Clare Genealogical Records

Clare Birth & Baptism Records

England & Wales Birth Index (1837-2006)

An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

British Birth and Baptism Records (1400-2010)

A collection of indexes and transcripts of birth and baptism records that cover over 250 million people. Includes digital images of many records.

FreeBMD Births (1837-1957)

An index to births registered at the central authority for England & Wales. The index provides the area where the birth was registered, mother's maiden name from September 1911 and a reference to order a birth certificate.

British Army Birth Index (1761-2005)

An index to births registered to British Army personal at home and abroad.

Birth Notices from The Times (1983-2003)

An index to over 100,000 birth and christening notices from The London Times.

Clare Marriage & Divorce Records

England & Wales Marriage Index (1837-2008)

An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

Clare Marriage Registers (1813-1837)

An index to marriages in Clare from 1813 to 1837, listing the date of marriage and the names of the bride and groom.

Clare Marriage Registers (1558-1837)

Brief notes on marriages occurring in Clare from 1558 to 1837.

Clare Marriage Index (1765)

Marriage records from people who married at the church between 1765 and 1765.

Clare Marriage Index (1559-1837)

An index to marriages recorded by the church, listing the date of marriage and the names of the bride and groom.

Clare Death & Burial Records

England & Wales Death Index (1837-2006)

An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

Baptist Chapel, Clare Burial Records (1822-1835)

Burial records covering those buried at Baptist Chapel, Clare_. This resource is an index and may not include all the details that were recorded in the burial registers from which they were extracted.

St Peter & St Paul, Clare Burial Records (1750-1901)

An index of burials recorded at St Peter & St Paul, Clare_. The index includes the name of the deceased, the date of burial, age (where available) and occasionally other notes.

Independent/congregational, Clare Burial Records (1801-1898)

An index to burials recorded in the registers of an Independent church. The index contains the name of the deceased, the date of their burial and their age where available.

Suffolk Quaker Burials (1813-1837)

An index to burials recorded at Quaker meetings. The records contain the name of the deceased, the date they were buried and their age.

Clare Census & Population Lists

1939 Register (1939)

An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.

England, Wales, IoM & Channel Islands 1911 Census (1911)

The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A list of Suffolk householders and the number of hearths they possessed.

Suffolk Subsidy Returns (1568)

A list of taxes paid by heads of households.

Newspapers Covering Clare

Foxearth & District Newspaper Extracts (1750-1957)

A collection of newspaper extracts, largely covering affairs in Foxearth, Glemsford, Cavendish, Pentlow, Borley, Liston, Long Melford and Clare.

Bury and Norwich Post (1801-1900)

A regional newspaper covering news and events in Norfolk and Suffolk. The newspaper contains numerous notices and articles useful to family historians, such as notices of birth, marriage and death.

The Colchester Gazette and General Advertiser (1814-1817)

A newspaper covering Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. Around 50% of issues from 1814-1817. Original images, searchable by an OCR index.

The Daily Herald (1926)

A London newspaper that later became The Sun.

Daily Herald (1914-1918)

A left-wing, British daily that sold up to 2 million copies a day at its peak.

Clare Wills & Probate Records

England & Wales National Probate Calendar (1858-1966)

Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Will Transcripts (1630-1638)

Full transcriptions of around 1,400 17th century wills from the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in Suffolk. Contains an index of all the people and places mentioned in the wills.

Sudbury Archdeaconry Will Transcripts (1439-1474)

Full transcriptions of several hundred early wills from the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in Suffolk.

Suffolk Testator Indices (1847-1857)

An index to over 10,000 names occurring in Suffolk wills.

Bury & Sudbury Calendar of Wills (1354-1535)

An index to early wills proved at the Archdeaconry Court of Sudbury and the Commissary Court of Bury St. Edmunds.

Clare Immigration & Travel Records

Passenger Lists Leaving UK (1890-1960)

A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists (1878-1960)

A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.

Victoria Assisted & Unassisted Passenger Lists (1839-1923)

An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.

Alien Arrivals in England (1810-1869)

Details on over 600,000 non-British citizens arriving in England. Often includes age and professions. Useful for discerning the origin of immigrants.

17th Century British Emigrants to the U.S. (1600-1700)

Details on thousands of 17th century British immigrants to the U.S., detailing their origins and nature of their immigration.

Clare Military Records

History of the Suffolk Regiment (1685-1959)

An introductory history to an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army.

A Suffolk Regiment Calendar (1685-1962)

A calendar that lists most of the important dates in the history of the Regiment.

Suffolk WWI Memorials (1914-1918)

A list of names found on World War One monuments in Suffolk, with some service details.

Suffolk WWII Memorials (1914-1918)

A list of names found on World War Two monuments in Suffolk, with some service details.

Prisoners of War of British Army (1939-1945)

A searchable list of over 100,000 British Army POWs. Records contains details on the captured, their military career and where they were held prisoner.

Suffolk Eyre Roll Civil Pleas (1240)

Transcriptions and translations of pleas brought before a court. They largely concern land disputes. A number of cases relate to Suffolk.

Act Books of the Archbishops of Canterbury (1663-1859)

An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.

Home Office Prison Calendars (1868-1929)

Records of over 300,000 prisoners held by quarter sessions in England & Wales. Records may contain age, occupation, criminal history, offence and trial proceedings.

Central Criminal Court After-trial Calendars (1855-1931)

Over 175,000 records detailing prisoner's alleged offences and the outcome of their trial. Contains genealogical information.

England & Wales Electoral Registers (1832-1932)

Digital images of ledgers recording those registered to vote, searchable by an index of 220 million names. Entries list name, address, qualification to vote, description of property and sometimes age and occupation.

Clare Taxation Records

Poll for the Knights of Suffolk (1830)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1790)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1710)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.

Suffolk Hearth Tax Returns (1674)

A list of Suffolk householders and the number of hearths they possessed.

Clare Land & Property Records

Poll for the Knights of Suffolk (1830)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1790)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Poll Book for the County of Suffolk (1710)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Land Tax Redemption (1798-1811)

This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.

Clare Directories & Gazetteers

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1938)

A directory of settlements in Suffolk detailing their history, agriculture, topography, economy and leading commercial, professional and private residents.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1927)

Descriptions of physical and geological landmarks, a listing of government offices and descriptions of the villages & parishes, including a list of the private Descriptions of physical and geological landmarks, a listing of government offices and descriptions of the villages & parishes, including a list of the private residents..

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1925-1926)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1916)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1912)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key historical and contemporary facts. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions. Also contains a list of residents and businesses for each place.

Clare Cemeteries

Suffolk Church Monuments (1300-1900)

Photographs and descriptions of Suffolk's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.

Deceased Online (1629-Present)

Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.

Mausolea and Monuments (1500-Present)

Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.

Maritime Memorials (1588-1950)

Several thousand transcribed memorials remembering those connected with the nautical occupations.

Clare Obituaries

iAnnounce Obituaries (2006-Present)

The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.

United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection (1882-Present)

A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.

Quakers Annual Monitor (1847-1848)

A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.

Musgrave's Obituaries (1421-1800)

This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.

British Medical Journal (1849-Present)

A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.

Clare Histories & Books

Foxearth & District Photographs & Images (1800-1950)

A large collection of postcards, photographs and other images depicting scenes and life in Foxearth, Glemsford, Cavendish, Pentlow, Borley, Liston, Long Melford and Clare.

Foxearth & District Historical Sources (650-1978)

A collection of transcripts of all manner of documents relating to day-to-day life, war, crime and more in Foxearth, Glemsford, Cavendish, Pentlow, Borley, Liston, Long Melford and Clare.

Victoria County History: Suffolk (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Suckling's History and Antiquities of Suffolk (1066-1846)

Describes the parishes in the three hundreds of Wangford, Mutford and Lothingland, in the north-east of the county.

Suffolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Suffolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Clare School & Education Records

National School Admission & Log Books (1870-1914)

A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.

Teacher's Registration Council Registers (1870-1948)

A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.

Oxford University Alumni (1500-1886)

A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge University Alumni (1261-1900)

A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge Alumni Database (1198-1910)

A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.

Clare Occupation & Business Records

Smuggling on the East Coast (1600-1892)

An introduction to smuggling on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.

South England Mines Index (1896)

Profiles of coal and metal mines in the south of England.

Lost Pubs of Suffolk (1750-Present)

Short histories of former public houses, with photographs and lists of owners or operators.

British Trade Union Membership Registers (1870-1999)

An index to and images of registers recording over 3.7 million trade union members.

UK Medical Registers (1859-1959)

Books listing doctors who were licensed to operate in Britain and abroad. Contains doctor's residencies, qualification and date of registration.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Clare

Victoria County History: Suffolk (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Clare Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

Victoria County History: Suffolk (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Suffolk Church Monuments (1300-1900)

Photographs and descriptions of Suffolk's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Visitation of England and Wales (1700-1899)

Over 600 pedigrees for English and Welsh families who had a right to bear a coat of arms.

Clare Church Records

Suffolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Suffolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Norfolk Church Histories (1000-Present)

Histories of Norfolk's parish churches, illustrated with a plethora of photographs.

Act Books of the Archbishops of Canterbury (1663-1859)

An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.

British Church Albums (1990-Present)

Photographs of churches of all denominations throughout England and part of Wales.

England Parish Registers (1914-2013)

Documentation for those baptised, married and buried at England. Parish registers can assist tracing a family back numerous generations.

Biographical Directories Covering Clare

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1885)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

The Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1654-1930)

A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.

Clare Maps

Essex and Suffolk Maps (1360-1910)

A collection of maps plotting the counties of Essex and Suffolk, and some of their settlements.

Maps of Suffolk (1607-1886)

Digital images of maps covering the county.

UK Popular Edition Maps (1919-1926)

Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.

Ordnance Survey 1:10 Maps (1840-1890)

Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Clare Reference Works

England Research Guide (1538-Present)

A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.

Parish Register Abstract (1538-1812)

Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.

Building History Research Guide (1066-Present)

A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.

Surname Origins (1790-1911)

A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.

British Family Mottoes (1189-Present)

A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.

Historical Description

Clare, a pretty large town, seated on the Stour, but is of more antiquity than beauty, there having been here a castle and collegiate church, now in ruins. It has, at present, a fine large church, and a manufacture of says, but is a poor dirty town, and has a mean market on Fridays.

Here was a monastery of canons regular, of the order of St. Augustine, or, as some say, of St. Benedict, founded in the year 1248, by Richard Clare, Earl of Gloucester. This house was a cell to the Abbey of Becaherliven in Normandy, but was made indigenous by King Henry II. who gave it to the Abbey of St. Peter, at Westminster. In after times, King John changed it into a college of a dean and secular canons, and at the dissolution its revenues were valued at 324l. a year.

Topography of Great Britain (1829) by George Alexander Cooke

CLARE is a small market town and parish on the river Stour, which separates this county from Essex, with a station on the branch of the Great Eastern railway from Sudbury to Cambridge, 56 miles from London, 16 south-west-by-south from Bury St. Edmunds, 9 north-west from Sudbury and 8 east from Haverhill, in the Southern division of the county, Risbridge hundred, petty sessional division and union, county court district of Haverhill rural deanery of Clare, archdeaconry of Sudbury and diocese of Ely. The town is lighted with gas from works the property of Mr. C. W. Grimwood. The church of SS. Peter and Paul is an ancient and beautiful structure of flint with stone dressings, consisting of chancel, nave of six bays, with clerestory, aisles, north and south porches, and an embattled tower, 77 feet in height, containing a clock and 8 bells: tradition assigns the erection of this church to Richard de Clare, Earl of Clare, Hereford and Gloucester about the middle of the 13th century; and the existing tower appears to have been a portion of that structure: the lower portion of the tower and the lancet windows are Early English; the north and south porches are decorated, and the nave, aisles and Priory chapel in the south aisle are Perpendicular: the south porch has elaborate stone groining: the aisles have been extended eastwards, and now open to the chancel by two arches, above which are clerestory windows: there is a piscina in the chancel, another in the north aisle, and a hagioscope: at the east end of the nave are spired turrets, each containing a flight of stairs; the octagonal font is of the Perpendicular period; the brass eagle lectern is supposed to have been presented by Queen Elizabeth, and a goblet which had been taken from a Spanish galleon, now used as a chalice, is also said to have been given by her Majesty: at the east end of the nave is a very elaborate brass, erected by the members of the Royal Clarence Lodge of Freemasons of this town and other brethren in the province of Suffolk, to H.R.H. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany K.G. at the time of his decease (28 March, 1884), Worshipful Master of this lodge and Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire: there are memorial windows to John Isaacson, d. 1870, and Betsy Isaacson, d. 1883, and others to the Barker family, to whom also various tablets have been erected; several ledger stones remain, once enclosing brasses to ecclesiastics: the church was repaired during the period from 1834 to 1836, when a gallery was erected in the north aisle, but at the restoration of the church, begun in 1878, the galleries and a screen which shut out the view of the west window were removed and the fabric generally renovated at a total cost of £1,500: in 1883 the restoration was continued: the nave being reseated and a new carved oak pulpit erected, and in 1899 the tower was thoroughly restored from within, under the direction of Mr. Detmar Blow, architect, of London, at a cost of £1,160; there are about 1,200 sittings, of which 774 are free. The register dates from the year 1558. The living is a discharged vicarage, net yearly value £110, including 32 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Duchy of Lancaster, and held since 1896 by the Rev. James Raynold Morley Vatcher MA. of Clare College, Cambridge. There are Baptist and Congregational chapels. A cemetery of 2 acres was formed in 1887, at a cost of £350: the churchyard was closed for interments, December 31st, 1888, the cemetery is under the control of the Parish Council. The Corn Exchange on the east side of the Market place, was erected in 1838, at a cost of £400, and is 64 feet long and 36 broad. The old Market cross was taken down in 1838. The Market held on Monday is usually for grain and cattle. The Literary Institute and Reading room was established in 1850. The Church Estate, consists of land, cottages and gardens, the rents of which are applied to general church purposes; and there is also a rent-charge of 2S. given by unknown donors for the ringing of the bells on the 5th of November. The poor’s land of 3 acres, is for the supplying of fuel to eight poor widows, the rent of the “Goose Croft,” a piece of land of about 13 ½ acres, is distributed in bread amongst the poor of Clare and Chilton; 2 ½ acres of this land was purchased by the parishioners, but how the remainder was acquired is unknown. The common pasture charity is held in trust by 15 residents of Clare; the upper common, comprising about 43 acres, is let off in garden allotments; the lower common, comprising 18 acres, is used as pasturage for horses, kine and sheep, by such inhabitants of Clare as do not hold land or real property above the rateable value of £20; the charges are, for horses and kine £2 5s. per head: the vicar’s privilege is now a modus in lieu of tithe, amounting to the rent of two cow walks: the surplus proceeds from this charity are applied by the trustees for the benefit of the deserving poor of Clare and Chilton, the trustees being empowered to distribute the same in various ways as the occasion arises. In 1668, William Cadge left out of his estate in Barnardiston, a yearly rent-charge of £25, to be applied to the schooling of ten poor boys, and £15 for clothing eight poor widows. Under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners, this charity has suffered certain modifications, by which an annual salary of £35, with a moiety of the boys’ payments, is now given to the schoolmaster. Three almshouses have also been built to hold six inmates. The poor of Chilton have by ancient custom 6s. 8d. yearly from land caller Collin’s. The remains of an encampment, supposed to be Roman, may be distinctly traced on the common to the north of the town.

Clare was one of 95 lordships in this county, given by the Conqueror to Richard Fitz-Gilbert, sometimes styled “Earl of Clare,” but the honour of Clare comprised many other parishes in Essex, Surrey, Middlesex and Hertford, which now belong to the Crown as part of the Duchy of Lancaster. Gilbert de Clare, 10th lord of Clare and nephew of Edward II. died unmarried, being slain at Bannockburn, 24 June, 1314, and the lordship then passed to his sister and co-heir, Elizabeth, widow of John de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, and foundress o£ Clare College, Cambridge, to which, in 1359, she gave a code of statutes; she died 4 Nov. 1360, and was eventually succeeded in the lordship of Clare and earldom of Ulster by her grand-daughter Elizabeth, who married, when very young, Lionel Plantagenet, third son of Edward III. who was created (13 Nov. 1362) Duke of Clarence; this title, which became extinct in 1368 and again in 1421, was conferred in 1441 upon. George Plantagenet, 6th but 3rd surviving son of Richard, Duke of York, but was forfeited on his attainder in 1477, and was not revived till 1789, when George III. created his third son, William Henry, Duke of Clarence, who in 1830 succeeded to the crown as William IV.: H.R.H, the late Prince Leopold K.G. was created (24 May, 1881) Baron Arklow, Earl of Clarence and Duke of Albany, and these titles have descended to his only son. The dukedom of Clarence, held as above stated by his late Majesty, William IV. was conferred in conjunction with Avondale (24 May, 1890) upon H.R.H, the late Prince Albert Victor of Wales K.G. but became extinct on his death, 14th Jan. 1892. The earldom of Clare, however, was revived in 1624, in favour of John (Holies) Baron Haughton, but became extinct on the death of John, 4th Earl and Marquess of Clare and Duke of Newcastle, 15 July, 1711. All these titles were subsequently conferred on Thomas (Pelham-Holles) Baron Pelham, who has married a sister of the last holder; on his death, 17 Nov. 1768, the earldom and marquessate of Clare became extinct and have since so remained. Under a house in the Market place is an ancient crypt, with a massive groined roof, supported in the centre by an octangular pillar. In front of the Swan inn is an ancient carving of a swanchained to a tree, and now used as a sign, but evidently from its shape having originally been the corbel of a window. Near the church stands a house of the 15th century, an interesting specimen of the domestic architecture of the Middle Ages. The house called “Clifton,” formerly occupied by a member of the Barnardiston family, has a beautiful old chimney of four shafts, dating from the reign of Henry VII. and in the hamlet of Chilton is an ancient house formerly a chapel, with a Norman doorway: during the Civil War it was used as a powder magazine.

Clare Castle, anciently the baronial residence of the so-styled Earls of Clare, by one of whom it is said to have been rebuilt, stood on the south side of the town, and occupied an angle formed by the junction of a rivulet with the Stour, which site, strengthened by art, rendered it a military position of considerable importance, and the fortress is said to have been equal in grandeur to any of the feudal structures in the kingdom: the site of the whole fortification comprising an area of 20 acres, can still be traced; it was originally surrounded by a deep fosse, and divided into an outer and inner ward or bailey, the latter being inclosed by a wall; a narrow path, winding round a hill about 60. feet high, leads to the remains of the keep, originally a circular building of flint, strongly cemented and strengthened with buttresses, which, from its situation near the frontier, is supposed to have been erected when the kingdom of the East Angles was independents within the castle was a college, originally founded by Alfric, in the time of King Canute, and dedicated to St. John the Baptist; it became a cell of the Abbey of Bec between 1090 and 1124; it was refounded by Gilbert, lord of Clare, and subsequently removed to Stoke. The castle, after its alienation, went to the Barnardistons: in the reign of Charles II. it passed to the Elwes family, of Stoke, with whom it remained till 1825, when it was purchased for a wedding present to the late John Barker esq. of The Priory; Lieut.-Gen. George Digby Barker C.B. now (1900) governor of the Bermudas, is the present owner. In December, 1865, a gold crucifix attached to an ornamental gold chain was found near the entrance to the railway station on the site between the inner and outer bailey of the castle, both crucifix and chain, which were in excellent preservation, are now at Windsor Castle, having been claimed on the part of the Crown as treasure trove; at the intersection of the cross is a large pearl, and enclosed in it is a fragment of wood, said to be a piece of the “True Cross,” there is strong reason to believe that this crucifix formed part of the royal collection of jewels belonging to Edward III. as a cross of this kind is described in a list of that monarch’s jewels, but subsequently disappeared. At a short distance on the south-west of the castle, and separated from it by the river Stour and the Great Eastern railway, are the remains of a priory of Austin friars, founded in 1248 by Richard de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford. Joan of Acre, second daughter of Edward I. and wife of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, and 9th lord or Earl of Clare, after his death, 7 Dec. 1295, married his servant Ralph Monthermer, afterwards created Baron Montsheimer; she died here in 1307, and was buried at the Priory, in a beautiful chapel she had built there, her funeral being attended by her brother Edward II. and most of the English nobility: subsequently Phillippa, the daughter of Lionet (Plantagenet) Duke of Clarence K.G. and granddaughter of Edward III. was also buried in this chapel, together with many other royal and distinguished personages: it appears to have been converted into a dwelling-house in 1604 by the then owner, Sir Thomas Barnardiston, a panel in one of the rooms still bearing his initials and that date. The remains of a bridge, now covered by the railway, lead to the supposition of a former communication with the castle. Although the Priory has undergone considerable alterations and repairs, it still retains much of its old character: the main building now standing consists of a basement and first floor, supported by massive buttresses, above which are attics, a very fine example of groining, some old oak carving and panelling, an ancient doorway, remains of the cloisters, a stoup or basin for holy water, and a piscina and sedilia still exist; to the east is a building supposed to have been the refectory or infirmary, now converted into a noble room, upwards of 60 feet in length and 30 in height: the Priory, the property of Lieut.-Gen. G. Digby Barker C.B. is now (1900) occupied by Alexander G. Linzce esq. Courts baron and customary are held yearly for the manors of Erbury and Stoke-with-Chilton. The principal landowners are Lieut.-Gen. G. Digby Barker C.B. Henry William Dennis esq. the trustees of the late William Bowyer esq. and Miss Jones. The area is 2,275 acres of land and 10 of water; rateable value, £5,210; the population in 1891 was 1,657 in the civil and 1,651 in the ecclesiastical parish.

Chilton is a hamlet, a mile and a quarter north from the church.

Petty Sessions held at the Police stations, Clare & Haverhill, every alternate Monday, at 11 a.m. The places in the petty sessional division are Barnardiston, Clare, Denston, Great Bradley, Great Thurlow, Great Wratting, Haverhill, Hawkedon, Hundon, Kedington, Little Bradley, Little Thurlow, Little Wratting, Monk’ Risbridge, Poslingford, Stansfield, Stoke-by-Clare, Stradishall, Whixoe, Wickhambrook & Withersfield.

A School Board of 5 members was formed 29 Sept. 1875; F. C. Wayman, clerk to the board; George Ince, attendance officer.

Board School (mixed), converted from the former National Schools in 1875, for 280 boys & girls & 122 infants; average attendance, 157 boys & girls & 76 infants.

Kelly's Directory of Suffolk (1900)

Most Common Surnames in Clare

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequencyPercent of ParentRank in Risbridge Hundred
1Dyson651:2673.03%831
2Parker481:364.49%22
3Ince471:3643.52%699
3Bareham471:3636.72%585
5Hickford461:3763.89%994
6Martin381:454.37%34
7Smith321:530.42%1
8Robinson301:573.60%38
8Lewis301:577.09%132
10Bruly271:63100.00%1,975
11Turner251:681.46%8
11Jarvis251:688.04%223
11Ellingham251:6889.29%1,927
14Deeks221:778.70%278
15Richardson211:815.10%144
15Byford211:8110.40%368
17Hamond201:8574.07%1,975
18Mortlock191:908.68%328
19Suttle161:10713.56%629
20Clarke151:1140.61%3
20Price151:11410.87%539
20Hammond151:1141.20%13
20Dare151:11434.88%1,427
20Ager151:11411.54%577
25Willis131:1315.99%333
25Farnsworth131:13176.47%2,583
25Spurgeon131:13114.13%810
25Glazin131:13192.86%2,863
29Milson121:14260.00%2,347
30Gowers111:1557.53%515
30Goodale111:15561.11%2,498
30Cullam111:15591.67%3,101
33Mansfield101:1709.35%705
33Jefferies101:17017.54%1,182
33Linton101:17083.33%3,101
33Braybrook101:17027.03%1,600
33Wadley101:17050.00%2,347
33Ive101:17076.92%2,968
39Brown91:1890.35%2
39Butcher91:1890.86%23
39Dennis91:1896.62%550
39Golding91:1893.54%277
39Sargeant91:1898.41%705
39Woollard91:1893.32%259
39Orbell91:18910.84%881
39Simeon91:189100.00%3,717
39Klamborowski91:189100.00%3,717
48Taylor81:2130.41%7
48Roberts81:2132.41%202
48Hurst81:2135.23%492
48Vincent81:2132.15%171
48Love81:21317.02%1,336
48Gosling81:2132.14%169
48Ives81:2136.50%606
48Shelley81:21317.78%1,381
48Bent81:21336.36%2,213
48Plumb81:2135.84%545
48Scrivener81:2134.32%410
48Angell81:21333.33%2,116
48Stiff81:2132.57%223
48Tuffin81:21323.53%1,694
48Hailey81:213100.00%4,007
48Dearsley81:21313.33%1,146
48Richold81:21320.51%1,525
48Barsham81:213100.00%4,007
66Clark71:2430.74%29
66Mason71:2431.38%103
66Long71:2431.23%85
66Drake71:2433.10%323
66Ray71:2437.53%800
66Crow71:2439.46%969
66Edmondson71:243100.00%4,408
66Goodchild71:2431.82%158
66Hollingsworth71:24326.92%2,023
66Newson71:2431.03%65
66Hockley71:2437.95%840
66Hellier71:243100.00%4,408
66Stokoe71:243100.00%4,408
66Cutmore71:24310.45%1,046
66Levell71:24319.44%1,620
66Starns71:24353.85%2,968
66Battcock71:243100.00%4,408
66Kimmence71:24326.92%2,023
66Twitchet71:24358.33%3,101
85Spencer61:2845.50%688
85Carr61:2842.52%308
85Perry61:2842.67%324
85Hale61:2843.55%449
85Gee61:28410.34%1,167
85Brett61:2841.86%207
85York61:28454.55%3,281
85Hastings61:28417.14%1,649
85Fulcher61:2842.13%245
85Steed61:2843.17%398
85Burling61:28450.00%3,101
85Cowle61:28460.00%3,464
85Bruty61:28418.18%1,731
85Dillistone61:28454.55%3,281
99Adams51:3410.62%44
99Collins51:3410.83%76
99Atkinson51:34112.50%1,498
99Hart51:3410.67%53
99Read51:3410.48%24
99Rowe51:3411.45%186
99Gunn51:3415.26%782
99Everett51:3411.24%150
99Downs51:3419.80%1,277
99Bowyer51:3413.31%494
99Ambrose51:3411.98%284
99Hick51:34155.56%3,717
99Fenner51:3418.77%1,182
99Pryke51:3411.04%114
99Chisnall51:3416.67%963
99Honeyball51:3415.49%818
99Loe51:341100.00%5,441
99Gallafent51:341100.00%5,441
99Jacy51:341100.00%5,441
99Purdenson51:341100.00%5,441
119Hall41:4260.73%92
119Green41:4260.27%11
119Cook41:4260.20%5
119Allen41:4260.51%47
119Webb41:4260.36%18
119Rogers41:4260.86%119
119Barnes41:4260.95%135
119Newman41:4260.80%108
119Lord41:4262.31%439
119Ratcliffe41:4263.74%705
119Prior41:4265.88%1,030
119Goodall41:4265.19%945
119Coe41:4261.05%161
119Ballard41:4268.33%1,318
119Flowers41:4264.82%881
119Theobald41:4261.11%178
119Coote41:4262.84%533
119Bugg41:4260.96%138
119Elmer41:4261.65%300
119Beare41:4269.09%1,403
119Aspland41:426100.00%6,084
119Twitchett41:4266.06%1,056
119Biffin41:426100.00%6,084
119Orris41:4269.09%1,403
143Jones31:5680.84%181
143Harris31:5680.98%230
143Carter31:5680.37%43
143Dixon31:5682.42%598
143Lowe31:5684.29%1,019
143Wallace31:5682.22%554
143Cooke31:5680.93%206
143Jeffery31:5683.37%831
143Paine31:5684.55%1,056
143Cresswell31:5682.75%688
143Mears31:5688.57%1,649
143Sage31:5681.69%428
143Argent31:5682.08%524
143Ginn31:5686.52%1,356
143Glasscock31:56820.00%2,754
143Twinn31:5686.12%1,305
143Buggs31:5686.82%1,403
143Bickmore31:56842.86%4,408
143Yeldham31:56860.00%5,441
143Atterton31:56825.00%3,101
143Sare31:56860.00%5,441
143Windred31:56850.00%4,877
143Chrysell31:56875.00%6,084
143Nethergate31:56860.00%5,441
167Jackson21:8520.48%142
167Cooper21:8520.12%10
167Lee21:8520.59%189
167Mills21:8520.20%27
167Holmes21:8520.51%154
167Harvey21:8520.19%21
167Hardy21:8521.21%460
167Frost21:8520.19%20
167French21:8520.80%286
167Osborne21:8520.40%106
167Lucas21:8521.06%398
167Stokes21:8522.67%963
167Howe21:8520.39%100
167Warner21:8520.44%124
167Underwood21:8520.67%234
167Betts21:8520.53%168
167Bradford21:8523.77%1,243
167Heard21:8523.92%1,277
167Pain21:8524.55%1,403
167Hewson21:8527.41%1,975
167Nottage21:85222.22%3,717
167Candler21:8523.28%1,123
167Spearman21:8523.45%1,167
167Scotcher21:8528.00%2,072
167Boughen21:85233.33%4,877
167Mitson21:8526.90%1,891
167Smoothy21:8526.25%1,766
167Hempstead21:8524.65%1,427
167Burder21:852100.00%7,894
167Vial21:852100.00%7,894
167Hoddy21:85212.50%2,667
167Lorking21:85211.11%2,498
167Rannow21:85250.00%6,084
167Bauty21:852100.00%7,894
167Dysons21:852100.00%7,894