wright – Wife – Married – Female – 33 – 1858 – Hickling
    • Annie Speed – Daughter – Single – Female – 9 – 1882 – Scholar – Blackpool
    • John Wright – Son – Single – Male – 0 – 1891 – Hickling
• Census 1901 & 1911 and 1939 Register: no records found in Hickling.
• Further research needed; it isn’t yet known whether there is any link between these early families and the family found in section 3.

Section 3 (mid-1900s)

1939 Register: no records found in Hickling.

School and village photographs show Margaret and Jean Speed in Hickling in the 1950s; the family lived at Manor Cottage on the Green.

Keith Wadkin shared a few of his memories of the family; confirming that the family lived in Manor Cottage on the Green (‘it was a very tiny cottage then’):

• Cyril Speed moved to Hickling from Wales; he was a ‘tree-feller’ & moved around a lot because of his work.
  • Keith worked for Cyril before doing his National Service and again afterwards – later setting up his own family business; Wadkin & Son, tree surgeons.
• Cyril married Mary (Polly) from Ab Kettleby
  • (likely marriage record in Melton District Q4 1940; Cyril Speed to Mary Fisher).
• Sadly, both Margaret and Jean were born very premature and Jean, particularly, wasn’t expected to survive; he remembers that when she was at school she always sat closest to the fire to keep warm.
• When the girls were teenagers, the family moved to Syston.