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Lincolnshire county page |
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Contents |
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Lincolnshire Towns & Parishes |
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Nearby Places |
| Census Year |
Piece No. | Regis. District |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | H.O. 107 / 606 | Lincolnshire |
| 1851 | H.O. 107 / 1747 | Northamptonshire |
| 1861 | R.G. 9 / 968 & 969 | Northamptonshire |
| 1871 | R.G. 10 / 1520 | |
| 1881 | R.G. 11 / 1597 | |
| 1891 | R.G. 12 / 1232 |
Crowland (also Croyland) is both a village and parish. About as far south in Lincolnshire as one can get, it is 10 miles south of Spalding, a few miles east of Market Deeping in the Fens area and 86 miles north of London, just east of the A15 trunk road and north of the A47. Deeping Fen parish lies to the northwest. The River Welland runs along the eastern boundary. The area is flat fenland and tends to swamp. Nene Terrace is a small hamlet in the parish, 2 miles south of the village of Crowland, on the border of Cambridgeshire. Engine is another hamlet 2 miles south of Crowland village. The parish is large, covering over 12,500 acres, and includes the hamlet of Postland.
If you are planning a visit:
In 827, Egbert, King of Wessex, defeated Wiglaf, King of Mercia, who fled to Croyland, where he was concealed for three months. By the mediation of its abbot, Siward, Wiglaf was restored to his kingdom on paying homage and becoming tributary to Egbert.
Early in the year 870 the Danes burned Crowland Abbey and made a general massacre of its inhabitants.
At the dissolution of the abbey in 1538, there were 37 monks at the abbey.
Crowland village had a market every Thursday.
In the 1800's an annual fair was held on September 4th.
From White's 1872 Lincolnshire:
"The Abbey at Crowland was founded by Ethelbald, King of Mercia in 716, for the reception of the black monks. It was dedicated to St Mary, St Bartholomew and St Guthlac. The Abbey was rebuilt many times and was of great splendour, until the dissolution of the monasteries. The parish church was formed from the north aisle of the old Abbey. The Wesleyans have two chapels, a large one rebuilt in 1831, and one on the Thorney road, built in 1868. The Primitive and Free Church Methodists have each a chapel, the former rebuilt in 1862, the other erected in 1854."
In 1911, the following appeared in a local newspaper:
MILL FIRE, Nov 1911, Crowland, Lincs
"GunpowderPlot - Old Mill set on fire. The juvenile portion of the town celebrated "Guy Fawkes" in a lively way on Saturday evening. Quite early, reports were heard and several fires were lighted in the streets. Adults joined later in the festivities and a raid was made on a newly appointed young constable, who earlier in the week had offended in the execution of his duty, by making an arrest. The climax was reached by setting fire to an old windmill on the Postland road, which though it had been standing idle for nearly twenty years, lovers of the past are sorry to see it demolished, and see an old landmark pass into oblivion. The mill was the property of the Rector of Crowland and although a reward has been offered, up to the present the culprit or culprits have not been traced."
In 1947, there was a great flood in the area and the Crowland Abbey Alarm bell was rung for the first time since 1880. Floodwaters were not too deep and finding a place even a few feet above the surrounding land prevented one from getting wet feet.
| Year | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 1,425 |
| 1831 | 2,268 |
| 1861 | 3,148 |
| 1871 | 3,168 |
| 1891 | 2,800 |
| 1901 | 2,747 |
| 1911 | 2,683 |
| 1971 | 2,856 |