APPLEBY is a large and pleasant village and parish partly situated in Leicestershire, 5¾ miles S.W. by S. from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, 10 miles S.E. by S. from Burton-upon-­Trent, and 20 miles S.W. from Derby, forms the south extremity of that county, and of a detached portion of Derbyshire, containing Chilcote, Measham, Oakthorpe, and Willesley, and a part of Donisthorpe and Stretton-en-le-Field, parishes locally situated in the West Goscote Hundred of the county of Leicester. The entire parish of Appleby contains 2748A. 3R. 11P. of fertile clay land, and had in 1851, 270 houses, and 1181 inhabitants, of whom 576 were males, and 605 females; rateable value £4,858 11s. Market Bosworth Grammar School owns the estate and manor of the Derbyshire part; to whom it was given by the son of Sir Wolstan Dixie, who had purchased it from the co-heirs of the last of the Appleby family, who died in 1636. George Moor, Esq., is the principal owner and lord of the manor of the Leicestershire part. The Church, dedicated to St. Michael, is a large handsome structure, has nave, chancel, side aisles, tower and spire with 6 bells, was thoroughly restored in 1830, at a cost of £5,000, towards which the late Mrs. John Moor had left £1,000, the remainder was raised by subscription.. The chancel was restored at the rector’s own expense. All the windows are ornamented with beautiful stained glass, and the pews are oak. It is situated in Leicestershire, in which county the south end of the village mostly stands. In 1837, a handsome organ was put up in the church, the gift of the Misses Moor, who also presented a clock, with two dials. In the church, under an arch by the side of the chancel, is an altar tomb, now much defaced, bearing effigies of a knight and lady, representing according to “Burton,” Sir Edmund de Appleby and his wife, who flourished in the reign of Edward III. The male figure is in armour, having his helmet surmounted by his crest, placed beneath his head, and at his feet a lion. Here are also several neat tablets to the late rectors and patrons of the church, and also one to George Moor, Esq., who died in 1751, and was ancient family belonging to this place. The living is a rectory, valued in the King’s book at £20 9s. 4½d now £1000. George Moor, Esq., patron; and the Rev. J. M. Echalaz, M.A., incumbent. The houses are considerably intermixed; each division keeps its own poor, but in all other  respect one township, and are generally distinguish by Appleby Magna, (the Derbyshure end,) and Parva, (the Leicestershire end.) The rectory is a handsome brick mansion, ¼ of a mile west, with 435A. 0R. 10P., of glebe. The Hall, a handsome modern structure, ½ of a mile south from the village, in Leicestershire, was enlarged about 21 years ago; it is the seat and property of George Moor; Esq. White House, ¾ of a mile north of the church, is the seat of the Misses and John Moor, Esq. Moat House, in the village and in Leicestershire, now a farmhouse,  is an ancient half-timbered building, formerly the seat of the Appleby family,

330                                                          REPTON AND GRESLEY HUNDRED.

who held this manor as early as 1166. The Moore family became possessors of the estate early in the 17th century. The Grammar School, ¼ of a mile south from the church, is situated in both counties. It was founded and endowed by Sir John Moore, Knt., in 1697, he was some time lord mayor of London, and died in 1702. The school was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and is 100 feet in length, 50 in breadth, and 30 in height, with an extensive playground in front. It was originally intended for the children of Appleby and this detached part of Derbyshire, and certain parishes in Leicestershire, but by the statutes of 1706 it was made free to all England, and is under the control of 13 governors. The General and Particular Baptists, and the Wesleyan Methodists have each places of worship here, situated in the Leicestershire part. In 1845, a National School was erected for boys, girls, and infants, situated a little W. of the church; it is in the Elizabethan style, was built and is supported by subscription, will hold about 200, average attendance 170. Feast on the 11th of October. In 1839, the Misses Moor erected 5 dwellings, to be let at low rents to poor persons; the rents are applied to the improvement of the premises.

Post Office, at Sarah Hatton’s; letters arrive by mail cart from Atherstone, at 5 20 p.m., and are despatched at 8 18 p.m.

Marked * are in Leicestershire.

                                                            BRETBY PARISH.                                                              331

BONDARY, or Burton Road, 2 miles N.W. from Ashby, is an extra parochial liberty; consisting of 9 cottage houses on the Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Burton road. The estate is partly in the parish of Blackfordby, Leicestershire, but has 49 inhabitants in Derbyshire, all of whom are labourers.

BRETBY is a pleasant rural village and parish, 3 miles E. from Burton-upon-Trent, contains 1,760 acres of fertile land, including 679 acres of woods and plantations in the Park, and in 1851 had 66 houses, and 369 inhabitants, of whom 188 were males, and 181 females; rateable value, £2,400. The Earl of Chesterfield is the sole owner, lord of the manor—(which formerly was a portion of that of Repton)—inpropriator of the tithes, and patron of the Church, of which the living is a donative, value £80; Rev. John Tetley Smith, B.A., incumbent. It is a small structure, with a low tower and 2 bells, and is very neatly fitted up. At Domesday survey, the manor, which had belonged to Earl Alger, was part of the royal demesne. It afterwards belonged to the Earl of Chester, and passed to the Seagraves with a part of the manor of Repton. John de Seagrave, who was the King’s lieutenant in Scotland, and taken prisoner at the battle of Bannockburn, was summoned to parliament as a baron in 1295. Ih 1300 he had the King’s license to castellate his mansion at Bretby. Bretby castle passed with the manors to the Mowbrays—Lords Mowbray and Dukes of Norfolk. One of the co-heiresses of this noble family brought Bretby to the Lords Berkley. In 1585, the castle and manor of Bretby was purchased of the Berkeley family by Sir Thomas Stanhope, grandfather of Philip the first Earl of Chesterfield. In the month of November, 1642, the Earl of Chesterfield fortified his house at Bretby, and garrisoned it with 40 musketeers and 60 horse. Sir John Gell having intelligence of it, sent 400 foot, with a party of dragoons, under the command of Major Molanus. After a short defence, the Earl and his party fled through the park towards Lichfield, and the house was plundered. The Countess, who was the daughter of the loyal Sir John Packington, refusing to pay any composition to prevent it, declaring she would not give them one penny; but the officers saved her own chamber with all her goods. Philip, the second earl, resided much at Bretby. Bretby Castle, the site of which is discernable near the church, is said to have been a building of great strength, and consisted of two courts, and was standing in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The first Earl of Chesterfield is supposed to hake erected a noble mansion at Brethy, of stone, with a curious chapel, in the midst of a large well wooded park, with gardens, fountains, labyrinths, groves, &c., all said to have been peculiar­ly curious and pleasant, suitable to the genius of the owner, who was the chief contriver of them. This mansion was taken down in the year 1780. The present Hall is a quad­rangular castellated stone mansion, which had been several years in building, and was left unfinished at the death of its noble owner, in 1815. The building has since been discon­tinued, and remains unfinished. It has extensive pleasure grounds, terraces, gardens &c., situated in the midst of a park containing upwards or 600 acres of land, well wooded, with varied and picturesque scenery, here are about 400 heads of deer. On the east side of the house is preserved a venerable ceder of Lebanon, which, as appears by the gardener’s bill, in the Earl’s possession, was planted in the month of February, 1676-7. It is probably the oldest cedar in England, for according to Evelyn, the cedar had not been brought into this country in 1664. It is the seat of its noble owner, George Augustus Frederick, Earl of Chesterfield. The late Earl resided wholly at Bretby during the latter part of his life, and dedicated a considerable portion of his time to agriculture, having one of the most complete farming establishments in this part of England. The chapel of Bretby with the tithes were parcel of the rectory of Repton, which belonged to the priory of that place. It passed with one of the co-heiresses of Porte to the family of Hastings, and appears to have been brought to the Stanhope family by the marriage of the first Earl of Chesterfield, with a daughter of Francis, Lord Hastings. The Earl supports a free school for 24 boys and 24 girls, which had been established in 1806. Bretby Colliery 2½ miles S.E. from Burton-on-Trent, commenced in 1855, by the Earl of Chesterfield; gives employment

Y 2

332                                                                          REPTON AND GRESLEY HUNDRED.

to about 60 men and boys. Bretby Steam and Water Corn Mill, 1 mile E. of the church, on the Repton and Hartshorn road, is occupied by Mr. George Bradford, who in 1855, erected a steam engine, of twelve horses power, having previously erected two others (1848 and 1852,) both of which were found too small. It is the property of the Earl of Chesterfield, and has been in the occupation of Mr. Bradford’s family for upwards of one hundred years.

Those marked * are in the Earl of Chesterfield’s employ.