Belleau
- The parish was in the Withern sub-district of the Louth Registration District.
- Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1841 |
H.O. 107 / 627 |
| 1851 |
H.O. 107 / 2111 |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2379 |
| 1871 |
R.G. 10 / 3398 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2606 |
- The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
- The church is a sturdy stone building. It was rebuilt in the reign of Edward II.
- The church was restored and almost totally rebuilt in 1862.
- The ecclesiastical parish included Aby, Greenfield and Claythorpe.
- The church seats about 250.
- The church is a Grade II listed building with British Heritage.
- There is a photograph of St. John's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
- Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. John the Baptist's Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2006.
- Here is a photograph of St. John the Baptist Church supplied by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1640 and includes Aby and Claythorpe entries.
- The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has the Bishop's Transcripts for 1561 thru 1833.
- We have a handful of entries in our parish register extract. Your additions to this are welcome.
- The LFHS has published several marriage indexes and a burial index for the Calcewaith and Candleshoe Deanery to make your search easier.
- Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
- The parish was in the Withern sub-district of the Louth Registration District.
- Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
This small village and parish is in the vale of the Eau rivulet, to which it contributes a small stream. It lies 4 miles north-west of Alford, 9 miles north of Spilsby and 8 miles south-east of Louth. The parish only covers about 700 acres.
Claythorpe is a hamlet and chapelry in Belleau parish. Although often called a parish, Claythorpe does not appear to have ever had a church of its own, or the church fell out of use in early Norman times. If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, Belleau lies east of the A16 trunk road between Louth and Spilsby. Turn east off of the A16 at Swaby and drive about one mile beyond Swaby on the back roads.
- Visit our touring page for more sources.
- The Great Northern railway had a station at Claythorpe (called "Aby" by the railway).
- Jon HOLLAND has a photograph of the Railway Tavern on Geo-graph, taken in 2008. The tavern appears to be a post-World War II establishement.
- Near the church are the remains of a large mansion, formerly the seat of the Lords Willoughby de Eresby. The manor was surrounded by a moat. Fragments of a gate house stood to the north.
- The HUSSEY family had a manor at Claythorpe. One of them was created a baronet in 1661.
- The national grid reference is TF 4078.
- 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.
John FIRTH has a photograph of the Belleau War Memorial in the church on Geo-graph, taken in 2010.
For a photograph of the Belleau War Memorial and the names on the monument, see the Roll of Honour site.
- According to A. D. MILLS' book, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Belleau derives from the Old Scandanavian "Elgo+lo" where it means "meadow of a man named Helgi". He says, "The modern form, as if from a French name meaning 'beautiful water', is unhistorical.
- In the 1086 Domesday Book the name is given as "Elgelo".
- Locals pronounce the name as "Bellow".
- One of the "children" of Belleau was Sir Henry VANE, an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor. He served one term as the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and supported the creation of Roger Williams' Rhode Island Colony and Harvard College.
- This place was an ancient parish in Lincoln county and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
- The parish was in the Marsh division of the ancient Calceworth Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
- You can contact the Parish Council regarding civic or politiacal issues, but they are not staffed to assist you with family history searches.
- For today's district governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
- After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the parish became part of the Louth Poorlaw Union.
- Bastardy cases would be heard in the Alford petty session hearings on alternate Tuesdays.
| Year |
Belleau |
Claythorpe |
| 1801 |
113 |
54 |
| 1831 |
107 |
61 |
| 1871 |
95 |
93 |
| 1881 |
154 |
89 |
| 1891 |
155 |
? |
| 1901 |
50 |
? |
| 1911 |
60 |
? |
- The children of this parish attended the school at Aby.
- For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
Last updated on 20-March-2015
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