Brigg

The County Library at Brigg is normally open six days per week and has computers and a Local History Section.

Brigg Community Hub
The Angel
Market Place
Brigg
North Lincolnshire
DN20 8LD

• The cemetery is on the Wrawby road, a short distance from the town. The cemetery was not opened until August, 1857. It was enlarged in 1909 to about five acres.
   
• Julian P. GUFFORR has a photograph of the Cemetery Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2011.

• The parish was in the Brigg sub-district of the Glanford Brigg Registration District.
   
• A portion of the parish was in the Caistor sub-district of the Caistor Registration District.
   
• Many early census returns will be listed under Wrawby.
   
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
   
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:

• In 1699, a small chapel of ease was built here.
   
• The Anglican parish church is in the centre of town, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. It was rebuilt in 1842-3 on the site of the earlier church (above). Some of the outside stone work was restored in 1893.
   
• The church seats 450 people.
   
• The parish was constituted as an ecclessiastical parish on 13 August 1872, from parts of Bigby, Broughton, Scawby and Wrawby parishes.
   
• There is a photograph of St. John's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
   
• David WRIGHT has a photograph of St. John's Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2006.
   
• Here are two photos of St. John's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):

• For records prior to 1850, many, many of the records in the Wrawby register were in fact for people living in Brigg. Wrawby was a small rural place with no great population, but Brigg at this time was a hugely thriving inland port, absolutely next door to Wrawby, with thousands of ships a year. Many of the Wrawby records are of watermen who travelled the inland water circuits of the county. [Rex JOHNSON]
   
• The Anglican parish church register of baptisms and marriages dates from 1843 and burials from 1857. See Wrawby parish for earlier entries.
   
• We have a handful of entries in our parish register extract. Your additions to this are welcome.
   
• The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has baptisms for 1843 - 1916 on microfilm #1450442.
   
• The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage indexes and a burial index for the Yarborough Deanery to make your search easier.
   
• There was a Catholic Church on Bigby Street, dedicated to St. Mary, built in 1815 and seating about 120.
   
• The Congregationists had a chapel on Wrawby Street, founded in 1718. There was also a chapel for Wesleyans, one for Primitive Methodists and another for United methodists. For more information on records available for these chapels, please see our Nonconformist Chapels page.
   
• David WRIGHT has a photograph of the recently built Methodist Church on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2006.
   
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.

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

Brigg (Glanford Brigg) is a large village, market town and a parish 163 miles north of London, also 16 miles southwest of Hull and 24 miles north of Lincoln. Wrawby parish lies to the north and Broughton parish to the west. The area is flat, drained by many small canals. The parish covers only 462 acres.

The village lies on the east bank of the New River Ancholme, which flows north toward the River Humber. A small part of the town lies on the west side of the river, but this section is within the parishes of Broughton and Scawby. If you are planning a visit:

• The M180 motorway and the A18 trunk roads pass through the parish. The A18 actually passes through the heart of the village, where the A1084 trunk road begins its winding way south and east out of town as it heads to Caistor.
   
• See our touring page for visitor services.

• Geograph
• Flickr

• See the version supplied by William WALLWORTH: Kelly's 1828 Directory.

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Brigg to another place.

Thomas BALL, member of the Parliament of New Zealand from 1866 to 1870, was born in Brigg in 1809. The son of a bookseller, BALL practised as a pharmacist in the town until 1859, when he led a party of 137 local people to settle in New Zealand.

• For centuries, Brigg was a small fishing hamlet. Its location caused it to be a commercial trade hub and it grew quickly in the 19th century.
   
• The area of present-day Brigg has been used for thousands of years as both a crossing point of the River Ancholme and for access to the river itself. Prehistoric boats of sewn–built and dugout construction have been found in the town, both dating to around 900 BC. A causeway or jetty also stood on the riverside during the late Bronze Age, although its exact use is uncertain.
   
• In the reign of King John, Adam PAYNEL founded a Hospital here, subordinate to Selby Abbey. All traces of the Hospital have disappeared.
   
• There used to be a weekly Market Day on Thursdays in the village.
   
• The parish held a stock fair on August 5th of each year.
   
• A servant hiring fair was held each year on the Friday before old May-day.
   
• In 1752 the Scottish physiologist Malcolm FLEMYNGE M.D. settled in Brigg. He died in Lincoln in March 1764.
   
• The town was substantially improved and rebuilt in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
   
• The Great Central railway had a station here in the mid-19th century.
   
• Around 1840, there were a number of packet vessels and trading vessels travelling daily or once or twice a week to Hull, Leeds, Wakefield, etc.
   
• The Corn Exchange was erected here in 1850.
   
• The Brigg Gas Works was erected in 1886. It replaced the original works built in 1836 and renovated in 1849.
   
• The Brigg Water Works was established in 1852, taking as its source St. Helen's spring in Wrawby parish.
   
• A rare book on local history is, "A history of 19th Century Brigg," by Frank HENTHORN; former history master of Brigg Grammar School.
   
• Gervase Henry CARY-ELWES, concert and oratorio singer, had a family home at Brigg Manor in Bigby Street, where he would sometimes reside. The North Lincolnshire Music and Drama Festival was founded by Elwes and his wife Winifrede in 1900.
   
• David WRIGHT has a photograph of The White Horse Inn on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2005.

• See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SE999072 (Lat/Lon: 53.551801, -0.493577), Brigg 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.

• In 1912, Company G of the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment was stationed here. Captain H. L. ROBINSON, commanding; Color-Sergt. John ATTON, drill instructer.
   
• During World War II, some Prisoners of War were held at Pingley (?) Farm in POW Camp 81.
   
• David WRIGHT has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2005.
   
• Paul HARROP also has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in October, 2009.
   

Michael PECK provides us with: "Brigg (St John) Roll of Honour has now been recorded. Names, ranks and arms of service mentioned are:"

Brigg branch of the British Legion. Lest we forget.

Page 2 - In memory of those our comrades who fell in the Great War 1914 - 1918

Page 3 - They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

Page 4 - Navy

1. Barnes W. AB RNR HMS Hawke
2. Batchelor Frank Gunner RMA HMS Hogue, on of Joseph and Mary Batchelor
3. Bridgewater W. Steward HMR(?) FA Thrush
4. Clark CF. Stoker HMS Diadem
5. Denton AJ. Warrant Officer RN
6. Draper F. AB RN
7. Rushbrook W. Private RND
8. Harrison T. Petty Officer SS Horne

Page 5 - Army

1. Huskinson FJ. Captain Inniskillings
2. Sowter GHJ Captain 5th Lincs
3. Bean KF Lieut Royal Scots
4. Hartley WP. Lieut 5th Lincs
5. Hett RT. Lieut ASC 2nd Lincs
6. Hubble HL. Second Lieut 4th Lincs
7. Margetts PA. Second Lieut 6th Lincs
8. Nainby W. Second Lieut 2nd Lincs

Page 6

1. Page MS. Second Lieut 2-4th Lincs
2. Sowter FJ(?) Second Lieut 4th Buffs
3. Temple W. Second Lieut London RC(?)
4. Westoby RH. Second Lieut 3rd Lincs
5. Darcy G. Sergt Major 9th Kings
6. Young T. Staff Sergt MT-ASC
7. Draper A. Sergt 5th Lincs
8. Hyke E. Sergt 5th Lincs
9. Tweed A. Sergt 5th Lincs
10. Farrow HS. Corporal RF East Surrey

Page 7

1. Brown A. Private 1-5th Lincs
2. Burman J. Private West Yorks
3. Cade JW. Private Lincs
4. Clark J. Private 10th Lincs
5. Cleary M. Sapper RE
6. Coney H. Private Lincs
7. Daubney E. Private 2-5th Manchesters
8. Dann CS. Private 1st Essex
9. Devine T. Private Grenadier Guards
10. Drayton F. Private RFA

Page 8

1. Dunderdale JT. Private 6th Lincs
2. Edlington FJ. Trooper 1st Lincs Yeomanry
3. Elliott J. Private 5th Lincs
4. Ellis W. Driver ASC
5. Forth G. Private East Yorks
6. Fosket J. Private 1-5th Lincs
7. Goates S. Private London Scottish
8. Hayman G. Private Lincs
9. Heath MT. Private Lincs

Page 9

1. Holmes H. Private West Yorks
2. Holmes W. Private Lincs
3. Johnson H. Private 12th East Yorks
4. Kenning WH. Private RAMC
5. Leaning JW. Private 1-5th Lincs
6. Leaning F. Private West Yorks
7. Maltby FA. Gunner 21st Div RFA
8. Neal J. Private Kings Royal Rifles
9. Newbury C. Private Lincs
10. North F. Private 2nd Durham LI

Page 10

1. Parkin R. Private Lincs
2. Rayner H. Private 6th Lincs
3. Roberts AM. Private KOYLI
4. Roberts GF. Private 1-5th Lincs
5. Roberts WJ. Private East Yorks
6. Robinson GW. Private 1-5th Lincs
7. Robinson WL. Private 9th Lincs
8. Rose T. Private 1-5th Lincs
9. Simpson A. Private Lincs

Page 11

1. Jackson GH. Corporal 12th Royal Sussex
2. Wray J. Corporal 5th Lincs
3. Brown GH. Lance Corporal RAMC
4. Henderson DA. Lance Corporal 52nd West Yorks
5. Cross G. Lance Corporal KRR
6. Leeson JW. Lance Corporal 2nd Lincs
7. Long WHC. Lance Corporal 1st Lincs
8. Rogers A. Lance Corporal 12th Middlesex
9. Sipling F. Lance Corporal Lincs
10. Walker J. Lance Corporal Lincs

Page 12

1. Eggleston J. Bombadier RFA
2. Ainger H. Private London Scottish
3. Alcock HD. Private 5th Lincs
4. Altoft E. Private East Yorks
5. Bains WH. Private Sherwood Foresters
6. Bird A. Private 1st Lincs
7. Bannister AW. Private ASC
8. Bell G. Private 1st Lincs
9. Binns JW. Private Devons
10. Boston JE. Private 6th Lincs

Page 13

1. Sipling F. Gunner RGA
2. Smith H. Private 5th Lincs
3. Spight L. Private 1st Lincs
4. Standerline JW. Private 1st Lincs
5. Stephenson A. Private Lincs
6. Streets R. Private 1st Leicesters
7. Streets W. Private Royal Marines
8. Symonds PB. Driver 2nd Batt OTAGO
9. Taylor TE. Private 2nd Borders
10. Temple H. Private 10th Lincs

Page 14

1. Tingay HS. Signaller 1-8th West Yorks
2. Turtle A. Gunner RGA
3. Usher GB. Sapper RE
4. Whitelam E. Private Lincs
5. West H. Lance Sergt 5th Lincs

Royal Air Force

1. Bean WS. Lieut RE. RFC
2. Harrison BPB. Lieut RFC

Page 15 - The following also gave their lives in the Second World war 1939 - 1945

Page 16

1. Algar SA. Gunner
2. Altoft J. Private
3. Barke R. Corporal
4. Barton WK. Sergt
5. Barratt GE. Private
6. Blanchard JWA. Private
7. Beel CE. Sapper
8. Booth LG. Driver
9. Brown GE. Private
10. Boston J. Private

Page 17

1. Carnaby S. Gunner
2. Drayton JW. Gunner
3. Dalton GA. Sergt
4. Dodds JD. Flight Sergt
5. Durham LG. Gunner
6. Ellerby H. Sergt
7. Fisher JW. Private
8. Goates JP. LAC
9. Green H. Private
10. Heath AE. Private

Page 18

1. King FPC. Flight Sergt
2. King AL.(MC) Lieut
3. Lang J. Lance Corpl
4. Longbottam GP. Sergt Pilot
5. Neall HK. Private
6. Neall F. AB
7. Newbury LW. Sapper
8. Odlin ED. Sapper
9. Parkin F. Sergt
10. Parker S. AB

• Brigg is the parish's name'. Glanford Brigg is an adminstrative area that lasted from 1894 to 1974. The name of the town became Glanford Bridge. The town is shown as >Glamford Briggs on the Ordnance Survey map of 1 March 1824. The town's formal charter for a weekly market and yearly fair date from a royal grant to Hugh Nevil in 1205.
   
• The name of a place spelt "Glawemfordbrigge" in Lincolnshire, appears in 1418.
   
• Glanford Brigg may derive from a corruption of Clampford, from the clamps or planks of timber, laid down in ancient times across the ford and its swampy approaches. A stone bridge was later built to cross the river. It was after the stone bridge was built that the town was called Brigg.
   
• The name is often rendered as Glamford Briggs, Glanford Brigg, Glandford Brigg or even Glanford Bridge.
   
• Mike EDWARDS reports the name as 1787, Glamford Briggs, 1807. Glanford Bridge, 1845, Glandford Bridge, 1866, Glamford Briggs, 1895, Brigg, and 1904, Brigg.

• Baileys British Directory for 1784 lists the following surnames in Brigg: BENTLEY, CLIFFE, FOSTER, HILDYARD, HOLDGATE, HOLLINGWORTH, LEADBEATER, NICHOLSON, TOFT and WOODWARD. [Mark in Barcelona]

• The "Lincolnshire Star" on Bigby Street was published here from 1906 until 1927, weekly, on Fridays.
   
• For more on newspapers, see our Newspapers webpage.

• The old town hall—now known as the Buttercross—was built in 1817.
   
• In 1864, Brigg was recognized as a separate urban district by local authorities.
   
• The town also has a civil parish governed by Brigg Town Council.
   
• The parish was in the ancient Yarborough Wapentake in the Glanford district in the parts of Lindsey.
   
• The Urban District of Glanford Brigg covers a larger area than the parish. Parts of several neighboring parishes are included.
   
• The parish has district governance provided by the North Lincolnshire District Council.

• In the 1190s, the lord of the manor of Broughton, Adam PAYNEL, founded a hospital for the poor within the town.
   
• About 1664, William THOROLD left a yearly rent-charge of 40 shillings for the apprenticing of a poor boy.
   
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, this parish became part of the Glanford Brigg Poor Law Union.
   
• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Brigg petty session hearings.

Population figures may include parts of Brigg urban district in other parishes. In 1841, for example, the town's population was given as 2,300. And in 1872, as over 3,165.

Year	Inhabitants
1801	1,327
1811	1,361
1821	1,674
1831	1,780
1841	1,816
1851	2,201
1861	1,704
1871	1,692
1881	1,651
1891	3,100
1911	3,343
2001	5,076

• A Free School was founded here by Sir John NELTHORPE, baronet, in 1669. This became the Brigg Grammar School which was built in 1674 and enlarged in 1878 on what was latter called Grammer School road. The buildings were enlarged again in 1912.
   
• The Brigg Grammar School was still in operation in the 1940's.
   
• Brigg National School was built on Albert Street in 1855 with room for about 200 boys.
   
• Another Brigg National School was built on Bigby Road in 1855 with room for about 183 girls. It has been reported that this school closed around 1930.
   
• An Infants School was established on Coney Court in 1848 with room for about 180 children. The building was originally an old warehouse and was converted for use as a school. It was part of the National School system when opened.
   
• A Catholic School was built on Bigby Street (year unknown, but prior to 1900) and held about 80 students.
   
• Brigg has the Briggensians Association with a list of students since 1879.
   
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.