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Groby

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John Marius WILSON's "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, (1870-72":

"GROBY, or GROOBY, a village and a chapelry in Ratby parish, Leicestershire. The village stands near the Leicester and Swannington railway, 4½ miles WNW of Leicester; was once a market town; and has a post office under Leicester. The chapelry has a peculiar ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Real property, £3,889; of which £825 are in quarries. Pop., 461. house, 86. The manor belonged, in the Confessor's time, to Ulfi; belonged afterwards to Hugo de Grantesmaisnel, who built a castle on it; passed to the Greys of Groby and Bradgate; was the birth place of Lady Jane Grey; and belongs now to the Earl of Stamford. The castle was demolished about the year 1176; and is now represented by only a minnd."
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Archives & Libraries

The Groby Community Library in Leicester Road is a branch of the Leicester County Council Library System. It is open 6 days each week (verify by phone if you are visiting) and has section on Local History and Family History to assist you.

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Cemeteries

The Groby Parish Cemetery is just south of the village near the M1 Motorway. Ian S. has a photograph of the Cemetery Entrance on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2013.

Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Cemetery Chapel at Groby on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2009.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Ibstock sub-district of the Market Bosworth 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.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 602
1861R.G. 9 / 2266
1871R.G. 10 / 3242
1891R.G. 12 / 2507
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Church History

  • The church dates from 1840 and stands on the site of Groby Castle. It was erected as a chapel of ease from Ratby church.
     
  • A new chancel for the church was built in 1912.
     
  • The church seats 300.
     
  • Michael PRATT has a photograph of St. Philip and St. James Church on Geo-graph, taken in September 2007.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE also has a photograph of St. Philip and St. James Church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2016.
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1840.
     
  • The Congregationaists built a chapel here in 1858.
     
  • There is a United Reformed Church in Grooby.
     
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Market Bosworth Registration District from 1896 to 1974.
     
  • The parish was in the Ibstock sub-district of the Market Bosworth Registration District.
     
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Description & Travel

This village and parish lie just 2.5 miles east of Glenfield and 5 miles north-west of the city of Leicester. The parish covers about 2,074 acres.

The southern side of the village is dominated by new housing estates, but the old village centre still retains some character. No remains are left of Groby Castle, other than a slight rise in ground to the East of the main church building. If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the M1 Motorway to the A50 trunk road north of Leicester. The village is on the A50.
     
  • The parish had rail service in 1912, but only for freight.
     
  • Visit the 38-acre Groby Pool, which lies just north of the village, across the Motorway. Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Car Park at Groby Pool on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2014.
     
  • Mat FASCIONE has a photograph of the Village Sign on Ratby Road on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2007.
     
  • Groby has Six Additional Commandments for all visitors.
     
  • The village has its own website with local news and events.
You can see pictures of Groby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • There were granite and slate quarries here in the 1800s.
     
  • Groby Castle once stood here, but now there is only a mound to mark the spot.
     
  • Kate JEWELL has a photograph of Martinshaw Wood on the west side of the village on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2006.
     
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Manors

  • Bradgate House was the property of Mrs. Katherine H. V. GREY in 1912 (and through 1925). It was built in 1856.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.
     

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK524075 (Lat/Lon: 52.662694, -1.226674), Groby which are provided by:

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Military History

In the Anglican church chancel a tablet was erected to the memory of the men of this parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-18,

There are three Commonwealth War Graves in Groby churchyard. Two from World War I and one from World War II.

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Military Records

The three Commonwealth War Graves (data from www.CWGC.org) are for:

NameRankUnitDiedFamily
John Henry RICHARDSSerjeantRoyal Armoured Corps13 June 1942Age 33, husband of Dorothy Rosa RICHARDS.
Thomas A. SLINGSBYsapperRoyal Engineers07 Sept. 1919Age 34, son of William and Eliza SLINGSBY.
W. SPENCERpioneerRoyal Engineers26 Aug. 1919 
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Names, Geographical

  • The name Groby is from the Old Scandanavian grub+by, meaning "pit or mine hamlet".
    A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.
     
  • The name is pronounced "GROO-bi".
     
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Politics & Government

  • This place was incorporated as a separate, modern Civil Parish in December, 1896.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Sparkenhoe Hundred of the mid section of the county.
     
  • The parish council meets at Village Hall on Leicester Road. Michael PRATT has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in October 2007
     
  • The parish coucil has a website at: Groby Council. There is no family history information at the site.
     
  • The Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council provides district governance.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • As a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Market Bosworth Poorlaw Union.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard at the Leicester petty session hearings.
     
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Population

 YearInhabitants
1891849
1901928
1921887
19311,122
19511,929
19613,035
19714,333
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Schools

  • A Public Elementary School was built here in 1873 to hold 123 children.