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Somerby

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Description in 1871:
"SOMERBY, a parish and a sub-district in Melton-Mowbray district, Leicester. The parish lies 5¼ miles W by N of Oakham r. station, and has a village of its own name. Post town, Oakham. Acres, 1,000. Real property, £3,180. Pop., 506. Houses, 118. The manor is divided among three. Hosiery and bricks are made. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £230. Patron, the Rev. G. A. Burnaby. The church was restored in 1866, and has a central tower and spire. There are two Methodist chapels, and an endowed school with £40 a year. The sub-district contains 12 parishes and a chapelry. Acres, 22,668. Pop., 3,892. Houses, 841."
John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870-72".

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Cemeteries

Kate JEWELL has a photograph of the Town End Cemetery lych gate on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2005. This cemetery is at the east end of the village.

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Census

  • The parish was the centre of the Somerby sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1935.
     
  • 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.
     
  • In 1935, the parish was transfered to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 588
1861R.G. 9 / 2299
1871R.G. 10 / 3293
1891R.G. 12 / 2543
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
     
  • The church is a very old building of stone (12th Century) showing portions with Norman work. It is somewhat unusual because the tower and the steeple are in the centre of the church.
     
  • The church was restored in 1866.
     
  • The church chancel was restored in 1885.
     
  • The church seats 220.
     
  • In 1893, Mrs. Emily Ellen BAIRD left £500 with the interest to be used to repair the church.
     
  • The church is a grade I listed building with British Heritage.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2007.
     
  • John SUTTON has an interior view of All Saints Church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2012.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1601.
     
  • A portion of the parish register from 1601 to 1715 is in the British Museum.
     
  • The church is in the rural deanery of Goscote (first portion).
     
  • The Wesleyan Methodists built a small chapel here in 1842.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in 1863 and replaced it in 1898.
     
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Civil Registration

  • Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
     
  • The parish was in the Somerby sub-district of the Melton Mowbray Registration District until 1935.
     
  • In 1935, the parish was transferred to the Melton and Belvoir Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

Somerby is a village and a parish 6 miles west of Oakham, 7 miles south of Melton Mowbray and 108 miles north of London. The parish is bordered by Cold Overton to the east and Owston parish to the south.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the A606 arterial road west out of Oakham. Turn left at Langham and follow the country road west to find Somerby.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the village sign on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2007.
     
You can see pictures of Somerby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Much of the parish land was used for grazing.
     
  • Bricks were made in the parish.
     
  • "Bikeboy" has a photograph of the Stilton Cheese pub on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015. This pub. dates back to 1800.
     
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Manors

  • Somerby Hall was the seat and property of Rusell Henry MONRO, lord of the manor in 1912.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK779105 (Lat/Lon: 52.686599, -0.849003), Somerby which are provided by:

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Military History

  • There is a photograph of the War Memorial inside the church on the Waymarking site.
     
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Military Records

There is a single Commonwealth War Grave for World War I in the churchyard for: Ernest MOULD, private in the 36th Batn., Northumbrian Fusliers, who died on 7 March 1917.

There is a second Commonwealth War Grave, this one for World War II, in the churchyard for: Reginald C. HAYES, Kings Royal Rifle Corps., who died on 23 July 1942.

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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish of the county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Framland Hundred in the northern (or eastern) division of the county.
     
  • In March, 1887, this parish was reduced to enlarge Burrough on the Hill Civil Parish. The parcel involved was called Ward's Farm.
     
  • In April, 1936, this parish was enlarged by the abolition of Burrough on the Hill Civil Parish and the abolition of Pickwell with Leesthorpe Civil Parish. The 3,958 acre enlargement tripled the size of the parish.
     
  • You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to do family history work for you.
     
  • District governance is provided by the Melton Borough Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Melton Mowbray petty session hearings.
     
  • In 1623, John GOBERT left an annual grant of £2 to be distributed to the poor.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Melton Mowbray Poorlaw Union.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1841480
1861506
1871523
1881531
1891488
1901503
1911507
1921480
1931474
1951864
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Schools

  • A Public Elementary School (National School) was built here in 1876 for 120 children.