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Swaby

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Archives & Libraries

The Community Library at Alford has a local history archive that will prove useful in your research.

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Cemeteries

The photograph by Ron COLE in the Church History section shows a portion of the church burial yard.

John FIRTH also has a photograph of St. Nicholas' Churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in uly, 2010.

Richard CROFT also has a photograph of St. Nicholas' burial field on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2007.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Withern sub-district of the Louth Registration District.
     
  • Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
     
Census
Year
Piece No.
1851H.O. 107 / 2111
1861R.G. 9 / 2379
1871R.G. 10 / 3398
1891R.G. 12 / 2606
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
     
  • The church fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in 1827-28 as a small brick building. This was the third church built on this site.
     
  • The earlier church was dedicated to Saint Margaret and was destroyed around 1658.
     
  • The church seats 100 people.
     
  • St. Nicholas Church is a Grade II listed building with English Heritage.
     
  • There is a photograph of St. Nicholas Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
     
  • J. HANNAN-BRIGGS has a photograph of St. Nicholas Church on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.
     
  • Here is a photo of St. Nicholas Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
image
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1660.
     
  • We have the beginning of a Parish Register Extract in a text file for your use. Your additions would be welcome.
     
  • The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage indexes for the Calcewaith and Candleshoe Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • The burial index for Swaby at Calcewaith and Candleshoe Deanery covers only 1813-1900.
     
  • A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built here, in Whitepit, prior to 1871, as was a Free Methodist chapel. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see 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 Withern 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

Swaby is both a village and a parish which lie about 6 miles north-west of Alford and 8 miles north of Spilsby. Burwell parish is just to the north-west and Belleau parish to the east. The parish covers just under 1,600 acres of land and includes the hamlet of Whitepit.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, take the Louth/Spilsby Road (now the A16 trunk road). Swaby is about 8 miles north of Spilsby.
     
  • See our touring page for visitor services.
     
You can see pictures of Swaby which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Historical Geography

Andrew WHALE has a photograph of a Chalk Outcrop just east of the village on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2010.

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History

  • The village is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book.
     
  • In 1934 a pot with 178 silver denarii was found in the field called "The Bog".
     
  • The village Hall sits on the site of the old Methodist chapel.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF387775 (Lat/Lon: 53.276762, 0.077934), Swaby which are provided by:

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Military History

J. THOMAS has a photograph of the churchyard War Memorial on geo-graph, taken in June, 2020.

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Military Records

From John Readman: "This Roll of Honour is displayed in the parish church of St. Nicholas, on a card, inside a wooden frame. The names are written in coloured inks."

"THE MEN OF SWABY WHO SERVED THEIR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR 1914 - 1918 AND WERE SPARED TO RETURN"

  • H. PRESTON ADDEY
  • LEWIS BELL
  • ALBERT BARTON
  • WRIGHT BONTOFT
  • HERBERT T. O. BRUMPTON
  • JOHN CAMPLING
  • ERNEST CAMPLIN
  • GEORGE Wm. CARTWRIGHT
  • THOMAS DIXON
  • THOMAS ELVIN
  • JOHN GOSLING
  • HARRY GRANT
  • GEORGE Wm. GRANT
  • CHRISTOPHER JACKSON
  • WILLIAM MARTIN
  • ERNEST ODLIN
  • ALBERT PARRISH
  • ROBERT PARSONS
  • FRED ROBINSON
  • EDWARD S. RUTLAND
  • GORDON E. RUTLAND
  • ALBERT REEVE
  • FRED STEPHENSON
  • DRUMMOND WILLOUGHBY
  • HAROLD WILLOUGHBY
  • HERBERT WRIGHT
  • HOWEN WRIGHT
  • EDWARD WHITE
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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 Marsh division of the ancient Calceworth Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
     
  • In March, 1888, the Hall Wood parcel was transfered to Belleau Civil Parish.
     
  • You may contact the joint Swaby, Haugh and South Thoresby Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, bu they are NOT funded to help you with family history searches.
     
  • Kelly's 1913 Directory of Lincolnshire places the parish, perhaps in error, in the South Lindsey district of the county.
     
  • For today's district governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
     
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Alford petty session hearings on alternate Tuesdays.
     
  • The Common Lands were enclosed here in 1791.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the parish became part of the Louth Poor Law Union.
     
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Population

YearInhabitants
1801197
1811200
1831398
1841391
1871467
1881414
1891364
1901305
1911274
1921255
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Schools

  • The parish had a National School built here in 1857 for 120 children. This school closed in 1976.
     
  • For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.