Stoke-by-Clare
Encyclopedia
Stoke-by-Clare is a small village in Suffolk located in the valley of the River Stour
, about two miles west of Clare
.
In 1124 Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford
moved the Benedictine Priory that had been established at his castle in Clare to Stoke-by-Clare. The Priory, which was controlled by the monastery of Bec in Normandy, enjoyed by 1291 rents from 17 parishes in Suffolk.. During the Hundred Years' War
the Prior's revenues were in part diverted to the English crown and in 1415 the Priory was replaced by Stoke College, intended to support a small community of priests and choristers under the patronage of Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March.
At the time of the English Reformation
, the Dean of the College was Matthew Parker
. Under his authority the College became a centre of the 'New Learning' and reforms brought him into conflict with the Priory at Clare
. The college was suppressed in 1548 and the estate was purchased by John Cheke and Walter Mildmay
. The reputed miser Sir Hervey Elwes lived here in the 18th century and was succeeded by his nephew John Elwes (politician)
in 1763.
Today Stoke-by-Clare has a population of 460. Its church, St John the Baptist, houses Matthew Parker's pulpit
. There are also several unique wall paintings one of which is said to date to the reign of Mary I.
Stoke College
is now an independent school for 3-16 year olds. The village formerly had a railway station
on the Stour Valley Railway
.
River Stour, Suffolk
The River Stour is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 76 km long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the...
, about two miles west of Clare
Clare, Suffolk
Clare is a small town on the north bank of the River Stour in Suffolk, England.Clare is from Bury St Edmunds and from Sudbury. It lies in the 'South and Heart of Suffolk' . As a cloth town, it is one of Suffolk's 'threads'. Clare is the current holder of Village of the Year and has won the...
.
In 1124 Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford
Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford
Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare was a Norman nobleman, the son of Gilbert Fitz Richard de Clare and Adeliza de Claremont. He founded the priory of St, Mary Magdalene, Tonbridge.-Welsh revolt:Richard held the Lordship of Ceredigion in Wales...
moved the Benedictine Priory that had been established at his castle in Clare to Stoke-by-Clare. The Priory, which was controlled by the monastery of Bec in Normandy, enjoyed by 1291 rents from 17 parishes in Suffolk.. During the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
the Prior's revenues were in part diverted to the English crown and in 1415 the Priory was replaced by Stoke College, intended to support a small community of priests and choristers under the patronage of Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March.
At the time of the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, the Dean of the College was Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of Anglican theological thought....
. Under his authority the College became a centre of the 'New Learning' and reforms brought him into conflict with the Priory at Clare
Clare, Suffolk
Clare is a small town on the north bank of the River Stour in Suffolk, England.Clare is from Bury St Edmunds and from Sudbury. It lies in the 'South and Heart of Suffolk' . As a cloth town, it is one of Suffolk's 'threads'. Clare is the current holder of Village of the Year and has won the...
. The college was suppressed in 1548 and the estate was purchased by John Cheke and Walter Mildmay
Walter Mildmay
Sir Walter Mildmay was an English statesman who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of England under Queen Elizabeth I, and was founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Early life:...
. The reputed miser Sir Hervey Elwes lived here in the 18th century and was succeeded by his nephew John Elwes (politician)
John Elwes (politician)
John Elwes [né Meggot or Meggott] , MP, Esq. was a Member of Parliament in Great Britain for Berkshire and a noted eccentric and miser, believed to be the inspiration for the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol...
in 1763.
Today Stoke-by-Clare has a population of 460. Its church, St John the Baptist, houses Matthew Parker's pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
. There are also several unique wall paintings one of which is said to date to the reign of Mary I.
Stoke College
Stoke College
Stoke College near Haverhill, Suffolk is a co-educational day school for children aged 3 to 16, with boarding for children aged 9 to 16. It is built on the site of a major medieval monastic college.- History of the site :...
is now an independent school for 3-16 year olds. The village formerly had a railway station
Stoke railway station
Stoke railway station was a station in Stoke-by-Clare, Suffolk.-External links:*...
on the Stour Valley Railway
Stour Valley Railway
The Stour Valley Railway is a partially closed railway line that ran between , near Cambridge and in Essex, England. The line opened in sections between 1849 and 1865...
.