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Kelstern

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Louth will prove useful in your research.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Binbrook sub-district of the Louth Registration District.
     
  • We have a handful of 1901 census surnames in a text file. Your additions are welcome.
     
  • 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 / 638
1851H.O. 107 / 2112
1861R.G. 9 / 2384
1871R.G. 10 / 3406
1891R.G. 12 / 2609
1901R.G. 13 / 3085
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Church History

  • The Anglican Church is dedicated to Saint Faith.
     
  • The church appears to be from the 14th century.
     
  • The church was restored and partly rebuilt in 1886-87.
     
  • The church is a Grade II listed building with British Heritage.
     
  • Richard CROFT provides a photograph of St. Faith's Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2006.
     
  • Here is a photo of St. Faith's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):

 

image
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates back to 1651.
     
  • The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Louth Eske Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
     
  • Michael CATT tells us that his great grandfather Mathew MERRIKIN was the vicar for St Faith's church circa 1895.
     
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Binbrook sub-district of the Louth 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

Kelstern is a parish at the north end of the River Bain, west-north-west of Louth and south-east of Binbrook parish. The parish is in the Wold Hills. Lambcroft is a hamlet in the parish, about 2 miles northeast of Kelstern village. The parish covers about 2,600 acres.

Kelstern village is a small, quiet place. If you are planning a visit:

  • By car, take the A631 west out of Louth. Kelstern is about one half mile north of this road, about four miles west of Louth.
     
  • John FIRTH has a photograph of Kelstern village on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.
     
  • Visit our touring page for more sources.
     
You can see pictures of Kelstern which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • To the east of the village are several Bronze Age barrows.
     
  • Rod COLLINS has a good history of the parish on his website.
     
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Manors

  • Earnest SHARPLEY, a farmer, was the resident of Kelstern Hall in 1913.
     
  • Richard CROFT provides a photograph of Kelstern Hall on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2006.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF251903 (Lat/Lon: 53.39505, -0.11939), Kelstern which are provided by:

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Military History

  • RFC Kelstern was established in 1917, primarily as an emergency landing strip for fuel-starved aircraft returning from Zeppelin hunts.
     
  • The field was little used in WWI.
     
  • The field closed in March, 1919.
     
  • In July, 1942, construction started at RAF Kelstern. The field was re-opened by the RAF in September, 1943.
     
  • The field closed again in May, 1945.
     
  • The property was sold by the MOD in 1965.
     
  • There is a memorial to 625 Squadron near the old runways. The webpage author does not have any information on the memorial.
     
  • Chris HUFF has a photograph of the RAF Kelstern Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2012.
     
  • Adrian S. PYE has a similar photograph on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2019.
     
  • There is a photograph of one building at RAF Kelstern on the Traces of War website.
     
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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 Wold division of the ancient Louth Eske Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
     
  • For today's district governance, see the East Lindsey Govt. Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • After the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, the parish became part of the Louth Poorlaw Union.
     
  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Louth petty session hearings.
     
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Population

YearInhabitants
1801154
1831200
1841211
1871218
1881235
1891221
1901175
1911188
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Schools

  • A Public Elementary School was built in Kelstern village in 1861. It was enlarged in 1898.
     
  • Children came to school here from Lambcroft hamlet and the village of Calcethorpe.
     
  • For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.