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Claybrooke

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"CLAYBROOKE, two townships in Lutterworth district, Leicester; and a parish partly also in Warwick. One of the townships bears the name of Great Claybrooke; lies near the junction of Watling-street and the Fosse way, 1 mile WSW of Ullesthorpe r. station, and 4 NW of Lutterworth; occupies high ground, commanding an extensive view; includes the site of the Roman station Vennonæ; and has a post office, of the name of Claybrooke, under Lutterworth. Pop., 424. Houses, 103. The other township bears the name of Little Claybrooke; and lies contiguous to Great Claybrooke. Pop., 84. Houses, 16. Real property of these townships, £3,992. The parish contains also the hamlets of Ullesthorpe and Wigston-Parva, and the liberty of Bittesby in Leicester, and the township of Wibtoft in Warwick. Acres, 5, 380. Real property, £12,448. Pop., 1,274. Houses, 297. The property is much subdivided. Claybrooke Hall is the seat of the Diceys. A number of the inhabitants are stocking-makers. The living is a vicarage, united with the p. curacies of Wigston-Parva and wibtoft, in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £451. patron, the Crown. The church is decorated English, and good; and there are a chapel of ease, an Independent chapel, a free school, and charities £162."
[John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales," 1870-72]

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Cemeteries

  • A cemetery of three-quarters of an acre at Little Claybrooke was formed in 1856 and placed under the control of the parish council's burial board. It was enlarged by a half acre in 1898.
     
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Census

  • The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth Registration District.
     
  • The 1851 Census for Leicestershire has been indexed by the Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society. The whole index is available on microfiche. The society has also published it in print and Volume 18 covers the Lutterworth District which includes Claybrooke.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2244 & 2245 & 2247
1871R.G. 10 / 3221
1891R.G. 12 / 2489
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Peter and was located in Little Claybrooke.
     
  • The church was built in the 14th century.
     
  • The church was partially restored in 1878.
     
  • The church tower was repaired in 1907.
     
  • The church seats 400.
     
  • Herbert THORNDIKE, a cleric and religious author, was vicar here for a number of years. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in 1672.
     
  • For more history and information on the church, see the Leicestershire Churches site.
     
  • John SALMON has a photograph of St. Peter's Church on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2003.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1705 and is in fair condition.
     
  • The church was in the rural deanery of Guthlaxton (second portion).
     
  • The Congregationalists built a chapel near Ullesthorpe in 1806.
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel at Great Claybrooke in 1883.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837, but this place wasn't a Civil Parish until 1866.
     
  • The parish was in the Lutterworth sub-district of the Lutterworth Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Claybrooke is a small village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. The parish lies 3.5 miles north-west of Lutterworth. The parish covers about 1,490 acres.

The area where Watling Street and the Fossway cross is called "High Cross". This used to be the Roman station of "Venonoe". If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the M1 motorway to Lutterworth and pick up the B577 arterial heading north to reach Claybrooke village.
     
  • Railway service ended in 1962.
     
  • Ian ROB has a photograph of the Village Hall in Claybrooke Magna on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2006. Visitors should stop in and ask for the schedule of upcoming events.
     
You can see pictures of Claybrooke which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • The Romans had a station, called "Vanonoe", where the Watling Street and the Fossway cross.
     
  • The Claybrooke Church Feast is held on the first Sunday after St. Peter's Day (29th June).
     
  • Claybrooke Village Hall was built in Great Claybrooke by Mrs. ELLIS in 1894.
     
  • Most of the parish land was used for pasturage.
     
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Manors

  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of Claybrooke Hall in Claybrooke Parva on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2007.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SP493887 (Lat/Lon: 52.49399, -1.275296), Claybrooke which are provided by:

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Military History

In August, 1920, a War Memorial cross was erected in the Churchyard of St. Peter's Church. It has slate tablets bearing the names of the men who fell. A tablet for World War II has been added.

There is also a stone vase memorial to gunner Harold PALMER, Royal Artillery, who died in Hong Kong in June, 1955.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient hamlet in Claybrooke parish in Leicestershire and became a modern Civil Parish in December of 1866.
     
  • The parish is in the ancient Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
     
  • On 17 December, 1877, this parish was enlarged by gaining the Manor House portion of Monks Kirby Civil Parish in Warwicshire.
     
  • On 1st April, 1935, this parish was enlarged by gaining 3 acres from Wibtoft Civil Parish in Warwicshire.
     
  • You may contact the Claybrooke Magna Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they can NOT do family history lookups for you.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard at the Lutterworth petty session hearnings on alternate Thursdays.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Lutterworth Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1841549
1871404
1881438
1891376
1901323
1911321
1921330
1931382
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Schools

  • A mixed school was built in Litle Claybrooke in 1813 to hold 120 students. This school replaced an earlier one on a separate parcel. The school was enlarged in 1878 and rebuilt in 1911.