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Gosberton

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Archives & Libraries

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Bibliography

  • A local history of Gosberton, "A Brief History of the Church and Parish of Gosberton in the County of Lincoln," by Walter Jenkinson KAYE, Jun., FSA, was published in Spalding. It can be found on FHL film 0452545. He has also produced a film version with the same title.
     
  • There is also the book "The Gosberton Area - a glimpse into the past," by Pam PALING, published in Spalding in 1992. The ISBN is 0 9520276 0 7. Cost is about £5. One source is Mike at: Bookmark, 29 The Crescent, Spalding, Lincs, PE11 1AF, UK. Tele: 01775 769231.
     
  • Gosberton is also mentioned in "Aspects of Spalding Villages," by Michael J. ELSDEN, cost is approx. £19.95.
     
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Cemeteries

  • The records of burials in the Church graveyard are held by the Church, and as it is a "closed burial ground", the records are housed at Lincolnshire Archives.
     
  • In 1888 a new cemetery of 2 acres was opened in the parish with a single mortuary chapel.
     
  • There is a cemetery a short distance from Gosberton Church and the records of this are held by the Gosberton Parish Council.
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Census

  • Gosberton was in the Gosberton sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
     
  • Hart's Grounds, an extra-parochial part of Gosberton, was in the Swineshead sub-district of the Boston Registration District.
     
  • We have the complete 1891 Census for Gosberton and Surfleet (some Enum. Districts overlap).
     
  • Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
     
  • Here is a table of census years and Piece Numbers, where known.
Census
Year
Piece Numbers
1841 H.O. 107 / 607 & 608
1851 H.O. 107 / 2096
1861 R.G. 9 / 2322
1871 R.G. 10 / 3346
1881 R.G. 11/3202
1891 R.G. 12/2561
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.
     
  • In 1882 choir seats were added.
     
  • In 1896 the church tower and spire were strengthened and a new weathercodk affixed to the roof.
     
  • In 1896-97, the curch was extensively repaired, the chancel was rebuilt and extended eastward.
     
  • There is a photograph of St. Peter and St. Paul's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
     
  • Here is a photo of the church, from a distance, taken by (and copyright of) Gordon WALTON.
     
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  • And this is a photo of the front of the church, taken by (and copyright of) Gordon WALTON.
     
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  • This photo shows the church sign, and was also taken by (and copyright of) Gordon WALTON.
     
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  • Here is another photo of the church, taken by (and copyright of) Chris BRAND.
     
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  • Here is a photo of Saints Peter and Paul Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
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  • Gosberton Clough and Risegate were formed into an ecclesiastical parish in December, 1912, and covered parts of the civil parishes of Gosberton, Surfleet, Quadring and Sempringham.
     
  • The Anglican parish church in Gosberton Clough was dedicated to Saint Gilbert and Saint Hugh.
     
  • The church was built in 1904.
     
  • Here is a photo of Saint Gilbert and Saint Hugh Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
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Church Records

  • The parish registers exist from 1656.
     
  • Check our Parish Register Extracts for Gosberton. Remember, it is not a transcription, so always check the source.
     
  • The LFHS has published several indexes for the West Elloe Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • The Baptists, Wesleyan Methodists and Free Methodists had chapels in Gosberton and there were Wesleyan Methodist and Primitive Methodist chapels at Risegate.
     
  • For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
     
  • The Baptist chapel was founded in 1656 and seated 212 members.
     
  • David HITCHBORNE has a photograph of the Methodist Chapel on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2004.
     
  • Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
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Civil Registration

  • The parish was in the Gosberton sub-district of the Spalding 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

Gosberton is both a village and parish which lies about 110 miles north of London. It is also six miles northwest of Spalding and lies southwest of Boston. The parish includes the hamlets of Cheal, Belnie, Rigbolt (Rightbolt), Westhorpe and part of Risegate and is bounded on the north by Quadring parish and on the southeast by Surfleet parish. The parish covers 7,729 acres of flat fenland, drained by many small canals.

The village lies just north of the Risegate Eau drain. For researchers who wish to visit:

  • By automobile, the A152 trunk road passes through the village.
     
  • Are we there yet? Alex McGREGOR has a photograph of the Village Sign on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2013.
     
  • The Fox Peterborough site tells about coach service available from most major cities.
     
  • Check our Touring page for additional resources.
You can see pictures of Gosberton which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • Gosberton was a brickmaking center for many centuries and clay pits still dot the area. One is now part of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.
     
  • The village used to hold an annual pleasure fair each July.
     
  • A local Gas Works was erected in the village in 1872.
     
  • There was a strong Temperance Society in Gosberton. The following notice appeared in the Lincolnshire Free Press in 1877 regarding the Public Hall (later a "Hotel") in Gosberton:
     
"We understand on good authority that the terms of the deed whereby Earl Brownlow granted a piece of land for the erection of this building having been violated at a recent Volunteer Corps dinner by the sale of intoxicating liquors in it, the good Templars took the matter up and have informed the magistrates of the deed and that for the future the magistrates have informed them that no such licence was granted.

We hope the authorities over the building did not know that application for the licence was made, though it is difficult to understand in so small a place that common gossip did not reach their ears.

We hear that other parties propose to violate another part of the conditions by having a bar there, which is contrary to the deed whereby the Earl made the grant.

We are open to contradiction and hope we are wrong but the thin end of the wedge has been allowed to be put in.

We ask.... Who is to blame?"
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Manors

  • In 1830, the Gosberton Hall was the site of a school of considerable repute, run by Charles F. BOYER.
     
  • Gosberton Hall was demolished some time before 1992.
     
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF238317 (Lat/Lon: 52.868546, -0.162272), Gosberton which are provided by:

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Military History

  • The Royal Flying Corps opened a relief airfield here in World War I in December, 1916.
     
  • The field was bombed by Zeppelins in September 1917.
     
  • The relief landing field was closed and returned to agricultural use in 1919.
     
  • J. THOMAS has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2013.
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Military Records

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Names, Geographical

  • The name Gosberton is from the Old German and Old English Gosbert+tun, or "Village of Gosbert". In older times it had been Gosbert+cirice, or "Gosbert's church", which is why, in the 1086 Domesday book, the village is given as Gosebertechirche.
    [A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991]
     
  • The present form of the name was first used in 1510.
     
  • The name is spoken by locals as "Gos-bur-tun".
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Names, Personal

Famous people of Gosberton include:

  • Peter of Gosberton church, a pledge to Walter, Hugh's son in AD 1202.
     
  • Captain Richard George CALTHROP, a Land Tax Commissioner in 1866 and a local farmer.
     
  • In 1851, Ellen DRAPER and her parents emigrated from Gosberton to Linwood in South Australia where in 1888 she was the postmistress. She married Samuel James Keynes there in 1873.
     
  • Sir Thomas Boor CROSBY, 1830 - 1916, well-respected Doctor, knighted in 1906, Lord Mayor of London in 1911. He was responsible for setting up the Titanic Trust which raised funds for the survivors and relatives.
     
  • Mr Charles F. BOYER, 1831 - 1894, the founder of Gosberton Hall School, a well-known scholastic establishment in the district. Mr. BOYER was a leading Wesleyan in the district.

Other surnames in the parish records include HUDSON, HUNTON(S), BARRON, and EVERITT/EVERETT/EVERIT.

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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 ancient Kirton Wapentake in the South Holland district in the parts of Holland.
     
  • You may contact the Gosberton Parish Council regarding civic or political issues. They are NOT staffed to assist you with family history questions.
     
  • Richrd HUMPHREY has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2014. Stop in when they are open and ask to see the schedule of forth-coming events.
     
  • For today's district governance, visit the South Holland District Council site.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Kirton and Skirbeck petty session hearings.
     
  • As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, the parish became part of the Spalding Poor Law Union.
     
  • The parish had almshouses for 8 widows.
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Population

YearInhabitants
18011,189
18211,618
18311,951
18512,091
18712,167
18812,104
18911,825
19011,825
19111,973
19212,022
19912,678
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Schools

  • A large National School was built here in 1856 with room for 200 children.
     
  • The Clough and Risegate School was built here in 1878 with room for 200 children.
     
  • Robert HARVEY has a photograph of the Primary school on Geo-graph, taken in November, 2017.
     
  • J. THOMAS also has a photograph of the same school on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2013.
     
  • See our Schools page for more information on researching school records.
     
  • Gosberton is perhaps better known in recent times for having a school for students with moderate learning difficulties: Gosberton House School on Westhorpe Road. The Gosberton Community Primary School on High Street continues to be the school used by most children in the community.