Far Welter'd, the East Lincolnshire Dialect Society, gave lively "hentertayunmunt" to SLHA members at their Christmas party in Lincoln on 2 December.

An excellent buffet meal was followed by a recital of dialect poems and readings, interspersed with amusing Lincolnshire stories, presented by Alan Mumby and colleagues.

One of three short talks given before a packed audience at Jews' Court on Sunday 22 November was presented by Antony Lee about two recent acquisitions at The Collection. The first was a model of a bull in white marble, badly damaged, about 15 inches long, which was unearthed in a Lincoln garden in the north of the city.

This rare item dates from the Roman period (1st or 2nd century) and can be related to other images of bulls found in a range of artefacts across the Roman world. With the aid of modern computer technology a plastic replica of the original complete bull has been created and forms part of the display in The Collection.

The second item is a crudely carved piece of limestone, found in 1995 at Braceby, depicting a phallus, the symbol commonly used by the Romans to convey good luck. Part of the carving shows what might be the "evil eye", representing evil in the Roman World.

Antony Lee is Archaeology Curator at The Collection, Lincoln.  He is also Chairman of the SLHA Archaeology Team.

The second of three short talks at Jews' Court on Sunday 22 November, given by Derek Broughton, was on the theme of a Lincolnshire firm's development of the first diesel engine.

Derek explained in entertaining and pictorial fashion the advantage of the diesel engine over its precursors the steam engine (bulky, inefficient) and petrol engine (inflammable).

The creation of the first engine relying on the high compression ignition of heavy fuel oil was by Herbert Akroyd Stuart in 1890. His concept was taken forward successfully on a large scale from the early 1890s by Richard Hornsby & Son of Grantham.

A little later Rudolf Diesel created a much more cumbersome engine, running on similar lines, and this was taken up by US manufacturers. It was the Americans who coined the term "diesel" engine and ensured it entered our language rather than the more appropriate "Akroyd" or something similar.

Derek Broughton is a former employee of Ruston Bucyrus and a member of the SLHA Industrial Archaeology Team.

The first of three short talks at Jews' Court on Sunday 2 November was given by Chris Johnson on the history of Jews' Court and its association with the Jewish community.

The examination of a wide range of documents indicates that there were once two separate buildings on the site, both owned by Jews until the expulsion of the community in 1290.

The synagogue was a short distance away from the street frontage, probably in the north-west corner of the present Jews' Court building. A good deal of the subsequent history of the building, its ownership and occupation can be gleaned from various records, including its reconstruction in its current form in the late sixteenth century.

It was acquired in parlous state from the City Council by the Lincolnshire Architectural and Antiquarian Society in 1928 and has been occupied by SLHA since 1988.

Chris Johnson is a retired archivist. He is joint-author with Stanley Jones of "Steep, Strait and High", a study of ancient houses of central Lincoln, to be published by Lincoln Record Society in spring 2016.

SLHA held a day of talks on the canals and waterways of Lincolnshire at The Source Centre in Sleaford on Saturday 14 November. An audience of over 70 enjoyed a wide variety of well-illustrated and informative presentations on this broad theme, covering both the historical background and current developments across the county.

The Canal and River Trust
David Pullen
Set up in 2012 the CRT manages 2000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, including the Witham, Trent, Fossdyke, and Grantham Canal in Lincolnshire. Within its responsibility are a huge number of listed structures, many over 200 years old. It is partly funded by the Government (DEFRA) but relies heavily on volunteers and various partnerships within the private and public sectors.

This half term holiday event, organised by Kathy Holland from the Society in conjunction with Kirton in Lindsey Society and held at the Jubilee Hall in Kirton, proved very popular.

It was attended by over 40 visitors including many young people who enjoyed a range of craft activities inspired by images of Gargoyles and Green Men to be seen in Lincolnshire and beyond.

Visitors had the opportunity to find out about these intriguing and imaginative creations to be seen on many buildings throughout the county, especially churches.

Craft activities included designing a gargoyle in clay, colouring a mask and creating an inspirational "Green Man" pendant.

The Kirton in Lindsey Society is keen to continue to work jointly with the SLHA to encourage interest in our history and heritage.

Market Rasen Library was the venue for a half term holiday event for families organised by Kathy Holland for the Society.

Visitors had the opportunity to find out about the Vikings in Lincolnshire and how they lived and then participate in craft activities inspired by the Vikings.

Activities included writing messages using Runes, making a model Viking ship and decorating a shield. Also on offer was creating a Thor's hammer pendant and learning about the legend of Thor.

The event was fully subscribed, with 23 young people and their families packed into the small space but good fun was had by all with another invitation to return.

The Society's contribution to the South Lincolnshire Walking Festival was a walk at Woolsthorpe (by Belvoir) to look at the Grantham Canal, Sewstern Lane and the ironstone quarries and railways in the area. The four mile walk led by Stewart Squires gave an opportunity to look at all three.

The puzzle of why Sewstern Lane changes its name here to Longmoor Lane was considered, but not solved. Longmoor Lane is a later diversion from the direct route of Sewstern Lane, seemingly to reduce the gradient down the escarpment at this point.

15 people enjoyed the walk and £41.00 was raised for the Society funds.

Over 75 delegates enjoyed a full day of talks - the annual SLHA Archaeology Conference - on the theme of Art and Archaeology, at The Collection Museum in Lincoln on Saturday 17 October.

The programme covered both local and wider topics, and the speakers were also drawn from both Lincolnshire and further afield, including Leicester, Manchester and Oxford Universities.

Following an inspirational introduction from David Stocker, our Lincolnshire specialists Adam Daubney and Antony Lee described two significant Roman artefacts - a mirror and a marble bull figurine - that had turned up recently.

The bull fragment was on temporary display in the museum, as was Samuel Lysons' depiction of the chariot-race mosaic from Horkstow, and Sarah Scott from Leicester continued the Roman theme with an appreciation of the context and purpose of Lysons' work.

Even more exotic are the Coptic textiles from Egypt, the best-surviving textiles from the whole Roman Empire, described by their Curator, Frances Pritchard of the Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, along with later examples.

Similarly stunning artefacts were covered in the Anglo-Saxon sessions, including the Staffordshire Hoard that has occupied our distinguished expert Kevin Leahy for several years.

Toby Martin from Oxford discussed the place of the earlier Anglian material from Lincolnshire in Eastern England. The day was rounded off splendidly by a new reconstruction of the eastern end of St Hugh's cathedral by Stuart Harrison.

Dr Andrew Walker gave an attentive audience an amusing and informative gallop through the history of racing in Lincoln in St Hugh's Hall on Wednesday, 14 October.

The formative years saw a visit by King James I to a race meeting on Waddington heath. The enclosure of heathland saw the city corporation offer the West Common for a new course in 1773. Andrew described the development of the racecourse both in physical and social contexts, showing extensive research in newspaper archives. Whilst racing may have been wildly popular amongst the "lower orders", it upset the responsibly minded who feared drunkenness, pickpockets and prostitution.

Andrew covered the rise and decline of the racecourse through to 1964 when the Levy Board's decision of withdraw funding saw the end of flat racing. Though point-to-point racing continued for some years, the Labour City Council's objection to hunting saw this finish too. Recent attempts to revive racing on the West Common have failed.

We are grateful as ever to Andrew Walker for a diligently-researched talk and for his devotion to SLHA by coming all the way from Kent to deliver it!

Patrick, Lord Cormack was the special guest at Bishop Grosseteste University on 3 October when a book written by Dennis Mills and published by SLHA was launched.

The book, 'Effluence and Influence: Public Health, Sewers and Politics in Lincoln: 1848-50', is based on a remarkable proposal by George Giles, an eminent civil engineer, for underground sewerage in the city.

Giles's written report gives a fascinating, detailed insight into the crude drainage and poor living conditions in much of Lincoln in the 1840s. His solution - the sewerage scheme - was supported by the local politicians but rejected on the grounds of cost by the city's freemen.

Dennis's book, launched and warmly endorsed by Lord Cormack, gives a full account of this episode and sets it in the contexts of public health reform and local politics. The book is richly illustrated and includes copies of the exceptional hand-drawn plans of Giles's scheme.

SLHA acknowledges the generous contribution of the Lincoln Record Society (towards the publication costs) and Bishop Grosseteste University (hosting the launch).

The book may be purchased by post or in the SLHA bookshop, Jews' Court, Lincoln.

The walk round Nettleham on Sunday 13 September attracted 23 visitors who assembled on The Green where Pearl Wheatley explained the various features including the war memorial, village sign, shops and  farms.

The walk continued past the library to the church and then alongside the Beck before walking round the Bishops' Palace site, newly opened to the public.

The walk finished through the cemetery to the Old School and back to The Green.

This was a Heritage Open Day event.

The Society's annual Leach Lecture was held at Burgh le Marsh Heritage Centre alongside the fine 5-sailed windmill on Saturday 5 September. A packed room of SLHA and Burgh Heritage Group members enjoyed two short presentations.

Eileen Chantry spoke about the Burgh barber, Jabez Good (1830-1911), a very gifted - though untrained - wood carver, who created the fine pulpit in the parish church. There is also an example of his carving on display in the Heritage Centre.

This active and gifted man, who remained a lifelong bachelor, was an artist, a taxidermist and clerk to the parish council.

He is also widely known for his Lincolnshire Glossary, an important collection of Lincolnshire dialect words, which he published along with a brief history of Burgh.

Lincolnshire Churches, especially demolished ones and less common examples, was the theme of Fr Terry Steele's slide-and-talk presentation.

These photographs, many taken by Fr Terry himself, provide an important record of buildings, many of which disappeared decades ago.

Among the 100 or so churches shown were interesting examples from the city of Lincoln, Grimsby, Grantham, and a wide range of villages across the county.

Terence Leach, a leading member of SLHA, was a noted local historian with particular interest in Lincolnshire families and their houses. He died in 1994.  This was the 21st lecture in his memory.

The large and attentive audience at Burgh

We are saddened to learn of the sudden death of Rev Richard Oliver Thornton on 16 August at the age of 73.

Richard was a renowned genealogist who specialised in Royal Families in Britain and Europe and especially the Russian dynasty. He was in demand for talks on these researches all over the country.

For us in Lincolnshire he was founder member and past chairman of the Lincolnshire Family History Society, but prior to the formation of that society he was an active SLHA member and served as chairman for a period in the 1980s.

He was highly regarded as head teacher of Edward King CE Primary School in Lincoln and after retirement he devoted much of his time to the church, being ordained deacon and serving in his home parish of Nettleham.

In addition he was an accomplished musician and singer, performing in the Cathedral choir, a local male voice choir (The Four Knaves) and leading his own church choir.

Graham Saunders, former Hull University Lecturer, entertained a large audience in Spilsby Methodist Church on 11 July with an illustrated talk on the musical contribution of members of the Wesley family.

The event was the annual Brackenbury Lecture arranged in sequence by SLHA, the Lincolnshire Methodist Society, Spilsby Methodist Church and the Tennyson Society, and normally held in the historic Methodist Chapel in Raithby (currently unavailable).

The founders of the Methodist Church, John and Charles Wesley, had a strong interest in music and hymn singing, and the sons of Charles - Charles (1757-1834) and Samuel (1766-1837) - became professional musicians. Samuel, much influenced by J S Bach and later by Haydn, wrote both secular and church music of fine quality.

Samuel's son, Samuel Sebastian (1810-76), was a child prodigy who became a temperamental adult with postings as organist at several English cathedrals.  He is recognised as one of the finest English musicians of his day; several of his compositions are familiar to 21st century congregations and audiences.

A group of more than 30 SLHA members spent a thoroughly enjoyable day in Heckington on Saturday 20 June.

A programme of activities was managed by the Heckington Windmill Trust and the highlight of the morning was the conducted tour of the magnificent 8-sailed windmill. This unique working mill is run by a group of competent and dedicated volunteers and it was a good to learn how it still produces flour using machinery and techniques that have been in operation in the mill - on and off - for nearly 200 years.

Short visits were made to the on-site brewery - a recent innovation and already commercially successful - and also the excellent collection of railway and other local memorabilia in the station museum across the road.

After lunch Charles Pinchbeck led the group on a walking tour of the historic centre of the village.  Houses, pubs, almshouses and meeting rooms were the focus of attention and a few local characters were recalled.

The large parish church of St Andrew, with its outstanding architecture of the Decorated period, was the highlight of the afternoon; the group was fortunate to have an excellent, well-informed guide in Michael Rose.

Photographs: The SLHA group outside Heckington Mill and St Andrew's church

Simon Pawley led an enthusiastic group on a walking tour of Sleaford's Northgate on the evening of Thursday 18 June. This was the annual guided walk in honour of the late Les Gostick.

Starting at the Market Place Simon told the story of the principal buildings, including the banks and the so-called Manor House as the group progressed up Northgate as far as Carre's Grammar School.

By the early 1800s this northernmost area had acquired a poor reputation due to the numerous pubs, tenements and lodging houses and it was considered to present a poor image to travellers arriving from the north. Order was restored in 1857 when the area was cleared to make room for the Almshouses and Savings Bank.

Simon's description of the buildings was interspersed with anecdotes about their occupants and notes about the surrounding area. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening packed with information.

As part of the Magna Carta celebrations BBC Lincolnshire staged 'Steep Hill Stories' at points along Steep Hill extending to the Castle and Cathedral.

Because of the wet weather, SLHA's Jews' Court hosted one of the stories presented by actor Jack Klaff as Old Father Time, talking about aspects of time and entertaining the children with magic tricks.

Several hundred people trooped in and out of Jews' Court over the two days, many staying to look in the bookshop and admire the building whilst being entertained by Morris men and the Lincoln Waites.

Chris Page, who is researching the industrial history of Sleaford in preparation for a book, gave a talk about the gas and electricity undertakings in the town to SLHA members attending the AGM in Sleaford on 13 June.

The gasworks, designed by Charles Partridge of Boston, was opened in the town in 1839; the office and entrance gateway (which as listed buildings still stand) were the work of Sleaford architect Charles Kirk.

As in many towns, the works were later extended (by J T B Porter of Lincoln) and provided with additional gasholders. Gas making finally ceased in 1956 and the site was cleared in the 1960s.

A 2-wire 220 volt DC electricity supply was set up in Sleaford in 1901 at a cost of £6,900. Power for the generator originated from boilers supplied by Robey of Lincoln. Cast iron lamp standards in the town were made locally by Hempstead & Co and later supplied by Ward & Dale.

The National Grid reached the town in 1931 and the old system was converted to a 3-wire AC supply. The original site to the west of the town centre was abandoned in 1967, though much of the generating house survives minus chimney.

As an alternative to Chris's talk, other members visited the recently created Sleaford Museum on Southgate. Here, an enthusiastic group of volunteers proudly talked about their splendid new building - formerly a public toilet block - and introduced the fascinating range of exhibits of locally sourced artefacts on display.

SLHA members attending the Society AGM in Sleaford on 13 June were treated to a highly informative tour of St Denys's church led by Douglas Hoare.

This is one of the finest parish churches in Lincolnshire, nationally known for the flowing tracery of its windows of the Decorated period.

Among other notable features, Douglas also drew attention to the variation in style of the arcades; the Carre monuments; the sedilia; the scissor brace; Morris's glass; the ex-Lincoln Cathedral communion rail; Ninian Comper's rood.

Close examination of this church - under expert guidance - is a very rewarding experience.

The following appointments were made for 2015-16:
Patron: Tony Worth
President: Dr Rod Ambler
Chairman: Neil Wright
Vice Chairman: Nigel Burn
Hon Treasurer: Chris Hewis
Executive Committee: David Stocker, David Robinson, Ken Hollamby
Committee Chairmen: Archaeology: Antony Lee; Building Recording: David Stocker
History of Lincolnshire: Prof John Beckett; Industrial Archaeology: Chris Lester
Local History: to be appointed; Publications: Ken Redmore

Honorary Vice-Presidents: David N Robinson, Pearl Wheatley, Thora Wagstaffe, Catherine Wilson

A presentation was made to Mark Bennet to mark his retirement as editor of the Society's journal Lincolnshire History and Archaeology.

The Society's Flora Murray Award for 2014 has been made to Dr John B Manterfield for the Grantham Hall Book Transcription Project. A certificate and cheque for £200 were presented to Dr Manterfield at the SLHA AGM in Sleaford on 13 June.

The transcription of this minute book of Grantham Corporation was undertaken by a local U3A group led by John Down and subsequently edited by John Manterfield. The original text accompanied by the transcription has been published on the LCC Lincs to the Past website and the group has also produced an attractive and informative illustrated booklet entitled Newton's Grantham: The Hall Book and life in a Puritan Town.

A project to restore headstones of WW1 servicemen in two Gainsborough cemeteries has been recognised by SLHA and given an Award for Excellence.  Entitled "Fallen Sons of Gainsborough" and organised by Friends of Gainsborough Cemeteries (leader: Peter Bradshaw), this ambitious grant-aided project has seen through the restoration of about 40 headstones commemorating local men who are buried abroad. The local community has been closely involved and special ceremonies have marked completed restoration work.

An Award of Excellence has also been made to The Spirit of Sutterby Project. This wide-ranging study, co-ordinated by Dave Start, has set about studying, recording and publishing details of a tiny Wolds parish - especially the church, churchyard, village and natural history. Over 100 local volunteers have participated and the project's well-constructed website is publishing results of the survey work and keeping everyone abreast of progress.

Lincoln hosts special celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta during June.

Our two shop windows at the foot of Steep Hill are specially decorated to mark the occasion with barons to the fore.

Thanks go to Ros Beevers in particular for her vision and much hard work.

Whilst it has long been known that the Hanseatic League traded all over the area using these vessels, the understanding of the extent of this has recently been increased dramatically by the use of DNA and isotope analysis.

The latter, for instance, has been used to establish that fish bones found in London originated from fish caught north of Norway, suggesting that over-fishing of local waters is nothing new.

Many other examples, including the movement of people, were quoted and his conclusion was that there was a very broad-based economy in natural resources such as fish, timber, salt, wool and iron ore together with a re-distribution of processed commodities such as cloth, wine and metal goods.

This trade was mainly between towns and cities with distinct hubs such as Lubeck, Bruges and London.  The speaker is writing a book about his researches.

Ironstone mining started at Nettleton Top Mine in 1928 and Nettleton Bottom Mine in 1960. The last workings closed in 1968 but many buildings and structures remain.

48 people visited the Nettleton Top yard for a guided walk, organised by the SLHA and led by Stewart Squires as a contribution to the Wolds Walking Festival, on 20 May.

Here they are looking at the now blocked entrance built in 1957 as part of the rail link between the yard and Bottom Mine. The former workshop and store is on the left.

People who attended made generous donations amounting to £60.00.

Jim Bailey is a miller at the unique 8-sailed mill in Heckington and also a director of the Heckington Windmill Trust.

At a meeting of SLHA members on 13 May he gave a lively account of the £1.2m project which is creating an ambitious visitor attraction from the mill and its ancillary buildings.

The mill was built in 1830 and, after severe storm damage, was transformed from 5- to 8-sail operation in 1890 by John Pocklington, the new owner, who brought sails and machinery from Tuxford's foundry in Boston. 

The current development is partly funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.  The SLHA visit to Heckington on Saturday 20 June will include the 8-sailed windmill.

On Sunday 14 May Martin Hollingsworth of the Kirton in Lindsey Society led a tour to several sites of the town's former industries.

Included in the 2-hour walk were Richardson & Darley's Steam Ploughing Works, a ropewalk, Picksley's engineering works, Marris & Beverley's foundry, the town gasworks and water supply.

Other significant sites away from the town centre - the railway station, Gleadell's Mill (maltings) Mount Pleasant windmill, the cement works - were also described by Martin.

The 30-strong group, a mixture of SLHA members and local residents, completed an enjoyable afternoon with refreshments in the Town Hall.

A group of enthusiastic people of all ages enjoyed an action packed afternoon of traditional fun and games organised by the Society at Kirton in Lindsey Town Hall as part of the "Past and Present" project.

The afternoon included a frantic old fashioned Beetle Drive, which was a very popular community activity in the mid-1950s and 1960s.

Pass the "Hot Potato" apparently has its origins in the late twentieth century and was very popular as was the very energetic "Balloon Game" where two teams have to sit on the floor opposite each other, stay seated and attempt to score by hitting the balloon over the heads of the opposite team!!

As the group were so keen, many of the team games were played at least twice, and another set of games were played to live music.

The afternoon finished with the ever popular "Hokey Cokey" which appears to have a controversial history, some believe it developed in America from a catchy ditty introduced by two sisters from Canterbury who were visiting --- who knows what really happened?

Organised by the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology in conjunction with the Kirton in Lindsey society and Kirton Town Hall as part of the "Past and Present" Project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Neil Wright entertained an enthusiastic audience at St Hugh's Hall, Lincoln, on 15 April with an account of actors and theatres in Georgian Lincolnshire.

During this period the theatre was very popular and almost every town had a theatre which was served by touring companies. The largest companies in the county were based at Lincoln and Stamford and they also visited towns in the immediate area beyond the county boundary.

Towards the end of the Georgian period theatre attendance went into sharp decline because drama was thought to be immoral and most theatres and the companies of actors went out of business leaving very little physical evidence of this golden era.

Little has been published about this subject and Neil's book on it will be published by SLHA later in the year.

Animal Magic!
This holiday workshop for families held at Kirton-in-Lindsey Town Hall on Wednesday 1 April was very well attended.

Visitors had the opportunity to find out about the rare breeds of Lincolnshire and then enjoy a selection of craft activities inspired by the theme of animals and creatures of all kinds from Lincolnshire.

Activities included using clay to model a curly coated pig, one of Lincolnshire's rare breeds, or a shire horse, the Lincolnshire red cattle proved rather too challenging for many!! Other activities included making an owl mask complete with feathers and decorating a butterfly bangle.

Visitors also had the opportunity to create a wall hanging by painting an image of a Lincolnshire animal on a wooden plaque.

The event was organised as part of the Past and Present project which celebrates 170 years of the Society and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The "Past and Present" display panels will be on show at the Jubilee Town Hall in Kirton-in-Lindsey until the end of May, and a number of joint events with the Kirton-in- Lindsey Society are planned to take place in the coming weeks.

The clue is in the name: "Kirton" means "Place of the Church" and religion has always played an important role in Kirton-in-Lindsey.

Martin Hollingsworth of the Kirton in Lindsey Society led a group of 18 around the town for an enjoyable, interesting and informative walk around religious sites on Sunday 22 March.

A number of sites, including the Methodist Chapel, the old Baptist Chapel and the Primitive Methodist Chapel, were visited and Martin provided a wealth of information about the rise and decline of different religions in the village.

The tour included St Andrew's Parish Church where Mary Hollingsworth presented an illustrated talk about the history of the Church and highlighted the outstanding features of the building.

The afternoon concluded with tea and coffee in the Town Hall.

The event was organised as part of the Past and Present project which celebrates 170 years of the Society and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The "Past and Present" display panels will be on show at the Jubilee Town Hall in Kirton-in-Lindsey until the end of May, and a number of joint events with the Kirton-in- Lindsey Society are planned to take place in the coming weeks.

At a meeting in Lincoln on Wednesday 18 March well-known local archaeologist Tom Lane gave a wide-ranging talk on the archaeology to be found near the Lincolnshire coast, concentrating on the coastal industries such as salt-making commencing about 1500 BC, through fishing (examples included ship-wrecks, fish-hook making and fish traps) up to recent tourism activities.

"The coast now is not what it has been", he said, referring to the effects of fluctuating sea levels over the years which have resulted in finds occurring well inland of the present coastline. He claimed that a major opportunity to search for the remains of Old Skegness, lost to rising sea-levels around 1500, was missed when the seabed was disturbed during the construction of off-shore wind farms.

In conclusion he pointed out that changes of sea-level have resulted in many layers of soil deposits which can confuse and mislead archaeologists.

Mick Jones, retired Lincoln City Archaeologist, spent the early part of his career in Lincoln during the exciting period of excavation and discovery in the 1970s.

At an SLHA meeting on 15 March he gave a personal account of the activities of the Lincoln Archaeological Trust - its officers and the sometimes difficult local political context.

Building and road developments near the city centre enabled major excavations to take place and reveal structures and artefacts from every archaeological period.

Stewart Squires gave a talk on this subject at Jews' Court on 15 March.  Between 1862 and 1868 granite was quarried on the tiny island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel.

Several quarries were worked and horse-drawn tramways created to move the stone to a quay at the south-eastern corner of the island, but after a short time production of the poor quality stone became uneconomic. At the peak of operation over 400 men were employed in the industry and facilities such as hospital and school were built as well as cottages and houses.

Today, there are very few surviving reminders of this nineteenth century industry and, owned by the National Trust, it is merely a quiet holiday location.

At a well-attended meeting at Jews' Court on 15 March Nigel Burn described the significant events in Lincoln between 1215 and 1217 when Nicola de le Haye was constable of Lincoln Castle.

During this period she defended the castle successfully against the rebel barons and received King John himself in February 1216.  She was also in charge of the castle during the second Battle of Lincoln the following year.

Rob Wheeler spoke to a well-attended meeting in Lincoln on 18 February about trade and traffic on the Fossdyke.  Detailed accounts of trade on the canal (which links Lincoln to the Trent at Torksey) have survived for the period 1714-1724 and he used these to analyse the import of coal from the south Yorkshire coalfields.

Fluctuations in coal tonnage can be related to weather conditions (winter ice; low water in summer).  Information about boat owners and operators can be correlated with the types of boat being used (lighters or keels).  It is also possible to demonstrate the operation of cartels in the case of larger vessels.

Improvements to the navigation were made under Richard Ellison later in the century.

Almost 100 visitors attended this popular morning workshop for families organised by the Society and held at the Jubilee Town Hall in Kirton-in- Lindsey on 18 February.

A variety of activities were on offer including investigating archaeological artefacts and looking at which materials survive and which decay. Craft activities included making medieval faces from clay inspired by medieval carvings from Lincolnshire buildings, including the parish church in Kirton-in-Lindsey and Bardney Abbey, creating a Viking Thor's hammer pendant and painting a mini Roman fresco.

The event was organised as part of the Past and Present project which celebrates 170 years of the Society and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The "Past and Present" display panels will be on show at the Jubilee Town Hall in Kirton-in-Lindsey until the end of May, and a number of events are planned in the coming months.

An enjoyable conference on a wide range of topics was held at Gainsborough Methodist Church on Saturday 7 February. Contributions were as follows:

Bardney Riots
David Letts
In 1815 a work force of 900 men ("bankers") were employed in straightening the river Witham near Bardney.  A riot began when they were charged an excessive amount for bread by a local baker.  This rapidly escalated, spreading to inns and alehouses, and was soon out of control.  Additional constables were summoned, militia were called in from Louth and the magistrate from Gautby read the Riot Act.  Order was soon restored and later the ringleaders were given short prison sentences. (Bardney local historians are continuing to work on details of this little known and little recorded event.)

Fallen Sons of Gainsborough
Peter Bradshaw
Over the past few years a local group has researched the lives of First World War casualties buried in Gainsborough Cemetery.  Thanks to Peter and colleagues, several unmarked graves of WWI soldiers now have proper Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones and have been ceremonially rededicated.  Private headstones marking graves of other servicemen who died have also been restored; work of exceptional quality supported by a Heritage Lottery Grant has enabled stones to be re-erected, re-assembled and cleaned - a remarkable achievement, much appreciated by descendants of the casualties.

Women in World War I
Kathryn Storr
During the First World War women did not just "keep the home fires burning" (in the words of a contemporary song); they were employed in many essential industries and services and pioneered voluntary activities. Women dealt with the huge influx of Belgian refugees; made up dressings and clothing for hospitals; organised the very first flag days; worked on the land; joined the police force; nursed in hospitals for wounded servicemen; and made munitions. They also played active roles in the services, but these and many of their civilian jobs came to an abrupt end when the war was over.

Lincolnshire Lads on the Veldt
Alan Stennett
Among the 133 Lincolnshire Infantry Volunteers who went to South Africa in 1900 was the speaker's grandfather, Arthur Stennett. The letters he sent back to the family in Lincolnshire give a full and lively account of his journey across the country and subsequent battles with the Boers in Johannesburg and Pretoria. This campaign ended in defeat, and the surviving 83 soldiers - including Arthur - were forced to retreat. The speaker's recent photographs, taken in the same South African terrain, illustrated the harsh conditions described in the soldier's letters.

The Market Rasen Rifle Volunteers
Catherine Wilson
At a time of perceived threat from the French in 1860, companies of Rifle Volunteers were set up across the country, including one at Market Rasen.  The local newspaper frequently reported the group's activities: its parades, its camps, fund-raising balls and, under the patronage of the gentry, its special receptions at the area's country houses. Their practice ground and shooting butts - they shot every day - were first at Hamilton Hill and then in Linwood Warren (now a LWT nature reserve). The group was disbanded when the Territorial Army was established in 1908.

The North Lincolnshire Home Front
Stephanie Codd
The Lincolnshire Star, which covered the north-west corner of the county, has been digitised and can be read on line.  Stephanie has created a blog in which she is highlighting local events extracted from the Star and is posting them exactly 100 years after their occurrence.  Over the first 6 months of the war many articles and reports mirror the national picture: Red Cross fund raising; women making shirts and pockets for troops; hosting Belgian refugees; church prayers; advice on recipes. Differences in the activities and attitudes of different sections of Lincolnshire society at the time of war are evident.  (Stephanie's blog: http://northlincolnshirehomefrontww1.blogspot.co.uk/)

On Saturday 31 January the Society was invited by the new Lincoln University College for Science and Engineering to have a stand at their open day when prospective students and their parents were able to see what the UTC can offer.

We were there to provide some context and perspective on the great things that are happening in the County today in terms of mechanical engineering. There was a lot of interest and the SLHA scrolling display of the history of engineering innovation and design was particularly popular.

Neil Wright gave a short illustrated talk to SLHA members in Lincoln on Sunday 25 January describing the wide range of buildings in Boston associated with the railways.

In the early days of the GNR the town was chosen as an administrative and working centre for the region and at one time there were 900 employees in either clerical or blue-collar jobs.

The buildings and yards included: gas works, water tower, engineering works, stables, goods delivery, granary, coaling plant as well as the more usual station buildings and signal boxes.

On Sunday 25 January Jean Burton gave a talk on the life and achievements of Henry Winn (1816-1914), notable for being the country's longest serving parish clerk - 72 years - at Fulletby, near Horncastle.

Winn inherited his father's cobbler's business and added a range of local activities to this, including churchwarden and schoolteacher.  He fathered 21 children, only 4 of whom reached adulthood.

In his lifetime he achieved a reputation as writer and poet on rural subjects, with his contributions appearing frequently in local newspapers.

Ian Cox of Navenby Archaeology Group described the excavation undertaken by his group with the assistance of 160 volunteers in 2013.  Essential support had come from the Heritage Lottery Funding.

On a site close to the former Roman Ermine Street, a series of structures had been exposed together with a large number of items: 7500 pottery shards, 3000 animal bones, 300 coins, 240 glass fragments, 300 metal finds, remains of 9 individuals. 

Seven successive phases of the site had been identified: quarry; barn; kitchen; building with oven; large oven; another building for social activity; large building (end of 4th century AD).

On Wednesday 21 January a large audience in Lincoln listened to John Minnis as he took a photographic tour of the town of Boston looking at its very fine but often under-appreciated buildings.

Avoiding the well-known landmark structures the speaker covered every type of building from the humble dwelling house to substantial commercial, industrial and residential properties mainly built after 1700.

This English Heritage project will result in a book to be published in July 2015 which celebrates the very rich architectural heritage of the town with photographs and architect's drawings of its diverse buildings. Bostonians will be very proud of the result if the lecture is anything to go by.

The Society is supporting the Nettleton Mines Heritage initiative, a Down Your Wold community project. Down Your Wold is a partnership with the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Project and Heritage Lincolnshire, funded through the Heritage Lottery.

In 2014 a guided walk around the site and a subsequent talk on the history of the Nettleton and Claxby Mines attracted around 120 people.

On Saturday 10 January 2015 a "drop in day" was organised at Nettleton Village Hall and local residents were invited to call to see various displays and to share their memories of the mines.

133 people turned up. Photographs, plans and other documents were brought in and provoked a lot of discussion as people and activities were identified. Five of the former miners who came along also took the opportunity to have some of their memories recorded as part of the oral history part of the initiative.

Artefacts brought along included miner's helmets, mine lamps and a bell from one of the mines' battery locomotives. Of particular interest was a Lysaght's Bowls Club Trophy, dating from December 1963, which utilised three horse shoes, each taken from the last pit ponies to work underground in Nettleton Top Mine: Short Monty, Duke and Darkey Jock.

The photographs show the SLHA stand on the day, with three former miners identifying photographs (with Stewart Squires), and the bowls trophy. The photographs were taken by John Esser.

Rex, historian, friend, family man lived his entire long and varied life with the constant ethics of his left-wing intellectual background.   He was no bigot, no stick-in-the-mud - Rex viewed every aspect of human behaviour with a measured eye and (mostly) with benign tolerance.    He was a solid, kind, honest, generous man who inspired a huge following amongst Lincolnshire historians. 
 
Rex was an active member of the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology for many years and members have enjoyed his input in the form of organised outings, particularly to DMVs, and talks and publications (all of which have been sold under the auspices of the SLHA bookshop).
 
It was a surprise to some members of the Lincolnshire Methodist History Society to learn that Rex, a founder member of the Society, was not a Christian.  Rex would not pretend to a faith he did not have but he saw in the history of Methodism a massive contribution to the progression of the working man towards education and equality.   He saw the opportunities offered by Methodism as a great enhancement of trust earned by the working populations of two centuries ago. 

On my penultimate visit to Rex when he was in a very weak state I asked him, "Have you ever been to Tolpuddle?".  "No", he replied and metaphorically reared up in the cot-bed where he lay, "but I certainly intend to".  Then he sank back against the sheets looking like a sparse-framed, bearded  medieval saint.  If I had Rex's artistic skills I might portray him in a heavenly setting in deeply interested conversation with those old Methodist farm labourers who were martyred for asking for the right to protest.
 
Rex was fond of telling people that he was born in a workhouse during a Zeppelin raid.  This could have been misunderstood as meaning that he was born in poverty.  That was not the case - his parents were Master and Matron of Hackney Workhouse at the time of his birth.  The Zeppelin raid dates his birth to another world beyond the memory of most people now alive.  He could remember the vast complex of buildings that surrounded him in infancy and spoke of the workhouse bakery and butchery, the offices and the infirmary.

As a child of five or six Rex moved to Yorkshire with his mother and three brothers as his father sought other employment.   Holme on Spalding Moor became the background to Rex's childhood.  His great-grandfather had been head teacher of the village school there and the four clever little Russell boys all attended that school.   Rex won a scholarship to a minor public school (Bancrofts - A Drapers' Company School) which meant that he became a boarder and enlarged his horizons far from the village school.
 
As a teenager Rex chose to be a commercial artist and he trained for this work by winning an Essex County Scholarship to art school.  Later, after the war, he gained a degree in History and Education at Durham University and used his graphic skills to enhance his many history publications, particularly as a cartographer, he produced wonderfully drawn and lettered maps showing pre-enclosure and post-enclosure parishes.   His book on headstones, illustrated by Rex in pen and ink, showed his skill at copying not only an image but the feel of an age.   But before his teaching and publishing life began the second world war intervened.
 
In 1938 Rex married  Eleanor - "Froude" as she was known - and, for a time, they both worked on the land which gave Rex that sympathy with farm workers and low pay which he always held.  During the war Rex served in the Royal Navy but, after the war and Durham, he found his true vocation in teaching.

Rex's teaching was never one-sided; he preferred dialogue and discussion.  He prepared carefully and spoke clearly; it was a delight to attend his classes.   Most of all he gave encouragement on a generous scale and gave helpful suggestions and detailed information on sources.

Many of his publications were a joint effort with students and, invariably, his students wanted to do more work on the subject of local history which they were learning with enthusiasm from primary sources under Rex's guidance.   He published numerous articles and books on subjects such as enclosure; allotments; labourers' movements, Methodism, friendly societies, water drinkers (tee-totallers which Rex was not); education in north Lincolnshire; the cultural changes in Lincolnshire (From Cock-fighting to Chapel Building); homes of the poor; Deserted Medieval Villages and the effect of the French Revolution on Lincolnshire.
 
The books were published by the Workers' Educational Association to which organisation Rex gave a large part of his life together with the Extra-Mural Department of Hull University.   Hundreds of students benefited by Rex's knowledge and enthusiasm and in 2010, when he was a resident in Nettleton Manor Care Home, he was honoured with an award made to him by British Association of Local History for his enormous contribution to local history as a tutor and writer.
 
Rex reached a point when he became almost a technophobe.   Modern gadgets were not for him.   He never took to television and certainly had to no wish to have a computer.    For a brief, giddy period in the 21st century, however, Rex did enjoy videos. He was introduced to a series on English history made by Simon Schama.   For several successive weeks Rex and Joan would arrive in Wragby by taxi (sometimes on the wrong day) and ask excitedly, "Can we watch that man on the machine again?"   Rex would lean forward in his chair staring into Schama's world entranced.  
 
Rex married Eleanor in 1938 and they had two children, Kleta and Adrian.  They spent most of their married life in Barton on Humber.  Kleta now lives in France, married to Boucif and they have two grown-up children, Mila and Rhéda.   Adrian lives in Derbyshire and is married to Pam.   They have two sons, Daniel and Ben.   Eleanor, who had worked with Rex on several digs when they were already middle-aged sadly died in 1989 and Rex, though by then an old man, continued to teach and write.

In 1994 Rex surprised his friends by marrying Joan when he was nearly 80 years of age.   Joan Mostyn-Lewis was, like Rex, an artist and so began, late in life, another happy phase for Rex.  Fifteen years later age was inevitably taking its toll - Rex and Joan were no longer able to look after each other and first Joan and then Rex went into care homes for their last years.   Joan went to Wales where she was near to her daughters Rose and Vanessa and Rex was cared for in Nettleton Manor.

Rex died on December 15th 2014 of extreme old age.   Farewell dear friend.

Linda Crust