Leicester, Sierra Leone Leicester, Western Area |
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Location in Sierra Leone | |
Coordinates: 8°27′N 13°13′W / 8.450°N 13.217°WCoordinates: 8°27′N 13°13′W / 8.450°N 13.217°W | |
Country | Sierra Leone |
Region | Western Area |
District | Western Area Rural District |
Population (2015) | |
• Total | 18,678 |
Time zone | GMT (UTC-5) |
Leicester is a coastal town in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone. The town lies approximately fifteen miles east of Freetown. The town has an estimated population of 18,678. Leicester is largely populated by the Krio people. The Krio language is the primary language of communication in the town.
Leicester was founded in 1809 provide accommodation for liberated enslaved Africans, who had been brought to Freetown by the British Royal Navy West Africa Squadron. A hospital was founded here, and John Macaulay Wilson, one of the first Africans to be given European medical training worked here as an Assistant Colonial Surgeon.