Witham on the Hill

The parish ahd a Reading Room in the old Schoolhouse prior to 1900. That building is now the Village Hall.

The Library at Bourne should prove useful in your research.

St. ANdrew's churchyard was enlarged in 1893.

• The parish was in the Bourne 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:

• The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Andrew.
   
• The church tower fell down in 1738. It was rebuilt that same year. Local legend has it that the tower fell down while the bell-ringers were regaling themselves in a neighboring inn.
   
• The church has had a clock for over 400 years, dating back to before the invention of the pendulum.
   
• The church was restored in 1874.
   
• The church seats 230.
   
• There is a photograph of St. Andrew's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
   
• Here is a photo of St. Andrew's, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
   

• The parish registers exist from 1670.
   
• The parish lies in the Aveland & Ness Deanery. You may wish to purchase some of the Deanery marriage indexes.
   
• The parish once supported a Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
   
• For more on researching these chapel records, see our non-conformist religions page.
   
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.

• The parish was in the Bourne sub-district of the Bourne Registration District.
   
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.

This village and parish, also known as "Witham le Hill", lies 4.25 miles southwest of Bourne and 7 miles north of Stamford. It is bordered on the east by Thurlby parish. The parish covers about 2,150 acres and includes the village of Manthorpe. The East Glen River flows southward through the parish.

The village sits on a rise. If you are planning a visit:

• From the A1 trunk road, take the A6121 north to Witham on the Hill.
   
• Robert HARVEY has a photograph of the village stocks on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2006.
   
• Robert HARVEY also has a photograph of the Hill Top which gives the parish its name on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2020.
   
• Visit our touring page for more sources.

• Geograph
• Flickr

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Witham on the Hill to another place.

• In May of 1775 a fire swept the village, burning down the inn, the vicarage house, a tithe-barn and several other buildings.
   
• Brian GREEN has a photograph of the village stocks on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2006.
   
• The Six Bells Pub. was built in 1905. It is a Grade II listed building with English Heritage. "Bikeboy" has a photograph of The Six Bells pub. on Geo-graph, taken in April, 2015.

• Witham Hall was erected in 1750.
   
• Witham Hall, in 1841, was the seat of Major General William Augustus JOHNSON, lord of the manor.
   
• Witham Hall, in 1881, was the seat of Augustus C. JOHNSON, lord of the manor. However, it was occupied in that year by James G. DEARDEN.
   
• Rex NEEDLE has a photograph of Witham Hall on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014.
   
• Jonathan THACKER has a photograph of Phoenix House on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2019. The Phoenix House dates from the 1700s.
   
• Phoenix House was restored in 1826. The house is a Grade II structure with English Heritage.

• See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF053166 (Lat/Lon: 52.737123, -0.442286), Witham on the Hill which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• The War Memorial stands in front of Saint Andrew's Church. The photo is by R. H. WOOLLEY.
   
• Robert HARVEY also has a photograph of the War Memorial in the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2016.
   
• The War Memorial is now a Grade II item with British Heritage.
   
• Reobert HARVEY has a photograph of the War Memorial Dedication Plaque on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2016.

From the Imperial War Museum website page for Witham-on-the-Hill:

1. Birch, John William, 7th Lincs, Died 29 April 1917, age 28.
2. Carr, Ernest (see below)
3. Fenwick, Anthony Lionel, captain, 6th Bn., Lincs regt., died 16 February 1918, age 24. Son of Walter Lionel and Millicent FENWICK
4. Haddon, John Joseph, lance corp., 35th Bn. Machine Gun Corps, died 25 March 1918, age 22. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. HADDON, of Toft, Bourne, Lincs.
5. Head, Arthur, priv., 1st Lincs, died 16 April 1918, age 28, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles HEAD, of Morton, Bourne, Lincs.
6. Holmes, Harold (in CWGC as Graham HOLMES), priv., 8th Lincs, died 8 Aug 1919, ag 32, son of Rachel HOLMES, of Witham-on-the-Hill, Lincs., and the late James HOLMES.
7. Jordan, James, Not in CWGC, likely 34 years old in 1911 census of Witham on Hill, born Huntingdonshire.
8. Lound, John Richard, Not in CWGC, son of Thomas LOUND Sr. and Fanny LOUND, born Frieston, LINCS.
9. Pell, Herbert, priv., 8th Bn. Lincs Regt. died 26 September 1915, age 28, Son of Matthew and Eliza PELL, of Witham-on-the Hill.
10. Pell, Louis Harold, Not in CWGC, son of David and Elixabeth A. PELL, found in 1891 and 1901 census in Witham on the Hill, Lincs.
11. Weldon, Alfred, priv., 2/4 Bn. LINCS Regt. Died 08 June 1917, son of Louisa WELDON (widow).
12. Wells, Charles Ernest, priv., 8th Bn. North Staffordshire Regt., died 10 April 1918, age 34, husband of Nellie WELLS of 19, Thornhill Rd., Marsh, Huddersfield.
13. Wells, Henry Frank, Not in CWGC, found in 1901 in East Barkwith, Lincs, male, age 24, grocer's assistant, born Gipsey Bridge, Lincs.

Two of the men above were buried in St. Alfred's churchyard:

1. Ernest CARR, priv. 307th MT, Army Service Corps, died 24 July 1915, age 26, son of Robert W. and Jane J. CARR of Witham on the Hill.
2. Graham HOLMES, priv., 8th Lincs, died 8 Aug 1919, age 32, son of Rachel HOLMES, of Witham-on-the-Hill, Lincs., and the late James HOLMES.

• The name comes from the Old English wiht+ham for "homestead in a bend" and appeared in the 1086 Domesday Book as witham.
  ["A Dictionary of English Place-Names," A. D. Mills, Oxford University Press, 1991]
   
• The "official" name of the parish appears to be "Witham on the Hill with Manthorpe".
   
• The parish appears in some old records under the Latin name "Witham Super Montem".

• This place was an ancient parish in Lincolnshire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
   
• Toft and Lound are hamlets in the parish which form a township.
   
• Robert HARVEY has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2016. The Hall is the former School House. Stop in when they are open and ask to see the Schedule of forth-coming events.
   
• The parish was in the ancient Beltisloe Wapentake in the South Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
   
• You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to provide family history searches.
   
• For today's district governance, contact the South Kesteven District Council.

• In 1723, Edward MOULTON left about 6 acres of land in Barrowby parish to provide income for the poor of this parish in the form of coats.
   
• In 1727, William QUARLES left 10 acres of land in Whaplode parish to provide income for the poor of this parish.
   
• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Bourne petty session hearings on Mondays.
   
• The Common lands were enclosed here in 1813.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Bourne Poor Law Union.

There was a steep decline in population between 1851 and 1880

Year	Inhabitants
1801	453
1811	476
1841	573
1851	635
1871	221
1881	195
1891	226
1911	223

• A Church of England school (later "Public Elementary School") was built here in 1847. That school was converted to a reading room and parish meeting room by 1900. That building is now the church hall. The old school was rebuilt in 1896 to hold up to 90 children.
   
• Witham Hall is currently an independent, co-educational preparatory school.
   
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.