Cleasby
Cleasby is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Tees and Darlington and the A1(M). The population at the 2011 Census of ONS was 208. History. The village is mentioned in the "Domesday book" as "Clesbi". The manor had been the possession of a local named "Thor", but passed to "Enisant Mussard" after the Norman invasion. The mesne lordship passed to the lords of Constable Burton from Enisant which eventually ended in the hands of the "Scrope" family. Enisant continued to hold a demesne lordship here which  passed to "Harsculph" an ancestor of the "Cleasby" family. By the early fourteenth century the direct line of inheritance had ended and the manor passed to the "Fitz Hugh" family of Ravensworth who held it until the middle of the sixteenth century when it passed to the Crown. In 1602 the manor was granted to "Peter Bradwell" and "Robert Parker". From thereon it passed via the Countess of Shrewsbury to the Duke of Devonshire. By the mid-nineteenth century it had passed into the hands of "John Church Backhouse". The origin of the name of the village is uncertain. Most  sources claim it to be the combination of a personal name, "Kleiss" and the Old Norse "-by" for farm, giving "Kleiss' farm". Governance. The village lies within the Richmond UK Parliament constituency. It also lies within the Richmondshire North electoral division of North Yorkshire County Council and the Barton ward of Richmondshire District Council. Geography. The village lies in a bend in the River Tees just away. It is also from the A1(M) and from the A66(M). The nearest settlements are Stapleton to the south-east and Darlington to the north-east. The geology of the area surrounding the village  lies on a bed of limestone overlaid with loam, clay and gravel. The latter having been quarried nearby. Demography. 2001 census. The 2001 UK census showed that the population was split 47.1% male to 52.9% female. The religious constituency was made of 77.8% Christian, 1.7% Sikh and the rest stating no religion or not stating at all. The ethnic make-up was 94.9% White British, 3.4% White Other/Irish, and 1.7% British Asian. There were 77 dwellings. 2011 census. The 2011 UK census showed that the population was split 52.9% male to 47.1% female. The religious constituency was made of  76.9% Christian with the rest stating no religion or not stating at all. The ethnic make-up was 94.7% White British, 1.4% White Other/Irish, 2.4% Mixed Ethnic, 0.96% Black British and 0.48% British Asian. There were 87 dwellings. Religion. The Church of St Peter was built in 1828 and was originally undedicated to any particular Saint. It is a Grade II listed building. Notable people. John Robinson (1650–1723), bishop of London and diplomatist was born and attended school there. He was the son of a cooper in the village. He was Ambassador to Sweden for twenty five years before  becoming Lord Privy Seal and then first Plenipotentiary to the Congress of Utrecht.