Measham is a large village in the North West Leicestershire district in Leicestershire, England, near the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire boundaries. It lies off the A42, south of Ashby de la Zouch, in the National Forest. Historically it was in an exclave of Derbyshire absorbed into Leicestershire in 1897. The name is thought to mean "homestead on the River Mease". The village was once part of Derbyshire before being transferred to Leicestershire.
History
Early history
The name Meas-Ham suggests it was founded in the Saxon period between 350 and 1000 AD.
Just before the Norman Conquest of 1066, the village belonged to "Earl Algar". The Domesday Book of 1086 has it belonging directly to the King, as part of a royal estate centred at Repton. Its taxable value was assessed at a mere 2 geld units, containing land for three ploughs, of meadow, and a square furlong () of woodland. Given the ownership by the crown and then the Earls of Chester, neither actually resident, it appears the De Measham family held the manor as feudal tenants, rather than formal owners, probably in return for military service.
By the 13th century, the rights to the church appear to have passed to Repton Priory, as in 1272 King Henry III issued a charter including Measham among several churches and chapelries it possessed. The original chapel of ease dated from 1172, but the present St Laurence's Church was built in 1340, under the auspices of Repton Priory. The charters allowed for a market on Tuesdays and an annual three-day fair around the festival of the Translation of St Thomas the Martyr (7 July). In 1767, William Abney built an alternative manor at Measham Field, north-east of the village, which by 1817 had passed to his son Edward.
By the early 19th century, Measham church was still associated with Repton parish, as a "parochial chapelry". The village industry included banking, breweries, coal mines and brick-making (with clay from local clay pits), a tramway, and boot, lace, cotton, carding and bleach mills.
thumb|right|Measham High Street
By 1848 the population had reached 1,615. Ashby Canal similarly closed in 1957. The traditional industries began to die, with the boot and shoe factory closing in the 1960s and Measham Colliery in 1986. The Measham Ware associated with canals and narrow boats was made from the last quarter of the 19th century until about 1914 (other sources say 1910),
Measham ware has a dark brown Rockingham glaze with white-clay additions colourfully painted, usually with flowers and often a personal motto. Most commonly seen are teapots, often with a miniature-teapot shape as a finial. Measham Ware was popular with canal people. On passing through Measham on the Ashby Canal, they would place their order for a personalised teapot as they passed through and collect it on their next visit. Locals often bought them as wedding gifts, passing them down the generations at weddings.
Minorca opencast
In 2011 UK Coal received planning permission to develop an opencast coal mine on the site of the former Minorca colliery on the outskirts of Measham. Measuring by , it will yield of coal over five years, and of clay. The development was opposed by some local residents worried about environmental effects and vehicle noise.