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Weston

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"WESTON, a parish in the wapentake of Elloe, parts of Holland, county Lincoln, 3 miles N.E. of Spalding. It is a station on the Spalding and Lynn branch of the Great Northern railway. The village is situated on the road from Spalding to Holbeach. The surface is level, and the soil clayey. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Lincoln, value £160, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The Wesleyans have a chapel. The parochial charities produce about £60 per annum, besides poors' land."

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

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Archives & Libraries

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Cemeteries

Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Lych Gate to the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007.

Phil CHAMPION has a photograph of the Churchyard - North Side on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2017.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Moulton sub-district of the Spalding 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 / 612
1851H.O. 107 / 2096
1861R.G. 9 / 2325
1871R.G. 10 / 3324
1881R.G. 11 / 3205
1891R.G. 12 / 2564
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Church History

  • The Anglican church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
     
  • Some portions of the church building date from around 1160.
     
  • The church is a Grade I building with British Heritage.
     
  • There is a photograph of St. Mary's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Mary's Church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007.
     
  • Richard CROFT also has a photograph of the Medieval cross on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007.
     
  • Here is a photo of St. Mary's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
image
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Church Records

  • Parish registers exist from 1562.
     
  • St. John's chapel of ease was erected in Weston Hills in 1888. Check St. Mary's register for baptisms, marriages and burials.
     
  • The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the West Elloe Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • The Wesleyan (Free) Methodists had a chapel in the village and another at Weston Hills prior to 1842. The Primitive Methodists had a chapel in Weston Hills by 1881. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
     
  • Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Moulton sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
     
  • Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which started in July, 1837.
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Description & Travel

Weston (sometimes called Weston St. Mary) is both a village and parish about 100 miles north of London. The parish is a long, narrow affair, running north to south, and incorporates the new hamlet of Weston Hills. The town of Spalding is neighbor to the west and Crowland parish to the south. The River Welland runs along the northeastern boundary. The parish covers about 5,390 acres. The area is flat fenland, drained by many small canals.

Weston village is on the old Holbeach Road (now the A151) between Spalding and Holbeach, about three miles east of Spalding. The hamlet of West Hills, or Weston Hills as it is now known, is to the south. If you are planning a visit:

  • The A151 road runs through the village itself.
     
  • See our touring page for visitor services.
You can see pictures of Weston which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"WESTON, a parish in the wapentake of Elloe, parts of Holland, county Lincoln, 3 miles N.E. of Spalding. It is a station on the Spalding and Lynn branch of the Great Northern railway. The village is situated on the road from Spalding to Holbeach. The surface is level, and the soil clayey. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Lincoln, value £160, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The Wesleyans have a chapel. The parochial charities produce about £60 per annum, besides poors' land."

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History

  • King John stayed at Weston Hills on his way to Swineshead.
     
  • An ancient stone cross used to stand in the churchyard, near the road, but only the base and part of the shaft survived into the 19th century.
     
  • Weston had a railway station on the Bourn and Lynn line.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of The Chequers Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007.
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF292251 (Lat/Lon: 52.807981, -0.084708), Weston which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The church Lych Gate was built as a memorial to those from the parish who perished in World War I.
     
  • Phil CHAMPION has a photograph of the Lych Gate with Memorial plaques on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2017.
     
  • Richard CROFT also has a photograph of the War Memorial plaques in the parish church on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2007.
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Names, Geographical

  • The name Weston is from the Old English West+tun, or "West Village". In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Westune.
    ["A Dictionary of English Place-Names," A. D. Mills, Oxford University Press, 1991]
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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 Elloe Wapentake in the South Holland district and parts of Holland in the 19th century.
     
  • You can contact the local Parish Council about civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to answer family history questions. At last check (2015), a link on this page did not list the councillors.
     
  • For today's district governance, visit the South Holland District Council site.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Elloe (Spalding) petty session hearings.
     
  • John HARROX, in 1560, donated 13 acres of land to generate income to assist the poor. Additional land was purchased, bringing the total to 19 acres, which in 1842 generated £55 for poor parishioners.
     
  • R. OSBOURNE and S. FARNHAM, in an undated charity, contributed two rent charges per year of about 20s. for poor parishioners.
     
  • The Reverend Walter M. JOHNSON, in an undated charity, left the dividends from £40 in an annuity for poor parishioners.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Spalding Poor Law Union.
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Population

YearInhabitants
1801328
1831567
1871807
1881846
1891808
1911817
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Schools

  • A National School was erected in Weston in 1850 and was attended by 70 children in 1872.
     
  • Bikeboy has a photograph of the Old School on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015.
     
  • A National School was erected in Weston Hills in 1873.
     
  • For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
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Societies

Try the nearby Spalding Family and Local History Group (JB):

  • South Holland Family & Local History Group
  • Mr G.A. Lewis
  • 'Taeping'
  • 54 Wygate Road
  • Spalding, Lincs, PE11

Note: Sections marked (JB) were contributed by John R. G. Bland of Lincolnshire.