Keal East, Lusby, Raithby, Spilsby, Steeping Little, Thorpe, Toynton All Saints, Toynton St. Peter's. West division; Asgarby, Bolingbroke, Hagnaby, Hareby, Keal West, Kirkby East, Miningsby, Revesby, Sibsey, Stickford and Stickney. BOLINGBROKE Is a small town, having an annual fair, and a market weekly on Tuesdays, according to the Magna Britannia; though Leland says, it "hath once a year a fair, but hath no wekeley market *." Yet it must have been formerly of consequence, by having given name to the soke. It contains, according to the returns made to parliament, 70 houses, and 283 inhabitants. A few ruins of its ancient castle still remain. It was situated in a bottom, where a stream rises and soon joins the Witham. This castle was built by William de Romara, Earl of Lincoln; and afterwards de scending to the family of Lacy, it was taken, by King Edward the Second, from Alicia de Lacey, because she had married against his consent, and given by Edward the Third to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, His son, afterward Henry the Fourth, was born here, from which circumstance he was called "Henry of Bolingbroke." And from that event the town was ranked amongst those royal manors called, by way of peculiar distinction, "Honours." This place gives the title of Viscount to the family of St. John of Lediard Tregose in Wiltshire, SPILSBY, The chief town in the southern part of Lindsey division, is situated on an eminence, overlooking to the south a large track of marsh and fen land, which is bounded by Boston Deeps and the Ger man Ocean. The town consists of four streets, or lanes, uniting at Itin. Vol. VII. 52. at the market-place, which forms a spacious square, intersected in the centre by a row of houses, with the market-cross at the east end, and the town-hall at the west end. The market-cross consists of a plain octagonal shaft, (with a quadrangular base terminated with a modern fane: the whole elevated on five steps. The town-hall is a plain brick building, standing on arches. In 1763, the fabric being in a ruinous and unsafe state, was taken down, and the foundation of the present one laid in 1764, the subscriptions of the inhabitants and neighbourhood amounting to 1631. 11s. The general quarter sessions of the peace for the south division of the parts of Lindsey, have been holden at Spilsby for above a hundred years; on account, probably, of the situation being found more convenient for the inhabitants in the neighbourhood than Horncastle, where no sessions have been kept since the year 1749. In 1807 an attempt was made to transfer them to the latter place, which was opposed by petition from more than 500 persons resident in the south part of the division, who remonstrated strongly against the proposed measure, on the ground of incurring additional expences, and a serious loss of time; besides, that the great distance from Horncastle must necessarily discourage the apprehension of vagrants, as well as the prosecution for petty offences, and the prevention in general of more serious crimes. Here is a small free-school, the salary of the master arising from the rent of certain tenements bequeathed for that purpose; and a sunday-school, which was established a few years ago, promises to be of great service to the poorer inhabitants. In 1779 the manor of Spilsby passed, by marriage, to the present Lord Gwydir, then Sir Peter Bunell, who married Lady Willoughby, a daughter of the late, and sister of the present, Duke of Ancaster. The church, which is situated on the west side of the town, is an irregular building, consisting of north and south ailes, the latter of much larger extent than the rest of the church, at the end of of which is placed the altar. A chapel, probably the former chancel, occupies the extremity of the body of the church, in which are some ancient monuments, belonging to the families of Beke, Willoughby, and Bertie, who were successively interred here. At the west end of the church is a handsome embattled tower, of a more modern date than the other parts of the structure, and probably erected about the time of Henry the Seventh. Tradi tion points out Spilsby to have formerly been a place of less note than at present, the market being removed hither from Partney; the church may be, therefore, reasonably supposed to have been enlarged at that time, and the families who were proprietors of the place, and resident at Eresby, to have occupied the original chancel as a place of burial for themselves and descendents. “In the chancel is a brass figure of a lady in a mantle, boddice, and mittens; a rich head-dress, and two cushions under her head, with this inscription: 靠 Hic jacet Margareta que fuit uxor Roberti de Wylughby Spilsby has a market on Monday, and three annual fairs. The return of its population, under the late act, was 932 persons, occupying 200 houses. At ERESBY was formerly a mansion house, belonging to the Bekes and Willoughbys. "The Lord Willoughbie had a house at Heresby, and a park of black deer two miles from Spilsby, where, as I hear say, he intendeth to build sumptuously +." Some years since the house was burnt down, and has not been rebuilt. At REVESBY was a Cistertian abbey, founded by William de Romara, * Gough's Sepul. Mon. Vol. I. Part II. 151. + Leland's Itin. Vol. VII. 50. Romara, Earl of Lincoln, William his son, and Handewisa his wife, in the year 1142. By them it was amply endowed with lands, and subsequently more enriched by numerous benefactions. It was dedicated to St. Lawrence; and its annual revenues, at the dissolution, were valued at 3491. 4s. 10d. The site was then granted to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. The charter of this monastery is preserved in Dugdale's Monasticon; and among a variety of particulars respecting exchanges of lands, manner of grants, and other matters, is this curious fact. It appears that to give greater solemnity to the ceremony of foundation, the Earl, on petition, manumitted, or set at liberty, several slaves. One of them was named Wilhelmus Medicus, a physician; another is called Rogerus Barkarius, who was probably a shepherd. The surnames of persons and families being, at that period, taken from profession or occupation. Till lately a family by the name of Barker resided in the neighbourhood. The Abbot's Lodge, which constituted part of an ancient mansion, now forms the offices belonging to a house built by Craven Howard, son of the Earl of Berkshire, but since considerably enlarged by the family of Banks. It is possessed by Sir Joseph Banks, Bart, who has laudably set an example to the gentlemen of the neighbourhood, by the numerous agricultural and other improvements he has made, or suggested, in the surrounding districts. The house stands upon an elevated spot, and commands a view over the east and west fens, which, in the summer months, display a vast tract of flat country. The grand system of drainage and inclosures, which is carrying into execution, will add greatly to the improvement of the prospect, and to the advantage of the situation. Near Revesby is an encampment, with a broad foss, inclosing an area of land, which measures about 300 feet from east to west, and 100 from north to south. At each end is a large and lofty tumulus, about 100 feet in diameter, of similar form and position, having a space of 100 feet between. "It seems to have been a place of sepulture; perhaps two British Kings were there buried, and and the height on the north side was the place whereon they sacrificed horses, and the like, to the manes of the deceased. Or is it a place of religious worship among the old Britons, and the two hills may possibly be the temples of the sun and moon? I am inclined to think it ancient, because of the measure. The breadth is equal to 100 celtic feet, as I call them, the length to 300*." HOLLAND DIVISION, called by Ingulphus Hoilandea, constitutes the south-eastern side of the county, and is bounded by parts of Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire on the south, the division of Lindsey on the north, on the east by the English Channel, and on the west by part of Kesteven division. The area thus circumscribed is about thirty miles from north to south, twenty-three from east to west, and comprises nearly 278,400 square acres. It is divided into three wapentakes, which are subdivided into thirty-four parishes. These include four market towns, one township, and four hamlets. Nearly the whole of this tract of country appears to have been, at a remote period, inundated by the sea; but the persevering and scientific exertions of man have expelled the briny tide, and nearly secured the fertile lands from the overwhelming waters of the ocean. The stagnant pools have been drained, by means of deep canals with sluices; and the boisterous sea repelled by high and strong embankments. Most of the drains of this district, or dykes as they are provincially termed, communicate with, and empty themselves into, the rivers Welland and Witham, the channels of which have been new cut, widened, and altered in various places. Holland is divided into upper and lower, both of the divisions entirely consisting of fens and marshes, some in a state of nature, but others intersected by numberless drains and canals, and crossed * Stukeley's Itin. Curios. p. 28. by |