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Ravendale

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"EAST RAVENDALE, a parish in the wapentake of Bradley-Haverstoe, parts of Lindsey, county Lincoln, 8 miles S.W. of Great Grimsby, its post town, and 5 W. of North Thoresby railway station. The parish, which is of small extent, is intersected by two roads from Great Grimsby, one in the direction of Lincoln, and the other traversing the low country to the Wolds. The surface is undulating, and the soil clay and sand upon a substratum of chalk. The village is small and wholly agricultural. The glebe comprises about 4 acres. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Lincoln, value £66, in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge., The church, dedicated to St. Martin, has recently been rebuilt on the site of the old one. The register commences in 1723. There is a charity school for both sexes. Henry Thorold, .Esq., is lord of the manor. In the chalk pits various fossils are found.

"WEST RAVENDALE, a chapelry in the parish of East Ravendale, hundred of Bradley-Haverstoe, parts of Lindsey, county Lincoln, 8 miles S.W. of Great Grimsby, its post town, and 8½ S.E. of Caistor. There is no village, but only a few dwellings, two of which are farmhouses. The old seat of the De Ravendales, built out of the materials of the priory, has long been in ruins. The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to the rectory* of Hatcliffe, in the diocese of Lincoln. The church has long been in ruins. Here was formerly a priory founded by Alan, son of the Earl of Brittany, in 1202, as a cell to the Abbey of Beaufort, in Brittany. The site was granted to the collegiate church of Southwell in 1438.

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2020

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Archives & Libraries

The Grimsby Library is an excellent resource with both a Local History section and a Family History section.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Grimsby sub-district of the Caistor Registration District.
     
  • In 1890, the parish was allocated to the Grimsby sub-district of the new Grimsby Registration District.
     
  • Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1841H.O. 107 / 642
1851H.O. 107 / 2113
1861R.G. 9 / 2391
1871R.G. 10 / 3416
1891R.G. 12 / 2620
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Church History

  • A Praemonstratensian Canonry was founded here in 1202 by Alan Fitz-Henry. Only their chapel remains in West Ravendale.
     
  • In ancient times, West Ravendale had a parish church. Some ruins of the building remainded in the 1800s.
     
  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Martin.
     
  • The church was erected in 1857 in East Ravendale. It replaced a much older and smaller structure.
     
  • St. Martin's Church is Grade II listed with English Heritage.
     
  • The church seats about 100.
     
  • A photograph of St. Martin's church in East Ravendale is at the Wendy PARKINSON English Church Photographs site.
     
  • Kate NICOL has a photograph of St. Martin's church on Geo-graph, taken in October,2009.
     
  • Here is a photo of St. Martin's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish registers date back to 1723.
     
  • The parish register for 1723 - 1812 are on deposit at the Lincolnshire Archives office.
     
  • The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage indexes and a 1641/2 Protestation Return for the Haverstoe Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Grimsby sub-district of the Caistor Registration District.
     
  • In 1890, the parish was allocated to the Grimsby sub-district of the new Grimsby Registration District.
     
  • Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
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Description & Travel

Ravendale is a small village and a parish about 9 miles east of Caistor, 7 miles south of Grimsby and 10 miles north-west of Louth. The parish covers about 1,600 acres and includes the hamlet of West Ravendale.

If you are planning a visit:

  • For relaxation, try the Manor Golf Club in West Ravendale.
     
  • See our touring page for visitor services.
You can see pictures of Ravendale which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"EAST RAVENDALE, a parish in the wapentake of Bradley-Haverstoe, parts of Lindsey, county Lincoln, 8 miles S.W. of Great Grimsby, its post town, and 5 W. of North Thoresby railway station. The parish, which is of small extent, is intersected by two roads from Great Grimsby, one in the direction of Lincoln, and the other traversing the low country to the Wolds. The surface is undulating, and the soil clay and sand upon a substratum of chalk. The village is small and wholly agricultural. The glebe comprises about 4 acres. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Lincoln, value £66, in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge., The church, dedicated to St. Martin, has recently been rebuilt on the site of the old one. The register commences in 1723. There is a charity school for both sexes. Henry Thorold, .Esq., is lord of the manor. In the chalk pits various fossils are found.

"WEST RAVENDALE, a chapelry in the parish of East Ravendale, hundred of Bradley-Haverstoe, parts of Lindsey, county Lincoln, 8 miles S.W. of Great Grimsby, its post town, and 8½ S.E. of Caistor. There is no village, but only a few dwellings, two of which are farmhouses. The old seat of the De Ravendales, built out of the materials of the priory, has long been in ruins. The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to the rectory* of Hatcliffe, in the diocese of Lincoln. The church has long been in ruins. Here was formerly a priory founded by Alan, son of the Earl of Brittany, in 1202, as a cell to the Abbey of Beaufort, in Brittany. The site was granted to the collegiate church of Southwell in 1438.

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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF242996 (Lat/Lon: 53.478033, -0.1301), Ravendale which are provided by:

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Military Records

There is a brass plaque in St Martin's Church inscribed:

"In loving memory of
William Twistleton HAXBY,
eldest son of Twistleton HAXBY
killed on active service
November 3rd 1915. Aged 25.
Nobly doing his duty."

The Regimental badge of the Lincolnshire Yeomanry is above the inscription. His father was Twistleton Henry HAXBY, his mother was Sarah Ann HAXBY (nee KEMP). Twistleton was born in East Ravendale in April 1890.

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Names, Geographical

  • The name appears in the 1086 Domesday Book as "Ravenedal". That is Old Scandinavian for "Valley of ravens".
     
  • Many records have the name as "Randal".
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Politics & Government

  • This place was an ancient parish in Lincoln county and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
     
  • The parish was in the ancient Bradley Haverstoe Wapentake in the Central Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
     
  • In Kelly's 1900 Directory of Lincolnshire, the parish is given as being in the North Lindsey division of the county.
     
  • West Ravendale is a chapelry and a township in East Ravendale parish.
     
  • For many centuries East Ravendale and West Ravendale were separate parishes.
     
  • District governance is provided by the North-East Lincolnshire Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be held in the Grimsby petty sessional hearings.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, this parish became part of the Caistor Poor Law Union.
     
  • The Common Land was enclosed here in 1841.
     
  • In an 1890 re-organisation, this parish was transferred to the new Grimsby Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

YearInhabitants
180176
1831104
1841112
1871129
1881165
1891180
1911157
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Schools

  • A Public Elementary School (formerly a National School) was built here in 1856 to hold up to 70 children.
     
  • For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
     
  • Here is a photograph of East Ravendale C. of E. School taken in 2002 and supplied by Paul FENWICK (who retains the copyright). Paul used to attend this school.
     
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