Galby (Gaulby)
Description in 1871:
"GALBY, or Gaulby, a township and a parish in Billesdon district, Leicester. The township lies 2 miles SW of Billesdon, and 4¼ NE of Glen r. station. Real property, £1, 578. Pop., 74. Houses, 14. The parish contains also the township of Frisby; and its post town is Billesdon, under Leicester. Acres, 1, 170. Real property, £3, 179. Pop., 93. Houses, 18. The property is divided among a few. The land is hilly. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £275.* Patron, the Hon. H. L. Powys-Keck. The church has a tower, and is very good."
John Marius Wilson's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72
- The parish was in the Billesdon sub-district of the Billesdon registration district.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census Year |
Piece No. |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9/2254 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter.
- The church seats 100.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1609.
- The church is in the rural deanery of Gartree (second portion).
- The parish was in the Billesdon sub-district of the Billesdon registration district.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
Galby is a small village and a small parish seated on a height 8 miles southwest of Leicester city, 2 miles southwest of Billesdon and about 105 miles north of London. The parish covers about 920 acres.
If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, take the A47 arterial road east out of Leicester city and turn right (south) after passing through Houghton on the hill. That county road should, after about a mile, bring you to Galby village.
- Much of the parish land was used for grazing.
- The national grid reference is SK 6901.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- Literally, 'gall farm/settlement'. The specific may refer to a barren place in a field, a coppice or wet, poor ground.
- Although "Galby" was the official name, "Gaulby" was the name preferred by the residents. Many records will be found under this spelling.
- This place was an ancient parish of the county and a modern Civil Parish until 1936.
- The parish was in the ancient Gartree Hundred (or Wapentake) in the southern division of the county.
- The parish contained the townships of Galby and Frisby.
- In April, 1936, this parish was abolished and all 2,301 acres were amalgamated into the new Broughton and Old Dalby Civil Parish.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Billesdon Poorlaw Union.
- Bastardy cases would be heard in the East Norton petty session hearings.
Population figures below are often just for the township and not the whole parish.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1841 |
93 |
| 1871 |
90 |
| 1881 |
107 |
| 1891 |
69 |
| 1901 |
66 |
| 1911 |
53 |
| 1921 |
56 |
| 1931 |
70 |
| 1951 |
90 |
| 1961 |
80 |
- A Public Elementary School was built in 1875 for the parishes of Galby, Frisby, King's Norton and Stretton Parva and to hold 50 children.
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[Last updated: 25-September-2009 - Louis Mills]