of a parish in Essex, briefly stayed in Ibstock during the English Civil War. On 17 September 1645 he marched from Leicester with the parliamentary army and quartered at Ibstock, noting that it had been "Laud's living, and now Dr Lovedyn a great Cavailier" and that although his diet was "very good" his lodgings were "indifferent". Josselin was alarmed to discover on his return the next day that a man had been killed just outside his lodgings near where he had stood closely a while before "not knowing of the pardue [sic] in the ditch". In 1774, the town was enclosed and in 1792 a free school for fifty poor children of the parish was founded. The 1801 Census gives a total population of 763, in 152 families, two-thirds engaged in agriculture, the rest in trade and manufacturing. By 1811 the population had increased to 836. Ibstock is a former coal mining town and also has historical and current manufacturing plants that produce tiles, bricks, boots and shoes, and light engineering. In the 19th century a branch of the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway was built through the town and nearby village of Heather. Heather and Ibstock railway station was opened with passenger services ending in 1931. The line through to Coalville East closing completely in 1964, prior to the publication of the Reshaping of British Railways report. The station master's house on Station Road survives. Notable people Elizabeth Ridgeway - serial killer - lived here Jack "Red" Beattie – ice hockey player in the National Hockey League, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Americans Andrew Betts – Great Britain basketball player Felix Buxton – musician, Basement Jaxx William Laud – Archbishop of Canterbury and adviser to Charles I Spencer Madan – Bishop of Bristol, Bishop of Peterborough Dorian West – Rugby footballer, Rugby World Cup winner Bernard Newman – Author Horace Greasley – British prisoner of war who later gained fame for escaping from his POW camp over 200 times, and returning into captivity each time. Ken Burditt - Footballer, Norwich City, Millwall, Leicester, Ibstock Colliery Sam Bowen – Boxer Former British Super Featherweight Champion References Sources and further reading External links Civil parishes in Leicestershire North West Leicestershire District Towns in Leicestershire