Greatford (also Gretford)
- Stamford Library
- High Street
- Stamford, Lincs, PE9 2BB
- Tele: 01780 763442
- The parish was in the Barnack sub-district of the Stamford Registration District.
- Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1851 |
H.O. 107 / 2094 |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2314 |
| 1871 |
R.G. 10 / 3310 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2554 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Thomas a Becket.
- The church was built in the Early English period and has a tower with four bells.
- The church was restored in 1854.
- The church seats 229.
- There was a Chapel of Ease at Wilsthorpe.
- There is a photograph of St. Thomas's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
- Here is a photo of St. Thomas's church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
- Greatford parish registers exist from 1754, but I.G.I. entries from Bishop's transcripts go back to 1562.
- The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Aveland and Ness Deanery to make your search easier.
- Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
- The parish was in the Barnack sub-district of the Stamford Registration District.
- Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which started in July, 1837.
Greatford is both a village and parish 92 miles north of London, 5 miles northeast of Stamford and almost 5 miles northwest of Market Deeping. The parish is bounded on the south by Barholm & Stowe parish and on the northwest by Braceborough parish. The parish covered 1,365 acres in the 1800s and included Wilsthorpe township.
Greatford village is a small place on the River Glen. If you are planning a visit:
- Take the A16 trunk road east out of Stamford and turn north at Tallington.
- Check out local bus service from Stamford at the Carlberry Bus Service site for schedules and routes.
- Visit our touring page for more sources.
- Greatford Hall stands a little west of the parish church.
- In the late 1700s, Greatford Hall was operated as a private lunatic asylum by Dr. WILLIS. That establishment was later moved to Shillingthorpe.
- In 1882, Greatford Hall was the property of Lord CHESHAM, occupied by C. G. PEACOCK.
- The national grid reference is TF 0811.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer 234 map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
For a photograph of the Greatford War Memorial in the church and a list of the names on it, see the Parish Council site and click on "Roll of Honour".
You can also visit the Roll of Honour site.
- The name Greatford is from the Old English Greot+ford, or "Gravelly ford", based on the fact that the village is bisected by an arm of the West River Glen. In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Griteford".
A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.
- Charles YEOMANS left a bequest or £80 to help pay the rector for sermons and for the poor of this parish.
- The Rev. Peter LAFARGUE, in 1802, left a bequest of £50, the interest to go to the poor.
- Dr. WILLIS, in 1807, left a bequest of £100, the interest to go to the poor.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Stamford Poor Law Union.
- Bastardy cases would be heard in the Bourne petty session hearings.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
320 |
| 1831 |
296 |
| 1841 |
313 |
| 1871 |
213 |
| 1881 |
301 |
| 1891 |
182 |
| 1911 |
188 |
- A National School was originally held in a room here, then enlarged circa 1878. It was attended at that time by about 70 children.
- For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
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[Last updated: 26-December-2012 - Louis R. Mills]
