| Stoke-by-Clare | |
|---|---|
 St. John the Baptist church, Stoke by Clare | |
  Stoke-by-Clare Location withinSuffolk | |
| Population | 512 (2011 Census)[1] |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Sudbury |
| Postcode district | CO10 |
| Dialling code | 01787 |
| UK Parliament | |
| 52°03′47″N0°32′17″E / 52.063°N 0.538°E /52.063; 0.538 | |
Stoke-by-Clare is a small village andcivil parish in Suffolk located in the valley of the RiverStour, about two miles west ofClare.[2]
In 1124Richard 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 themonastery of Bec inNormandy, enjoyed by 1291 rents from 17 parishes in Suffolk. During theHundred Years' War the Priory'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 ofEdmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March,[3] who was also buried here.
The village is home to theElwes Baronetcy which was created in 1660 by KingCharles II forGervase Elwes,Member of Parliament forSudbury andSuffolk.
At the time of theEnglish Reformation, the Dean of the college wasMatthew Parker. Under his authority the College became a centre of the 'New Learning' and reforms brought him into conflict with the Priory atClare. The college was suppressed in 1548 and the estate was purchased by John Cheke andWalter Mildmay. The reputed miser Sir Hervey Elwes lived here in the 18th century and was succeeded by his nephewJohn Elwes (politician) in 1763.[4] Major-GeneralEdward Loch, 2nd Baron Loch CB CMG MVO DSO, a seniorBritish Army officer, is buried in the churchyard of St John the Baptist and there is memorial to him within the church.
At the 2011 census the population of Stoke-by-Clare was recorded as 512. Its church, St John the Baptist, housesMatthew Parker'spulpit. 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 11-18 year olds. The village formerly had arailway station on theStour Valley Railway.
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| National | |
