Richard CLEMENTS

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Copyright © 2010 Croft Heritage Group

According to Parish records there were 13 families living in Croft in 1564. This probably equates to a population of about 70. In the mid 1600's the village was noted as being Craft & Crofte but in the Hearth Tax returns on 1670 it is recorded as Croft. This is the earliest mention of the present name.

Richard married Agnes FELLOWS. Agnes was born Abt 1573, Cosby, Leicestershire, England; died Aug 1618, Huncote, Leicestershire, England. [Group Sheet]

1. Robert CLEMENTS was born Abt 1594, Leicestershire, England; died 29 Sep 1657, Haverhill, Essex, MA.

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Constable of Croft.

Copyright © 2010 Croft Heritage Group

According to Parish records there were 13 families living in Croft in 1564. This probably equates to a
population of about 70. In the mid 1600's the village was noted as being Craft & Crofte but in the Hearth Tax returns on 1670 it is recorded as Croft. This is the earliest mention of the present name.

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Copyright © 2010 Croft Heritage Group

The earliest known reference to Croft as a village is in the Cartularium Saxonioum a survey of place names compiled in 836AD. In this survey the name is recorded as Craeft. This Old English word denotes an engine or machine and probably refers to a water mill as wind mills were not common in England until after the Norman Invasion in 1066. In Leicestershire Water Mills by Norman Ashton it is thought that Croft was possibly the first water mill in Leicestershire. The historic core of the village was in the area we now know as Hill Street as deduced from using landscape maps.

In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was called Crebre or Crebe.
There is no evidence of any clergy in Croft in 1086 (Domesday Book) although there is evidence of
clergy in Huncote and Leire at that time. Two mills are mentioned in Domesday with most of the lands that now make up Croft under the control of Hugh de Grandmesnil.

The first Lord of the Manor of Croft was Squire
Roger de Quincy, Earl of Winchester. It is unlikely he lived at Croft but would have appointed a reeve to administer the Manor on his behalf. The Manor would have been sublet to other land owners and in 1296 these were Sir Robert Champaigne and Sir Nicholas Turville. Both of these were resident at Normanton Turville, near Thurlaston , and now only existing as the remnants of Normanton Turville Hall, just off the water splash in Waterygate. These Barons were all of French origin, having come over with William the Conqueror in 1066 or shortly after, and been rewarded with the granting of lands in England which were taken from
English ealdormen.

There are one or two references to Croft during the next 400 years , mainly about property rights and altercations between the various landowners, including the rights of warren and enclosure of Croft Hill. The village during these years would probably have remained a small fairly self contained place with paths to the surrounding villages of Thurlaston, Huncote, Sutton in the Elms, and Stoney Stanton. These paths were probably on the same routes as are used today except that the one to Huncote would have gone from the end of Hill Street directly across the shoulder of the hill to Huncote, now impossible due to
quarrying. Contact with the market town of Leicester would also have been possible via the old Roman road.

The oldest house in the village is reputed to be Chestnut House at 5 Hill Street which is thought to date back to 1510. According to Parish records there were 13 families living in Croft in 1564. This probably equates to a
population of about 70. In the mid 1600's the village was noted as being Craft & Crofte but in the Hearth Tax returns on 1670 it is recorded as Croft. This is the earliest mention of the present name.

Richard married ELIZABETH Hill. [Group Sheet]

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Last name is not proven.