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Irnham

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Bourne should prove useful in your research.

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Cemeteries

Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Andrew's churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2014.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Corby sub-district of the Bourne 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 / 620
1861R.G. 9 / 2315
1871R.G. 10 / 3311
1881R.G. 11 / 3195
1891R.G. 12 / 2555
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Andrew and was built in the Early English style.
     
  • The church was entirely restored in 1858.
     
  • In 1866, a new entry gate of iron was installed at the entrance off the Corby Road.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of those iron gates and railings on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2012.
     
  • The church seats about 100.
     
  • An old thatched building in Bulby served as a "chapel of ease" prior to 1841.
     
  • There is a photograph of St. Andrew's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON web site under her "Still more Lincolnshire churches".
     
  • Tim HEATON has a photograph of St. Andrew's Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2006.
     
  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of the church interior on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2012.
     
  • Here is a photo of St. Andrew's church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
image
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Church Records

  • Parish registers exist from 1559.
     
  • The Lincoln Archives has parish registgers of baptisms 1559 - 1968, Marriages 1559 - 1968 and burials 1559 - 1812. They also have the Bishop's Transcripts for 1562 - 1836.
     
  • The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Beltisloe Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • The Catholics had a chapel here, erected by Lord CLIFFORD circa 1815. That chapel was taken down and moved to Corby in 1855-56. The CLIFFORDs and all the previous owners of Irnham were Catholics.
     
  • For more on these chapels and their records, check 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 Corby sub-district of the Bourne 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

Irnham is both a parish and a village of the same name, on a high limestone ridge 10 miles south-east of Grantham and six miles north-west of Bourne. The parish also contains the two small hamlets of Hawthorpe and Bulby, both of which are about two miles east of the village of Irnham. Corby Glen parish lies two and a half miles to the southwest and Edenham parish to the south-east. The parish covers about 3,800 acres. The East Glen River runs through the middle of the parish as it meanders south.

The village of Irnham is bisected by the roads that lead to Ingoldsby, Corby, Swinstead and Hawthorpe. If you are planning a visit:

  • The village and parish lies just east of the A1 trunk road and just north of the A151.
     
  • Rex NEEDLE has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2004. You can see that they might need your marketing skills and artistic talent to enhance the signage.
     
  • Visit our touring page for more sources.
You can see pictures of Irnham which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • In Irnham Hall was an ivory crucifix, said to be the same one held by Mary, Queen of Scots, at her execution.
     
  • This has been primarily a farming and grazing parish since pre-historic times.
     
  • The Griffin Public House (or Hotel) has been around since the 18th century and serves as a popular spot for local and family historians.
     
  • Tim HEATON has a photograph of the Griffin P. H. on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2006.
     
  • Robert HARVEY has a photograph of what he calls the "Hardly Traditional" interior of the Griffin on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2017.
     
  • Here are the names associated with the Griffin in various Directories:
YearPerson
1842-- not listed --
1856John RUMNEY, vict.
1868Joseph HALL, farmer
1872James HALL, farmer
1882James HALL, farmer
1885Charles TAYLOR, farmer
1900Leonard MANTON, farmer
1913Leonard MANTON, mariner
1919Leonard MANTON, farmer
1930John Geo. ROWELL
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Land & Property

  • In 1841, the Honourable Charles Thomas CLIFFORD was lord of the Manor and principal landowner.
     
  • In 1853, Charles Thomas CLIFFORD sold his manor and the estate at Irnham to William Harvey WOODHOUSE. In 1872, Mr. WOODHOUSE's trustees were lords of the manor and owners of nearly all the soil in the parish.
     
  • In 1900, Mrs. GORDON was lady of the manor and principal landowner.
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Manors

  • Richard CROFT has a photograph of Irnham Hall on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2014.
     
  • rex NEEDLE also has a photograph of Irnham Hall on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2000.
  • Irnham Hall was built in 1510.
     
  • Irnham Hall was the ancient seat of the PAYNELLS and then from about 1200, the LUTRELL family, Lords of Irnham until 1418. The Manor then passed by marriage to the HiILTON family and similarly in 1510 to the THIMBLEBY family, by whom the present Tudor house was built.
     
  • The original Manor House was built by the LUTEREL family (often listed as LUTTRELL) who owned the estate prior to 1419. Irnham was one of the fifteen manors given by William the Conqueror to Ralph PAGANEL, and it passed from his family via an heiress to Sir Andrew LUTEREL, Knight.
     
  • Irnham Hall, built in the Tudor style, was a large and handsome mansion standing near the church and surrounded by 264 acres of woodland park in 1841. The mansion had been built in 1510 by Richard THIMBLEBY. He gained possession of the estate on his marriage to Elizabeth HILTON, the heiress of Godfrey HILTON.
     
  • In 1853 the Hall was sold to Woodhouse and had several owners until bought by the present owners the Benton Jones family in 1901.
     
  • In 1871, Irnham Hall was occupied by H. F. BEAUMONT, member of parliament.
     
  • The manor was partly destroyed by fire in 1887.
     
  • In 1900, Robert Bruce WARD was the occupant.
     
  • In 1919 and 1930, Irnham Hall was occupied by Sir Frederick John JONES, baronet.
     
  • Bulby contains the remains of a moated area and traces of the foundations of a large building which may have been a manor burnt down in the Barons' Wars. Some time after 1841, the Rev. William W. SMYTH erected Bulby House, a large mansion in the Elizabethan style.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF023266 (Lat/Lon: 52.827228, -0.483139), Irnham which are provided by:

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Military History

  • In the parish church the stained glass east window is a memorial to Captain William Harvey WOODHOUSE. So far, his military history is unknown.
     
  • The middle name, above, probably should be "Hervey".
     
  • In January, 1921, a plaque was dedicated in St. Andrew's Church to the men who fell in World War One.
     
  • After WOrld War Two, a second plaque was mounted near the first to commemorate Lionel PEASGOOD.
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Military Records

The names on the plaques are:

  1. Asher, George Frederick, priv., 10th Lincs. Regt., son of James and Fanny ASHER, of Edenham.
  2. Buckberry, Arthur Daniel, priv., 4th Lincs. Regt., son of H. and Emma BUCKBERRY, of Lenton, Grantham.
  3. Cates, John (Not found in CWGC database)
  4. Cocks, Arthur Joseph, priv., 2nd Bedfordshire Regt., son of George and Mary Ann COCKS, of Hawthorpe, Bourne.
  5. Cocks, Charles Herbert, priv., 2/4th Lincs. Regt., son of George and the late Mary Ann COCKS, of Corby Heath.
  6. Cocks, Frederick Thomas, priv., 2/5th South Staff. Regt., born Bulby, son of George and the late Mary Ann COCKS.
  7. Cooper, John Joseph, priv., 11th Sherwood Foresters, son of John Thomas and Elizabeth COOPER.
  8. Crowson, William Arthur, priv., 6th Lincs. Regt., husband of Lucy Ethel CROWSON of Irnham.
  9. Harwood, Alfred, (uncertain, need more info.)
  10. Peasgood, Lionel Thomas, guardsman, Irish Guards, bapt. 25 Apr 1920, Irnham, son of Thomas James and Annie Maria PEASGOOD.

Buried in St. Andrew's churchyard:

  • Cocks, Arthur Joseph
  • Cocks, Charles Herbert
  • Cocks, Frederick Thomas
  • Peasgood, Lionel Thomas
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Names, Geographical

  • The name derives from the Old English Geornaham or "village of a man called Georna," and is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as Gerneham.
    A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.
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Names, Personal

  • White's 1841 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: BATEMAN, BLAND, BOWNES, BOYCE, CLARKE, CLIFFORD, COCKS, COX, GRUMMITT, HARE, HEALEY, HODGKIN, KEY, KING, MITTON, MOORE, ROBERTS, SEARSON, SMITH, STRINGFELLOW and WRIGHT.
     
  • White's 1872 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: BACON, BARNETT, BARROW, BEAUMONT, BEMBRIDGE, BLOODWORTH, COCKS, COLBY, ELLIS, HALL, HANDLEY, HARRIS, HARWOOD, HEATHCOTE, HODGKIN, HOPKINS, JOHNSON, ROBERTS, SEARSON and WRIGHT.
     
  • Kelly's 1900 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: BACON, BRATLEY, BUTLER, CARTER, CHAPMAN, COCKS, COLBY, DYSON, EBLING, FORSTER, HARE, HARRISON, HERD, LYON, MANTON, PELL, ROSLING, SANDALL, TINCKLER, WARD and WEBSTER.
     
  • Kelly's 1913 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: BACON, BRATLEY, COCKS, DALE, DUNN, DYSON, EBLING, FISHER, FORSTER, GADD, GAUNT, HARE, HARRISON, HUBBARD, JONES, LYON, MANTON, MILLER, PELL and SANDALL.
     
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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 Beltisloe Wapentake in the South Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
     
  • For today's district governance, contact the South Kesteven District Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Bourne petty session hearings each Monday.
     
  • In 1712, John THIMBLEBY contributed 4 shillings per week for four poor widows of the Roman Catholic faith. He also contributed the Grade II Almshouses to the parish. Jo TURNER has a photograph of the Almshouses on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2006.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Bourne Poor Law Union.
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Population

YearInhabitants
1801299
1831394
1841426
1871366
1881284
1891316
1901265
1911271
1921276
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Probate Records

The Lincoln Rutland and Stamford Mercury newspaper carried an obituary for William Hervey WOODHOUSE, Esq. on 27 May 1859. He had died on 16 May 1859. His will was probated on 22 Dec 1868. His beneficiary was John George WOODHOUSE.

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Schools

  • In 1841, the Honourable Charles Thomas CLIFFORD supported a school for the education of poor children.
     
  • In 1861, an Endowed School was built to hold sixty children. The school was enlarged in 1900 to hold 76 children and became a Public Elementary School.
     
  • For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.