Deeping St. James (East Deeping)
Deeping St. James is both a village and parish a few miles north of Peterborough, 11 miles south-west of Spalding and 89 miles north of London. The River Welland is the parish's south-west boundary. Across the river lies Northamptonshire. Market Deeping lies to the north and west. The area is flat fenland, drained by many small canals, including the South Drove Drain. The parish covers about 4,300 acres and includes the hamlet of Frognall.
Deeping St. James is often refered to as a suburb of Market Deeping. If you are planning a visit:
- By automobile, the A16 trunk road runs through north side of the village.
- Find bus, car hire and train service via our Transport page.
- See our Touring page for additional resources.
- The parish was in the Deeping sub-district of the Bourne Registration District.
- Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
- The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
Census
Year |
Piece No. |
| 1841 |
H.O. 107 / 617 |
| 1851 |
H.O. 107 / 2095 |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2319 |
| 1871 |
R.G. 10 / 3317 |
| 1881 |
R.G. 11 / 3199 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2558 |
- A Benedictine Priory was founded here in 1139 by Baldwin WAKE (of WAC). The priory was dissolved in 1540.
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint James.
- The church used to be much larger and portions are dated to Norman times. Reputedly it was built in Henry III's reign.
- A tower (spire) was added in 1717.
- The church seats 800.
- There is a photograph of St. James's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
- Here is a photo of the church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
- Anglican parish registers exist from 1674, but I.G.I. entries go back to 1562.
- We have a partial Parish Register Extract in a text file. Your additions and corrections are welcome.
- The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage and a burial index for the Aveland and Ness Deanery.
- The Catholic Church is a building converted to a chapel in 1880 and is dedicated to Our Lady of Lincoln and St. Guthlac. There was a novitiate next to the church in 1930.
- There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel built in the village in 1880 to replace an older chapel. The Primitive Methodists built a chapel in 1878 and the Particular Baptists in 1839. For more on these chapels and their records, check our Non-Conformist Church Records page for additional resources.
- Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
- The parish was in the Deeping sub-district of the Bourne Registration District.
- Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
- The village still has its 18th century lockup, constructed on the site of a 15th century wayside cross.
- Ian PATERSON has a photograph of the Deeping St James Lockup on Geo-graph, taken in 2008.
- In 1930, the chief crops were oats, wheat and potatoes.
- The Manor House, near the church, is a large stone building. It was occupied by a farmer in 1841. It is said to be the remains of the Priory, but many buildings in the village were constructed from the stones and bricks from the Priory.
- The Manor House was converted into a Catholic Training school.
- The Crown holds the manorial rights to Deeping St. James.
- The national grid reference is TF 1509.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #248 map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
There is a list of the names on the Roll of Honour at the Roll of Honour site.
- The name Deeping is from the Old English Deoping, or "Deep or Low place".
[A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991].
- The parish is also found listed in old records as East Deeping.
- John Bland tells us (2004) that the locals often refer to the place as "Jimmy Deeping".
- This place was an ancient parish in Lincolnshire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
- The parish was in the ancient Ness Wapentake in the South Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
- In April, 1931, the parish was reduced by 60 acres transfered to Langtoft Civil Parish, but the parish also gained 69 acres from Market Deeping Civil Parish.
- The local Deeping St. James Parish Council can be contacted regarding civic or political matters, but they are NOT staffed to answer family history questions.
- For today's district governance, contact the South Kesteven District Council.
- Bastardy cases were heard in the Bourne petty session hearings on Mondays.
- In 1553, Robert TYGH left land and tenements for the poor of the parish, including schooling for their children, repair to the bridges and causeways and in such "deeds of alms" as the parish saw fit.
- The Common Land was enclosed here in 1815.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Bourne Poor Law Union.
- Susanna BREWTON left £50 (undated) for 12 poor women of the parish. The money was used to purchase land in Northamptonshire and the rent from that was distributed to the women.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
1,160 |
| 1831 |
1,587 |
| 1841 |
1,733 |
| 1851 |
1,849 |
| 1871 |
1,720 |
| 1881 |
1,648 |
| 1891 |
1,501 |
| 1901 |
1,513 |
| 1911 |
1,544 |
Ros DUNNING provides a transcript of the will of Abigail BULL of Deeping St. James.
Ros DUNNING provides a transcript of the will of John BURTON of Deeping St. James.
Ros DUNNING also provides a transcript of the will of Lawrence SHERMAN of Deeping St. James.
- One of the schools was formerly the workhouse, erected in 1816 and rebuilt in 1890.
- The Church Street School was formerly the Free School. It was an Infants school.
- For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
- There is a local Deepings Heritage site. Or, contact:
Deeping St James Family and Local History Group
43 Eastgate
Deeping St James, Lincs. PE6 8HH
United Kingdom
Tele: 01778 344-553
Last updated on 9-May-2014
Click here to send any questions and/or comments about this site to the Lincolnshire County Coordinator.
© 2001 EnglandGenWeb Project