The following information is also taken from Bishop Bagshaw’s book in the archives of the Diocese of Nottingham
Sileby leics. First Visitation held November 18-19th 1878
M. Provost Browne VG Visitation Delegate
In 1844 the Fathers of Charity opened the first front part of Ratcliffe College and the first church there. At that time no Catholics were to be found in Sileby but there were two at Rearsby and two at Syston, some at a farm house near the college. Gradually converts were made by the fathers who went about doing missionary work in the villages chiefly by Fathers Hutton, Hopkins, Lockhart and Richardson. No converts however were made in Sileby until 1847. In the village great hostility was shown towards Catholics and the fathers until 1865. In this year great distress amounting almost to famine prevailed in the village and great numbers of the villagers became dependent on the college for their daily food. Then for the first time a spirit of enquiry arose, instructions were given in the college church and were well attended. Some conversions were made and, last but not least, about seventy children were allowed by their parents to be brought up by the fathers and instructed in the Catholic religion. A school was consequently required and the fathers succeeded in purchasing a plot of land in Sileby with three thatched cottages on it. These were converted into a schoolroom. In 1874 Fr. Bone who had then charge of the mission found that a new school was necessary. This was built in the form of a School Chapel on the plot of ground where the old school stood. It was opened in 1876 and services were held there on Sunday evening but the people had still to go to the college church for Mass. It was not until April 15th 1877 that Mass was said at Sileby and the Mission assumed its present form.
Mission of Sileby
Frontier villages of Thurmaston in the south population 1400: number of Catholics 8
Rothley on the south-west: population 1000; Catholics none
Seagrave on the north-east population 450; Catholics 10
Six Hills further north-east population ?? ; Catholics none.
Brooksby east population 200; Catholics none
Barsby population 350; Catholics none
other villages
Ratcliffe Catholic 24 (farm servants)
Thrussington population 450; Catholics 4
Cossington population 351; Catholics one
Syston population 2000; Catholics 6
Principal Catholics:
Mrs. Vincent Wells, Mr Vincent Wells (farmers in Seagrave)
Mrs Crosby Sileby,
Mr Birch Ratcliffe
Principal Catholics in Sileby:
Mr Francis Davies Cossington Road
Mrs Crosby Brook Street
Mr Walker labourer Brook Street
Mr Kidger Swan Street/ Gate Lane
Institutions: none
The Church
A brick built handsome school and chapel opened in 1876. The invocation of St Gregory the Great is the property of the Fathers of Charity
From the epistle side of the altar an infant school opening into the chapel and used also as a choir.
Will seat 200
Church plate sufficient good order belonging to the Order of Charity
Cemetery none.
Funerals: the service is performed in the school chapel then interment takes place in the Parish Church Yard. It is expected that a new general cemetery will soon be opened.
Bishop Bagshaw 1874-1901
1883 (Bishop Bagshaw’s visitation)
Principal Catholics:
Mr Frances Davis (wife and two children) traveller for Brewer in Cossington Road
Mr Crosby (HP) retired policeman Brook Street
Mr Walker /Walber (Wife and 5 children) labourer
Mr Kidger (wife and 5 children) labourer Swan Street /Gate Lane
Frontier villages
Sileby 72
Rearsby and Thurmaston 9
Other villages
Cossington 1
Syston 3
Seagrave 8
Thrussington1
Ratcliffe village 4
Ratcliffe 122
Total: 220
Population of Sileby 2000
Catholics 72
of other places 148
Length of church 60ft/25ft, has good apse end on epistle side of altar and infant school 20ft by 20 opening into chapel and used also as a choir - will seat 200
Church plate sufficient in good order belongs to the Order of Charity
Furniture sufficient and good belongs to Order of Charity
Vestments Roman good and sufficient
Altar linen sufficient in good repair
Presbytery none. On Sundays the parlour in the school teacher's residence is given up entirely for the use of the priest.
1883 furniture of school belongs to Mission good and sufficient.
Of the Chapel Plate 1 chalice 1 monstrance 1 Benediction Pyx 1 ciborium .
Vestments of all colours except black and sacristy furniture belongs to Mission a few things excepted.
Schools mixed infants
Furniture ample and good belonging to Order of Charity
(Sundays Mass 9.30; 3.00 Sunday school; 6.00 English prayers, Hymns, sermon, Hymn, Benediction Weekdays nothing)
Mass on Sundays 9.30 attendance good regular
Mass on weekdays occasionally
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday evening
Sermons morning and evening on Sundays
Catechism on Sunday afternoons during and at the end of Sunday school - attendance excellent
Choir mixed choir choral
Holy Oils kept at Ratcliffe college
Baptistry none no font
Altar of carved oak made in Belgium
Relics none
Confessions between sacristy and church arrangements quite satisfactory
Sick pyx kept at Ratcliffe
Baptism register duly kept average 6
Confirmation register duly kept Ascension Day Ratcliffe College
Holy Communion Sunday average 6
Pascal communion 67 out of 73 possible
Confessions heard on Sundays before Mass
These snippets come from various documents in the Diocesan Archives in Nottingham
1919 It is reported that Sileby had a Catholic population of about 200 and an annual income of £60.00 per annum.
Numerous alterations and decorative improvements were carried out in St Gregory’s church Sileby 1936
Centenary of St Gregory’s Sileby(1842)
This year is supposed to be the centenary of St Gregory’s Sileby (22/1/42) and I hope to write a little booklet about the parish, but can find no documents nor facts about the first few years . Do you know if anything is recorded in the Diocesan Archives about the beginning of Sileby,
J. Fevez, Ratcliffe College
Sileby St Gregory’s, Brook St (1842) served from Ratcliffe College by Rev John Fevez Inst of Charity . Tel 21
Church of St Gregory Sileby.
From Canon Sweeney’s Leics. Missions
Although the Rosminians established themselves nearby at Ratcliffe in 1844, they found nothing but hostility at Sileby until some twenty years later. The famine conditions of 1865 brought a change of mind . Many of the villagers went to the college for their daily food, and this contact with the Fathers led some of them to attend instructions in the college chapel. No less than seventy children were brought by their parents to be instructed, and a school at Sileby became essential. Three thatched cottages were bought in the village and opened as a school in 1876, but the first Mass was not said therein until 15th April 1877. The school was last heard of in 1885 and was then apparently closed.
In 1885 the mission was united with that of Barrow-upon-Soar to form an independent mission of Barrow-cum-Sileby. Its history since then has been somewhat confused. The priests of the mission have been supplied at different times by the diocesan clergy and the Rosminians, and have resided for varying periods in the villages Barrow (1885-87, 1900-1902 and 1910-1920) and of Sileby (1903-1908) and also at Ratcliffe. From 1947-1970 the priest came from the Rosminian parish of Birstall.
Sileby leics. First Visitation held November 18-19th 1878
M. Provost Browne VG Visitation Delegate
In 1844 the Fathers of Charity opened the first front part of Ratcliffe College and the first church there. At that time no Catholics were to be found in Sileby but there were two at Rearsby and two at Syston, some at a farm house near the college. Gradually converts were made by the fathers who went about doing missionary work in the villages chiefly by Fathers Hutton, Hopkins, Lockhart and Richardson. No converts however were made in Sileby until 1847. In the village great hostility was shown towards Catholics and the fathers until 1865. In this year great distress amounting almost to famine prevailed in the village and great numbers of the villagers became dependent on the college for their daily food. Then for the first time a spirit of enquiry arose, instructions were given in the college church and were well attended. Some conversions were made and, last but not least, about seventy children were allowed by their parents to be brought up by the fathers and instructed in the Catholic religion. A school was consequently required and the fathers succeeded in purchasing a plot of land in Sileby with three thatched cottages on it. These were converted into a schoolroom. In 1874 Fr. Bone who had then charge of the mission found that a new school was necessary. This was built in the form of a School Chapel on the plot of ground where the old school stood. It was opened in 1876 and services were held there on Sunday evening but the people had still to go to the college church for Mass. It was not until April 15th 1877 that Mass was said at Sileby and the Mission assumed its present form.
Mission of Sileby
Frontier villages of Thurmaston in the south population 1400: number of Catholics 8
Rothley on the south-west: population 1000; Catholics none
Seagrave on the north-east population 450; Catholics 10
Six Hills further north-east population ?? ; Catholics none.
Brooksby east population 200; Catholics none
Barsby population 350; Catholics none
other villages
Ratcliffe Catholic 24 (farm servants)
Thrussington population 450; Catholics 4
Cossington population 351; Catholics one
Syston population 2000; Catholics 6
Principal Catholics:
Mrs. Vincent Wells, Mr Vincent Wells (farmers in Seagrave)
Mrs Crosby Sileby,
Mr Birch Ratcliffe
Principal Catholics in Sileby:
Mr Francis Davies Cossington Road
Mrs Crosby Brook Street
Mr Walker labourer Brook Street
Mr Kidger Swan Street/ Gate Lane
Institutions: none
The Church
A brick built handsome school and chapel opened in 1876. The invocation of St Gregory the Great is the property of the Fathers of Charity
From the epistle side of the altar an infant school opening into the chapel and used also as a choir.
Will seat 200
Church plate sufficient good order belonging to the Order of Charity
Cemetery none.
Funerals: the service is performed in the school chapel then interment takes place in the Parish Church Yard. It is expected that a new general cemetery will soon be opened.
Bishop Bagshaw 1874-1901
1883 (Bishop Bagshaw’s visitation)
Principal Catholics:
Mr Frances Davis (wife and two children) traveller for Brewer in Cossington Road
Mr Crosby (HP) retired policeman Brook Street
Mr Walker /Walber (Wife and 5 children) labourer
Mr Kidger (wife and 5 children) labourer Swan Street /Gate Lane
Frontier villages
Sileby 72
Rearsby and Thurmaston 9
Other villages
Cossington 1
Syston 3
Seagrave 8
Thrussington1
Ratcliffe village 4
Ratcliffe 122
Total: 220
Population of Sileby 2000
Catholics 72
of other places 148
Length of church 60ft/25ft, has good apse end on epistle side of altar and infant school 20ft by 20 opening into chapel and used also as a choir - will seat 200
Church plate sufficient in good order belongs to the Order of Charity
Furniture sufficient and good belongs to Order of Charity
Vestments Roman good and sufficient
Altar linen sufficient in good repair
Presbytery none. On Sundays the parlour in the school teacher's residence is given up entirely for the use of the priest.
1883 furniture of school belongs to Mission good and sufficient.
Of the Chapel Plate 1 chalice 1 monstrance 1 Benediction Pyx 1 ciborium .
Vestments of all colours except black and sacristy furniture belongs to Mission a few things excepted.
Schools mixed infants
Furniture ample and good belonging to Order of Charity
(Sundays Mass 9.30; 3.00 Sunday school; 6.00 English prayers, Hymns, sermon, Hymn, Benediction Weekdays nothing)
Mass on Sundays 9.30 attendance good regular
Mass on weekdays occasionally
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday evening
Sermons morning and evening on Sundays
Catechism on Sunday afternoons during and at the end of Sunday school - attendance excellent
Choir mixed choir choral
Holy Oils kept at Ratcliffe college
Baptistry none no font
Altar of carved oak made in Belgium
Relics none
Confessions between sacristy and church arrangements quite satisfactory
Sick pyx kept at Ratcliffe
Baptism register duly kept average 6
Confirmation register duly kept Ascension Day Ratcliffe College
Holy Communion Sunday average 6
Pascal communion 67 out of 73 possible
Confessions heard on Sundays before Mass
These snippets come from various documents in the Diocesan Archives in Nottingham
1919 It is reported that Sileby had a Catholic population of about 200 and an annual income of £60.00 per annum.
Numerous alterations and decorative improvements were carried out in St Gregory’s church Sileby 1936
Centenary of St Gregory’s Sileby(1842)
This year is supposed to be the centenary of St Gregory’s Sileby (22/1/42) and I hope to write a little booklet about the parish, but can find no documents nor facts about the first few years . Do you know if anything is recorded in the Diocesan Archives about the beginning of Sileby,
J. Fevez, Ratcliffe College
Sileby St Gregory’s, Brook St (1842) served from Ratcliffe College by Rev John Fevez Inst of Charity . Tel 21
Church of St Gregory Sileby.
From Canon Sweeney’s Leics. Missions
Although the Rosminians established themselves nearby at Ratcliffe in 1844, they found nothing but hostility at Sileby until some twenty years later. The famine conditions of 1865 brought a change of mind . Many of the villagers went to the college for their daily food, and this contact with the Fathers led some of them to attend instructions in the college chapel. No less than seventy children were brought by their parents to be instructed, and a school at Sileby became essential. Three thatched cottages were bought in the village and opened as a school in 1876, but the first Mass was not said therein until 15th April 1877. The school was last heard of in 1885 and was then apparently closed.
In 1885 the mission was united with that of Barrow-upon-Soar to form an independent mission of Barrow-cum-Sileby. Its history since then has been somewhat confused. The priests of the mission have been supplied at different times by the diocesan clergy and the Rosminians, and have resided for varying periods in the villages Barrow (1885-87, 1900-1902 and 1910-1920) and of Sileby (1903-1908) and also at Ratcliffe. From 1947-1970 the priest came from the Rosminian parish of Birstall.
