Morton by Bourne

Census

• The parish was in the Bourne sub-district of the Bourne Registration District.
  
  
• In a 1931 re-organization, this parish was assigned to the South Kesteven 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

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
  
  
• The church was restored in 1860.
  
  
• The church seats 400.
  
  
• The church is Grade I listed with English Heritage.
  
  
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of St. John's Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2008.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. John the Baptist's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The parish registers go back to 1549, but the Bishop's transcripts go back to 1541.
  
  
• The parish lies in the Aveland & Ness Deanery. You may wish to purchase some of the Deanery marriage indexes to make your search easier.
  
  
• The foundation stone was laid in 1875 for a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in Morton. There is no graveyard attached. That chapel closed in 1967.
  
  
• There was a Baptist chapel, too, replaced in 1876.
  
  
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of the New Day Baptist Church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2008.
  
  
• 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 Bourne sub-district of the Bourne Registration District.
  
  
• In a 1931 re-organization, this parish was assigned to the South Kesteven Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration starting in July 1837.
  
  

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Description and Travel

Morton by Bourne is both a village and a parish about 2 miles north of Bourne and 97 miles north of London. The parish includes the hamlet of Hanthorpe (also called Harmthorpe). Hacconby parish lies to the north. The parish covers about 4,850 acres of land that is typical Fenland marsh.

The A15 trunk road (the old Roman Road) runs through the west end of the village. The village was, in the 19th century, supplied with water from artesian wells. The River Glen flows southward just outside the eastern edge of the village. If you are planning a visit:

• The Delane Bus Company provides local passenger bus transport from Bourne and Peterborough.
  
  
• Passenger service on the old Bourne to Sleaford railway line ceased in 1959. The tracks have been torn up and the old railway line is now a hiking path.
  
  
• Kieth EVANS has a photograph of an old Milestone on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2012.
  
  
• Rex NEEDLE has a photograph of the Village Hall on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2000. Stop in and ask for a schedule of forth-coming events.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

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History

• Wikipedia tells us that: "The village is in two parts, one each side of the fen-edge road, the A15. To the fenward side is Morton and to the upland side is Hanthorpe."
  
  
• The parish was once a station stop on the Great Northern Railway.
  
  
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of the fire-gutted King's Head P. H. on Geo-graph, taken in September, 2008.
  
  
• The King's Head Public House was (and still is) a popular spot for swapping local news. Here are the proprietors shown in various Directories:
  
  

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Manors

• Hanthorpe House, in Hanthorpe hamlet, was the residence of Dr, Charles Edward ROBY in 1900.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 0924.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer 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

• Bob HARVEY has a photograph of the War Memorial in the churchyard on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2014.
  
  
• During World War II, Hanthorpe House was requisitioned by the government as a Prisoner of War camp for Italian prisoners. Later, the camp was used for German prisoners.
  
  
• In 1930 Major Thomas KELSEY was a resident of this parish, living in Southlands House. In August 1886 he had been appointed as a Leuitenent to the 1st Volunteer battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. He died in 1941.
  
  

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Military Records

• Michael PECK provide: "The Morton (by Bourne) War Memorial has now been recorded. It is for WW1 only and consists of 2 parts, a memorial 'proper' in the church grounds which shows no names and a plaque which actually names the men (specifically states Morton and Hanthorpe) inside the church. The names recorded are:"
  
  

There is also this burial in the churchyard:

1. Albert Edward WHITETHREAD, priv., 88th training batln., age 35, died 15 June 1917.

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Names, Geographical

• The name Morton is from the Old English Mor+tun, or "Farmstead on the moor or marsh". In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Mortun.
  ["A Dictionary of English Place-Names," A. D. Mills, Oxford University Press, 1991]
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• This place was an ancient parish in Lincolnshire and became a Civil Parish when those were incorporated.
  
  
• The parish was in the ancient Aveland Wapentake in the South Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
  
  
• Some time in the 20th century, the parish was renamed as "Morton and Hanthorpe".
  
  
• For today's district governance, contact the South Kesteven District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Bourne petty session hearings on Mondays.
  
  
• Care of the parish poor dates back to 1716 when Rebecca LEABAND bequeathed some land for the education of the children of the poor.
  
  
• The Common Lands were enclosed here in 1771.
  
  
• In 1795, Henry ABEL, Esq., of Greenwich Hospital left a provision for providing bread and fuel for the poor.
  
  
• In 1820, Thomas HOGARD left the rent from three acres for the poor.
  
  
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Bourne Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	603
1831	842
1841	952
1851	938
1871	973
1881	950
1891	899
1901	794
1911	839
1921	790
1931	877

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Schools

• A National School was built here, enlarged in 1872 to hold 200 children.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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© 2001 EnglandGenWeb Project