Claxby St Andrew is first mentioned in the Domesday Book. The name is thought to derive from the Old Danish personal name 'Klak' and suffix 'by', meaning 'Klak's farmstead or village'. The dedication to St Andrew is a medieval addition to the name, helping to distinguish the village from other Claxby's in Lincolnshire. Land there was owned by Count Alan, Gilbert de Gand and Hugh son of Baldric: For Count Alan, '15 acres of land…(are held as) a berewic of this manor (Mumby).' For Gilbert de Gand, 'Tonne had 6 bovates of land (assessed) to the geld. There is land for 12 oxen. Rademar, Gilbert's man, has 2 teams there (in demesne), and 6 villeins with 1 team. There are 660 acres of underwood there. Tempore Regis Edwardi (before 1066) and now worth 8 pounds. In the same vill Gilbert has 80 acres of underwood and other 120 acres of underwood. Of three parts of these acres Guy de Credun has the soke.' For Hugh son of Baldric, 'Dane had 1 carucate of land (assessed) to the geld. There is land for 14 oxen. Guy (de Credun), Hugh's son-in-law, has 2 teams there (in demesne), and 1 sokeman on 3 bovates of land and 5 villeins with 1.5 teams. There is a church there, and a priest, and 1 mill rendering 2 shillings, and 120 acres of underwood, whereof Gilbert de Gand has 2 parts and Guy the other 3 parts. Tempore Regis Edwardi (before 1066) it was worth 8 pounds; now 9 pounds.' {1}{2} The Lay Subsidy of 1334 lists the settlement's wealth as £2 3s 7d, with this being one of the smaller amounts in its wapentake (Calceworth). {3} The Poll Tax returns of 1377 record the number of taxpayers at this time as 64. {4} The Diocesan Return of 1563 records 12 households in the parish. {5} 12 families were recorded as living in the parish by the late 17th century. This had fallen to 6 families (besides poor) by the early 18th century. Two of these families are listed as being Anabaptist. {6} Notable residents of the village in 1856 are listed in White's Directory. 126 souls were recorded as being in the parish at this time. {7} Earthwork remains of the medieval settlement still survive in part around the present village of Claxby St Andrew, as seen on aerial photographs examined by the National Mapping Programme. The earthworks includes the remains of former crofts, enclosures, fishponds, boundaries, banks, trackways, and areas of ridge and furrow. {8} Medieval and post-medieval artefacts have been found at locations around the settlement, including: A sherd from a late medieval pancheon made of Toynton All Saints ware, found in 1977 at grid reference TF 453 713. {9} Sherds from the necks of two early post-medieval costrels, found in 1978 at grid reference TF 453 713. One of the costrel sherds was in a red fabric with a greeny brown glaze and thought to be of 16th century date, whilst the other was in a red earthenware fabric and thought to be a 17th century Italian or French import. {10}{11} A lead spindle whorl of medieval date, found in 1981 at grid reference TF 453 713. {12}