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Wigtoft

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Archives & Libraries

The Library at Boston will prove useful in your research.

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Cemeteries

J. THOMAS has a photograph of the Wigtoft Churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in August, 2020.

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Census

  • The parish was in the Swineshead sub-district of the Boston Registration District.
     
  • Kathryn Lake Hogan provides this partial surname list from the 1871 census: HUMPHREY, HUBBERT, LAKE, ALLWELL or ALEWELL, WALKER, MILLER, LISTER, BAKER.
     
  • We have a small snapshot from the 1891 Census in a text file for your review.
     
  • Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
     
  • The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year
Piece No.
1861R.G. 9 / 2339
1871R.G. 10 / 3346
1891R.G. 12 / 2576
1901R.G. 13 / 3041
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Church History

  • The Anglican parish church was dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
     
  • The church structure is of various dates. The lower part of the tower is Norman.
     
  • The church was restored in 1854 and again in 1891-92.
     
  • The church seats 250.
     
  • A photograph of Sts. Peter and Paul Church is at the Wendy PARKINSON English Church Photographs site.
     
  • J. HANNAN-BRIGGS has a photograph of Sts. Peter & Paul church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2012.
     
  • Here is a photo of Saint Peter and St. Paul Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
     
image
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Church Records

  • The Anglican parish register dates from 1618.
     
  • The LFHS has published several indexes for the Holland West Deanery to make your search easier.
     
  • The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in 1839. The Wesleyan Methodists had one in 1862.
     
  • 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 Swineshead sub-district of the Boston 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

This village and parish lies 7 miles south of Boston, 11 miles north of Spalding and just west of Sutterton parish. The parish covers about 3,300 acres and includes the hamlets of Burtoft and Hoffleet Stow.

If you are planning a visit:

  • By automobile, the A17 trunk road between Sleaford and Holbeach runs right thru the village.
     
  • Visit "The Conifers" on Golden Grove in Wigtoft, PE20 2PU and enjoy their trees.
     
  • Check our Touring page for additional resources.
You can see pictures of Wigtoft which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

Richard CROFT has a photograph of The Golden Fleece Pub. on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008. The Inn was sold in 2015, but I do not know if it has re-opened.

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Manors

  • Easthorpe Court was the mansion and manor house of the HOWSON family. The house has since been torn down.
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Maps

  • See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF263362 (Lat/Lon: 52.90854, -0.123339), Wigtoft which are provided by:

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Military History

The parish church has a stained-glass window and an alabaster tabled which were dedicated in December, 1920, to the 19 men who died in World War I.

The church also contains a parchment book with the names, records and, in most cases, photographs of everyone from the parish who served in World War I.

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Military Records

Michael Peck advises: "I recently stumbled across 2 unusual Rolls of Honour (one for WW1 and another for WW2) at Wigtoft (St Peter and St Paul Church). They are unusual in that they have a short record of the service of the men (and 2 women) involved and, most importantly, most have a photo attached. Unfortunately the books are beginning to show the effects of damp and the photos are of variable quality."

WW1 Died:WW1 Served Abroad:WW1 Served Home:WW2 Died:WW2 Served:
John Curtis ChesmanJoseph Wm. AsplandCharles Herbert BuggJames Henry BradshawRoland Carrott
Herbert Cyril CumminsFredk. Wm. BaxterPercy Barton (no photo)Albert Henry FirthFredk Wm. Elkington
Ernest DawsonPercy Collyer BaxterStanley ChambersDavid Harris GoughJohn Charles Firth
Joseph GoldsmithFred BannisterArthur CopePeter Murray RogersonNorwood Firth
Albert George GrocockErnest BeechamHarry DrinkallRalph Edward SummerfieldReginald Firth
Albert GroobyJessie BosnellJohn Franks Helen Elizabeth Leggott
(nee Haseler)
John William HarrisonHarold Hurrell BowserOzhare Johnson Geo. Kenneth Louth (no photo)
George HiltonHorace Arthur BradburyGeo. Edward Moses Arthur Edward Massam
Fred HollingsworthArthur Leslie BuggWalter Murley Charles Wm. Massam
Arthur Ernest HuftonRobert Geo. BuggHerbert Robert Padley Norman Padley
Norwood LeversThos Edward BuggGeo. Alec Sanderson Ronald Padley
Richard MosesSidney ChambersFred Robinson Taylor John Alfred Patchett
Ernest Albert MouldsRobert Henry CollinsHorace Herbert Taylor Robert Rae Rogerson
John Wm. MouldsJohn CopeArthur Twigg Wm. Sanderson
Frank RodgersJoseph Cecil CopelandJoseph Whaley (no photo) Bertha Mary Smith
(nee Prestige - no photo)
Albert ScarboroFrank Sidney Lake Crawford  Albert Thompson
Thos ScarboroHarold Creasey  Frank Thompson (no photo)
 Frank Sydney Diggins  Herbert Thompson
 Arthur Diggle  Walter Thompson
 Arthur Elkington  Leslie White
 John Wm. Elkington   
 Walter Elkington   
 Charles James Wm. Firth   
 Frank Crane Fovargue   
 Fred Goldsmith (no photo)   
 James Goldsmith   
 Robert Goldsmith   
 Cyril Norman Graves   
 Leonard Arthur Graves   
 Arthur Grooby   
 Herbert Grooby   
 George Hall   
 Geo. Edward Harrison   
 Geo. Wilfred Hicks   
 Charles Hutton   
 John Wm. Hollingsworth   
 Wallis Bourne Jackson   
 Albert Wm. Kennerley (no photo)   
 Fredk. Geo. Massam   
 John Richard Moses   
 Walter Moses   
 Frank Leonard Neve   
 Harry Porter   
 Arthur Raynor   
 Albert Richardson   
 Arthur Richardson   
 Fred Richardson (no photo)   
 Herbert Richardson   
 Jesse Richardson   
 John Geo. Richardson   
 Ernest Rodgers   
 John Thos. Rylott   
 Wm. Sanderson   
 Geo. Scarboro   
 Wm. Robert Oliff Sharpe   
 Harry Tasker   
 Harry Dawson Taylor   
 Reuben Herbert Taylor   
 Wm. Thompson   
 Geo. Herbert Tunnard   
 Francis Wilson   
 John Edward Young   
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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 (in Holland) Wapentake in the Boston Borough and parts of Holland.
     
  • You may contact the local Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they will NOT do family history research for you.
     
  • For today's district governance, visit the local Boston Borough Council.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • Bastardy cases would be heard in the Kirton and Skirbeck petty session hearings.
     
  • The Common Lands were enclosed here in 1773.
     
  • Land was set aside for the poor. It generated £24 a year in 1848.
     
  • After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, this parish became part of the Boston Poor Law Union.
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Population

YearInhabitants
1801536
1811555
1821637
1831697
1841713
1851741
1871699
1881675
1891653
1901693
1911723
1971445
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Schools

  • A Free School was established here in 1714 by William BLISBURY and rebuilt in 1830.
     
  • See our Schools page for more information on researching school records.