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Lincolnshire Towns & Parishes

Nearby Places

Weston (Weston St. Mary)

Archives and Libraries

• Many Weston parish records can be found at the Spalding Library.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Moulton sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican church is dedicated to St. Mary and portions of the building date from Norman times.
  
  
• There is a photograph of St. Mary's Church on the Wendy Parkinson Church Photos web site.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. Mary's Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• Parish registers exist from 1562.
  
  
• St. John's chapel of ease was erected in Weston Hills in 1888. Check St. Mary's register for baptisms, marriages and burials.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the West Elloe Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• The Wesleyan (Free) Methodists had a chapel in the village and another at Weston Hills prior to 1842. The Primitive Methodists had a chapel in Weston Hills by 1881. 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 Moulton sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which started in July, 1837.
  
  

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Description and Travel

Weston (sometimes called Weston St. Mary) is both a village and parish about 100 miles north of London. The parish is a long, narrow affair, running north to south, and incorporates the new hamlet of Weston Hills. The town of Spalding is neighbor to the west and Crowland parish to the south. The River Welland runs along the northeastern boundary. The parish covers about 5,390 acres. The area is flat fenland, drained by many small canals.

Weston village is on the old Holbeach Road (now the A151) between Spalding and Holbeach, about three miles east of Spalding. The hamlet of West Hills, or Weston Hills as it is now known, is to the south. If you are planning a visit:

• The A151 road runs through the village itself.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  

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History

• King John stayed at Weston Hills on his way to Swineshead.
  
  
• An ancient stone cross used to stand in the churchyard, near the road, but only the base and part of the shaft survived into the 19th century.
  
  
• Weston had a railway station on the Bourn and Lynn line.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2924.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #249 map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for resources.
  
  

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Names, Geographical

• The name Weston is from the Old English West+tun, or "West Village". In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Westune.
  ["A Dictionary of English Place-Names," A. D. Mills, Oxford University Press, 1991]
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• For governance, the parish was in the ancient Elloe Wapentake in the South Holland district and parts of Holland in the 19th century.
  
  
• For today's governance, visit the local South Holland District Council site. (JB)
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• John HARROX, in 1560, donated 13 acres of land to generate income to assist the poor. Additional land was purchased, bringing the total to 19 acres, which in 1842 generated £55 for poor parishioners.
  
  
• R. OSBOURNE and S. FARNHAM, in an undated charity, contributed two rent charges per year of about 20s. for poor parishioners.
  
  
• The Reverend Walter M. JOHNSON, in an undated charity, left the dividends from £40 in an annuity for poor parishioners.
  
  
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Spalding Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

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Schools

• A National School was erected in Weston in 1850 and was attended by 70 children in 1872.
  
  
• A National School was erected in Weston Hills in 1873.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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Societies

Try the nearby Spalding Family and Local History Group (JB):

• South Holland Family & Local History Group
• Mr G.A. Lewis
• 'Taeping'
• 54 Wygate Road
• Spalding, Lincs, PE11

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Note: Sections marked (JB) were contributed by John R. G. Bland of Lincolnshire.

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