SLHA Magazine
LINCOLNSHIRE PAST & PRESENT
Autumn 2007
Henry Stone of Skellingthorpe –
Ruth Tinley
Henry Stone (1631-1693) inherited the Skellingthorpe estate from his father and made numerous bequests, including a substantial one to Christ’s Hospital for the Mathematical School. Another educational bequest led ultimately to the founding of Newark High School (for girls), Lilley and Stone Foundation, which opened in 1910. Skellingthorpe churchyard contains the family tomb and the village still retains several associations with his name.
Compulsory Marriages –
Beryl Jackson
An example of the effect of the 1733 Bastardy Act as described in John Peck’s diaries (1818-1851) and the poetry of George Crabbe (1758-1851). The Peck diaries are held in the Wisbech and Fenland Museum.
An Unusual Vice – a Spiral Staircase in Harmston Church –
R C Wheeler
The tower of Harmston church, built about 1100, contains a spiral staircase which was evidently constructed at a later date. The materials and methods used to create the staircase, whilst unusual, can be understood when carefully examined. One can only speculate on the original purpose of this staircase up to the bell chamber.
Short Items
*Langrick Bridge Centenary: A small but enthusiastic event was held locally in 2007; photographs of bridge, steam roller and traction engine give a flavour of the day.
*The Strangers’ Illustrated Guide through Lincoln, 1856: Extracts and illustrations from the book held at SLHA Jews’ Court library.
*Historical Notes in Spalding: A contemporary account of a severe storm in the Spalding area on 10 November 1810.
*The Grantham Canal: Pieces of Axminster carpet used to create a watertight seal at Willis’s Lock have been discovered.
*Eleanor Nannestad: The Local Studies Group of the Library Association has awarded the prestigious Dorothy McCulla Award to Eleanor for her work in the field.
