Freiston (or Frieston)

NOTE: There is also a Frieston hamlet in Caythorpe parish, Lincolnshire.

Census

• The parish was part of the Benington sub-district of the Boston Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• A Benedictine Priory was founded here in 1114 on land donated to Crowland Abbey by Guy de CRUON or CREDON. In 1687, the Priory building and lands were granted to the DRYDEN family.
  
  
• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint James.
  
  
• The church is of Norman origin.
  
  
• The organ was installed in 1869.
  
  
• The church was restored in 1871.
  
  
• The church seats 577.
  
  
• The church is called a "ship of the Fens" and contains several Norman carvings of interest.
  
  
• Here are two photos of St. James church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1681.
  
  
• The Anglican parish register exists on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The films cover baptisms and burials up to the 1890's, but marriages only up to 1837.
  
  
• The Anglican parish register is on deposit at the Lincoln Archives for the period of 1657 to 1985.
  
  
• We have the beginning of a parish register extract in a pop-up text file for your use. Your additions and corrections will be welcome.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several indexes for the Holland East Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel here in 1838. It was replaced by a newer, larger chapel in 1866.
  
  
• The United Methodists had a chapel built here in 1887 at Scrane End.
  
  
• 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 Benington 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 and Travel

Freiston, or Frieston, is both a village and a parish in Lincolnshire, 3 miles east of Boston. The parish covers about 5,200 acres of low, well-drained Fenland.

White's 1872 Directory describes "a pleasant straggling village, bearing the names of Church end and Halltoft-end." The parish also includes the hamlets of Halltoft End, Freiston Shore and Crane-end (or "Scrane End"). If you are planning a visit:

• The village itself is 3 miles due east of Boston and can be reached by local roads or by going south off the A52 just west of Boston.
  
  
• Watch for The SIGN! taken by John DAVIS and placed on Geo-graph, taken in 2011.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  

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History

• In 1842 the parish had nine fishing boats employed in cathcing herring, shrimp, sprats, sole and oysters.
  
  
• The parish had a Coast Guard station at Freiston Shore's manned by only two people in 1913.
  
  
• The Castle Inn at Halltoft End was a good place for conversation. The Inn is still in business and can be checked out at Bateman's Pubs. These are the names associated with the place in various directories:
  
  

• The Flying Horse Public House doesn't appear to have lasted much past 1900. 1900 was the only directory I found it in. Mrs. Elizh, BEEBY was the proprietress in that year.
  
  
• The parish's Marine Hotel near the shore was available for people on holiday. It had originally been "The Anchor". There is a 1920s photograph of the hotel at the Parish Council site. The Hotel is a Grade II listed building with British Heritage. These are the names associated with the hotel in various directories:
  
  

• The village had the Plummer's Hotel on Frieston Shore as lodging for travellers. It started out as "The Coach House" and was renamed by Thomas PLUMMER around 1856, These are the names associated with the hotel in various directories:
  
  

• The village still has the Bull & Dog Public House for catching up on local news. This pub was up for sale in May of 2012. Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Bull & Dog on Geo-graph, taken in 2007. These are the names associated with the place in various directories:
  
  

• The King's Head Public House in Church End also catered to those moving on the roads near Boston.These are the names associated with the place in various directories:
  
  

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Manors

• Rooshall was the manor of Henry ROGERS from 1841 to 1871.
  
  
• Three smaller manors were Coupledyke Hall, Poynton Hall, and Peachy Hall. Peachy Hall had been torn down by 1871 and the land for it belonged to a Colonel LINTON.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 3743.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #261 map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Military History

• The Royal Navy opened an airstation here on or before 1916.
  
  
• RNAS Freiston was an armament training school until April 1918, when they started to teach the art of dog-fighting.
  
  
• The field was closed in 1920.
  
  
• Three Canadian airmen are buried in the parish churchyard. All perished in accidents while flying Sopwith Camels.
  
  
• There is a photograph of the War Memorial plynth in the churchyard at Geo-graph, taken by Jim DUGDALE.
  
  
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Freiston Bridge pillbox from WWII on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2007.
  
  
• Richard CROFT also has a photograph of the Churchyard pillbox from WWII on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2009.
  
  

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Military Records

The three Canadian pilots were:

• Edward Lambert BACH, age 21, from Toronto.
• John William DOWLING, age 21, from Vancouver.
• John Freele MEEK, from Ontario.

We have the inscription from the War Memorial in a pop-up text file. The names were supplied by John Emerson in 2002.

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Names, Geographical

• Locals pronounce the name as "Freess-ton". Thank you: [Simon MEEDS, 2002]
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• 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 Skirbeck Wapentake in the parts of Holland.
  
  
• In December, 1880, this parish was reduced in size to enlarge West Fen Civil Parish.
  
  
• You may contact the local Freiston Parish Council regarding divic or political issues, but they are NOT tasked with assisting you with family history searches.
  
  
• For today's district governance, visit the local Boston Borough Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Kirton and Skirbeck petty session hearings.
  
  
• The parish's "Town Estate" purchased 7 acres in 1679. The rental revenue was distributed to the poor in the form of coal.
  
  
• Barney Field (also called "Bardney Field") was allocated to the poor also, either in terms of rental income or direct allocation of plots for cultivation. The following individuals contributed toward the land: Benjamin MORFOOT, John ANTON, James MANN, Simon GUY, William SWIFT and others. Read the Will of Benjamin MORFOOT from 1727.
  
  
• The parish also had 15 cottages on land near the church left by Thomas TRUESDALE in 1694. These were given rent-free to poor families.
  
  
• After the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, this parish became part of the Boston Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	734
1821	816
1841	1,136
1851	1,080
1871	1,134
1881	1,105
1891	973
1911	1,024

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Probate Records

Kitty PARKER provides a transcript of the will of MORFOOT, Benjamin of Freiston.

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Schools

• A National School was built by subscription here around 1791 (then called a "Free School"), and was rebuilt in 1848. John HOLDEN donated just over 2 acres of land for it in 1723, and Benjamin MORFOOT donated a yearly rent charge in 1727.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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