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Collapse AllSLHA Awards for 2022Announcement at 2022 AGM
The winners of the 2022 SLHA Awards were announced at the on-line Annual General meeting on 23 November. The Flora Murray Award for 2022 was made to the Old Sleaford Heritage Group for their book 'Old Place: New Perspectives'. An Award for Excellence was made to Mrs Smith's Cottage (North Kesteven District Council) for the 'Navenby Heritage Trail and Navenby Datestones'. |
November 2022
The TudorsA family activity event at Kirton in Lindsey
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An October half term event organised by the Society for families on the popular theme ofthe Tudors took place at the Jubilee Town Hall at Kirton Lindsey This very well attended event offered visitors a selection of activities, one of which was to craft a jester's head in clay. This was inspired by a jester's head which is part of a clay whistle, features in the photo galleries on the Society website and is part of the Archaeology Collections at The Collection in Lincoln (see right). Additional activities included making a pendant inspired by designs from examples of high-status jewellery from the Tudor period, creating a games board on which to play Merels, a game popular through the centuries and to decorate a ‘Tudor’ style crown. Both visitors and volunteers from the Kirton Society are keen to continue to work with the SLHA to develop more events for families. Event organised by Kathy Holland in conjunction with the Kirton Society. |
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October 2022
Archaeology in LincolnshireWide-ranging topics at a day conference
The 2022 Day Conference organised by the SLHA Archaeology Team took place in Welton Village Hall, near Lincoln, on Saturday 8 October. It provided a series of talks given by leading archaeologists from within the county and beyond about the long and illustrious past of Lincolnshire. The conference gave the large audience an understanding of recent discoveries which are helping to re-write the past. Developer-funded and research projects are shedding new light on how our ancestors settled in this part of the country and how people in the past lived and worked. The speakers and their topics were: Recent Discoveries in Lincolnshire - Lisa Brundle, Lincolnshire County Council Characterising Lincolnshire’s Towns - Nicky Grayson, Lincolnshire County Council Reviving Time Team Bringing Archaeology to an on-line audience - Prof. Carenza Lewis, University of Lincoln Roman Settlement of the Central Lincolnshire Wolds - Dr Steve Willis, University of Kent Encounters with Achilles: The Trojan War as seen from Rutland - Dr John Thomas The Romano-British Pottery Industry at Market Rasen - Leigh Brocklehurst Grantham Southern Relief Road - Catherine Edwards, AOC Archaeology |
October 2022
SLHA receives LINCOLN CIVIC AWARDCeremony in Lincoln's Guildhall
At a ceremony held in Lincoln's Guildhall on 3 May, the Mayor of Lincoln, Cllr Jackie Kirk, presented the Lincoln Civic Award for 2022 to SLHA. The Chairman of the Civic Award Trust, Henry Ruddock, began the meeting by outlining the purpose of the award and the range of previous winners. The Award, represented by a fine piece of locally-made silverware, was then received from the Mayor by the Society's Chairman, Ian George. Ian spoke of the role of SLHA in promoting local heritage and expressed thanks for the great honour of receiving the Civic Award. Read further details here (from The Lincolnite) Photograph: Cllr Jackie Kirk, Mayor of Lincoln, presents the Lincoln Civic Award to Ian George, Chairman of SLHA |
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May 2022
Lincolnshire Documentary MaterialDonation from SLHA to Historic Environment Record
A large collection of hand-written, typed and printed material - mostly unpublished - has been accumulated over the years at Jews' Court through donations to the Society. Regrettably, it has not been possible to manage the collection satisfactorily nor to arrange appropriate access. The filed material has been donated to the Historic Environment Record at Lancaster House, West Parade, Lincoln, where it will form part of their extensive resources about the history and archaeology of the County. |
Richard Watts (Historic Environment Record) and Lee Belt (SLHA volunteer) |
April 2022
Houses and GardensDay Conference in Woodhall Spa
A day conference organised by the SLHA Local History team was held in glorious spring weather at the Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa on Saturday 26 March. The theme - appropriate to the venue and the day - was Lincolnshire Houses and Gardens. The morning session, chaired by Mark Acton, Chairman of the LH team, was opened by Emma Brealey, the hotel's owner, who spoke about the Petwood's historic past and its Grade 2 listed garden. The hotel was built for the wealthy heiress Grace Weigall in 1905 as a private house with a large estate. It played a significant role as convalescent home in World War One and RAF squadron HQ in the second war. Many notable men and women of the twentieth century slept and dined in the building. The garden was laid out by the eminent designer Harold Peto and has been restored through a major project beginning in 2012. Holyrood House in Spalding was the subject of Patty Harris's presentation. This late-fifteenth century building was situated on the east side of the River Welland near Ayscoughfee House and the parish church. Built by the Gayton family, it had a brick-built ground floor with timber and plaster walls above. Patty recounted the succession of owners and the changes to its name. When the Johnson family were in occupation it served as the meeting place and museum for the Spalding Gentlemen's Society. After rural district council ownership in the twentieth century it fell into disrepair and, in the absence of a willing developer, was demolished. A small development of 113 houses covering about 15 acres at Swanpool off Skellingthorpe Road was Lincoln's first experiment with the Garden City concept arising from the principles set out by Ebenezer Howard. Lesley Clarke, a former resident of Swanpool, explained how this occurred and gave details of the design of the houses and their layout within the estate. The original plan, formulated by Ruston and Sharpley, was to build about 3000 houses for engineering workers, but the harsh times of the early 1920s prevented this. Developments elsewhere in the City (St Giles, Hartsholme) took place a little later and were built with simpler and less expensive designs and materials. After lunch, in a session chaired by John Manterfield, Andrew Walker gave an overview of the application of technology in country houses, with particular reference to Lincolnshire. Generally speaking, the gentry were slow to adopt new and more efficient ways of running their households, especially when labour was cheap and plentiful. Interior plumbing and the provision of baths and hot water were slow to arrive; open fires continued to be preferred to central heating systems; only slowly were candles and oil lamps replaced by gas and later electric lights. Nevertheless, radical changes did occur in Lincolnshire's larger country houses; whether for reasons of economy, comfort or fashion is perhaps debatable. Heckington Manor is a large house in the centre of the village with a long and interesting history. Charles Pinchbeck, who owns the property and is currently restoring it, gave an account of the building's history, its owners and its role in Heckington's village life. It was extensively remodelled in the Edwardian period by the Smith family but went into institutional use first as a children's home, then as a home for old people, before serving as a residential clinic until 2003. Years of neglect and poor maintenance are now being addressed and the house and much the impressive garden are being brought back to their early twentieth-century splendour. The final speaker was Paul Smith on the topic of Mrs Smith's cottage and garden in Navenby. Mrs Hilda Smith lived in the brick double cottage - built in the nineteenth century - for several decades and was a keen practical gardener. The small plot at the front of the cottage was devoted to flowers and the entries in her diary list the species she grew. Similarly, there is detailed knowledge of her vegetable and herb plantings in the small allotment she cultivated near the cottage. Mrs Smith is known to have been a devoted Methodist; she gave much time to the local chapel and was valued for the generous sharing of her flowers and vegetables. Administration of the conference: Caroline Crane and Kathy Holland |
The Petwood, west front
The Conference speakers: front row - Patty Harris and Lesley Clarke |
March 2022
Lincolnshire Anniversaries 2022People, Events, Buildings
1072 * Hereward the Wake, Anglo-Saxon nobleman, died. Based in the fenland, he led local resistance to the Norman rulers * Bishop Remigius (by contrast a strong supporter of the Normans) moved his see from Dorchester to Lincoln 1372 * Death of John, third Baron de Willoughby (29 March). His tomb is in St James' Church, Spilsby. 1572 * End of William Byrd's period as organist and master of choristers at Lincoln Cathedral * St Leonard's church, Mumby Chapel, rebuilt after a flood 1622 * Death of Sir William Armyne of Osgodby (Lenton), MP for Grantham. He was buried at Lenton. * Birth of Sir Richard Cust, MP for Stamford 1722 * A bore was made in Blue Hill near Spilsby in an attempt to find coal * Tower of St Michael & All Angels, Thorpe on the Hill, rebuilt * Somersby Grange built for Robert Burton, attributed uncertainly to Sir John Vanbrugh * William Sands of Spalding built the distinctive octagonal nave of St James, Moulton Chapel 1772 * The Exchange Buildings in Boston Market Place, designed by Thomas Lumby, completed * John Shadford of Scotter selected by John Wesley as one of 8 preachers to spread gospel in America * Thomas Reckitt, founder of Hull pharmaceutical firm, born in Wainfleet * Lincoln Cathedral's north-east chapel of north east transept - probably St Hugh's original burial place - rebuilt by James Essex * Spalding Barrier Bank Turnpike Trust (Peakirk to Spalding) formed 1822 * Wesleyan Methodists built new chapels at Long Bennington and on Frith Bank * Moulton windmill, reputedly the tallest in the UK, was built by Robert King * Schools were built at Croft (to replace an earlier one) and at Swinderby * A new permanent library opened in Lincoln * A dwelling house in Leadenham was licensed for worship * Sausthorpe Hall was extended and remodelled * First record of Baptists worshipping in Grimsby * South Wold Hunt founded * Appleby Hall enlarged * Death of Lieut-Gen Gonville Bromhead of Thurlby by Lincoln * Silver chalice stolen in a burglary at St Mary's church, Mablethorpe 1872 Births: * Cyril Bland, cricketer, who played for Sussex, born Boston * Frederick Cyril Nugent Hicks, Bishop of Lincoln * Dora Abdy in Stamford. She was a pioneer for girls' education in Africa * Norman Angell, Nobel Prize winner, in Holbeach New buildings: * HM prison opened on Greetwell Road, Lincoln in June * Belchford Wesleyan Methodist Chapel opened for worship (June) * New York Wesleyan Methodist Chapel opened * Bracebridge Heath Primitive Methodist chapel erected * Gainsborough National School premises in Trinity Street opened (August) * Dry Doddington school opened * Bishop Norton school built * West Rasen school opened (later served as a chapel) * High Toynton St John Baptist Church rebuilt at cost of £1200 * Building of Cleethorpes pier commenced * Barracks at Grantham built (second phase) * Ingham Lower Mill built at a cost of £1000 * Boultham Park entrance piers erected (designed by William Watkins) * Gosberton Gasworks built on High Street, cost £1500 Churches and chapels restored or enlarged: * Cabourne St Nicholas restored by A W Blomfield * West Ashby All Saints restored by Ewan Christian * Great Ponton, Holy Cross, restored * Burgh on Bain St Helen restored * Lincoln St Mary le Wigford restored * Brandon Chapel of ease restored by Charles Kirk * The Primitive Methodist chapel at Potterhanworth enlarged * Binbrook Free Methodist chapel renovated * Nettleton Primitive Methodist chapel enlarged Other events: * The two ecclesiastical parishes in Allington united * Norbertines established themselves at Crowle * Ruddocks, printer and stationer of Lincoln, established * The Witham Shield donated to British Museum by Augustus Wollaston Franks * The Barton to Lincoln turnpike (and also several more) freed from tolls (1 Nov) * The Great Northern Railway line opened between Bourne and Sleaford, a distance of about 16 miles (2 Jan) * The Arboretum in Lincoln laid out 1922 Births: * Leslie Manser, VC, WW2 bomber pilot, born in India. He flew from Swinderby and Skellingthorpe * Brian Tierney, born in Scunthorpe. He was an historian with particular interest in the medieval church Deaths: * Rev George Henry Hales, Rector of Stickney, world record hammer thrower * Sir John Henry Thorold, 12th baronet, of Syston Hall, former MP for Grantham * Revd E A Woodruffe-Peacock at Grayingham (3 Feb), He was an outstanding naturalist. Openings: * Grosvenor House Hotel, Skegness, built by the Spencer family; * Kinema in the Woods cinema opened in Woodhall Spa; * Casino in Skegness, with ballroom and indoor roller-skating rink Closures: * Machine Gun Corps, based at Belton Park, disbanded (15 July) * Closure of Metheringham Reform Union Methodist chapel Other events: * Unveiling and dedication of many memorials to those who served in WW1 * Cleethorpes 5-sailed windmill demolished * Kirkstead railway station renamed Woodhall Junction * F M Thompson of Louth began making double deck buses for Birmingham 1972 Closures: * St Marks Church Lincoln demolished * Boston Congregational Church closed * Lincoln St Paul in the Bail church demolished * Horncastle Holy Trinity church declared redundant * Welby School closed (July) * Wrangle Bank Primitive Methodist chapel closed * Last service held in Langrick Wesleyan Methodist chapel * Monksthorpe Baptist church - last use of baptistry * Closure of Keal Hill Wesleyan Methodist chapel in January Other events: * Jonathan Kerrigan, actor, born * Last commercial traffic on Fossdyke * Hagworthingham Holy Trinity tower fell down * Scunthorpe Centenary Methodist Church rebuilt in Frodingham Road * Thomas Cooper Memorial Baptist Church opened in Lincoln's High Street * Sleaford Methodist church rebuilt * Flora Murray, Secretary to the Lincolnshire Community Council, awarded OBE * Creation of Canwick golf course * Narrow gauge farm railway laid at North Ings, Dorrington |
January 2022
