Ibstock Probate Material, 1681-1700
Ibstock is one of Leicestershire's largest villages. It is in the west Leicestershire coalfield area, and both coal mining and clay extraction for brick-making have shaped its size and character.
Like other mining villages in this area, nonconformity was strong. The village had one of the very few British schools in the county (affiliated to the non-denominational British and Foreign Schools Society), in contrast to most Leicestershire villages, where the school was closely tied to the Anglican church. Plans of the British School show that it had the sloping floor beloved by educationalist Joseph Lancaster.
The probate inventories reveal a diverse community lived here in the late 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. Some people had substantial wealth, often in money and bonds (loans to others) rather than farming assets. The quantity and range of goods in Samuel Goadby's shop (1705) are similar to those found in the shops of market towns. There is even a murder victim in this collection (Thomas Ridgway, 1684)
You may also be interested in:
Ibstock Probate Material, 1640 and earlier
Ibstock Probate Material, 1641-1660
Content derived from research undertaken as part of the Victoria County History project
