Ruskington

Cemeteries

• In 1871 a Saxon cemetery was found about 20 yards north of the windmill.
  
  
• A cemetery of 1 acre was formed in 1882 and managed by the burial board of the Urban Council.
  
  
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Lych gate on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Sleaford sub-district of the Sleaford Registration District.
  
  
• Check for ancestors on our 1901 Census Surname Extract. This extract is incomplete.
  
  
• 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 All Saints.
  
  
• Parts of the church tower are believed to be from Norman times. The Chancel portion of the church is over 700 years old.
  
  
• The church spire fell down around 1620. The tower was subsequently rebuilt and the spire reinstalled.
  
  
• The church was reseated and restored in 1861.
  
  
• The church chancel was lengthened in 1873.
  
  
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of All Saints' church porch on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008.
  
  
• There is a photograph of All Saints church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
  
  
• Here is a photo of All Saints Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1558.
  
  
• We have a partial extract from the Ruskington parish register. Your additions are welcome.
  
  
• The Lincolnshire FHS has a Loan Library service which has the parish registers on microfiche for Baptisms from 1668 to 1812 and Marriages from 1668 to 1812.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Lafford Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel here, erected in 1849. The Reform Methodists also had a chapel here. 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 Sleaford sub-district of the Sleaford Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which started in July, 1837.
  
  

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Description and Travel

This village and large parish are 114 miles north of London, 4 miles north-east of Sleaford, just off the A153 road. Anwick parish is to the south-east and Dorrington parish to the north. The parish covers almost 4,000 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the A153 arterial road north out of Sleaford, then turn left to the B1188 road into Ruskington village.
  
  
• Take a Ruskington Photo Tour.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

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History

• The village held an annual feast in the week of the first Sunday in November.
  
  
• A Temperance Hall was built here in 1857. It was later converted into use as a Church Hall.
  
  
• The Railway came to Ruskington in 1882 when a line opened to Spalding. Later that same year a line was opened to Lincoln.
  
  
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of the Black Bull Inn on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2006.
  
  
• Here are the names of the owners/managers of the Black Bull P. H. taken from various Directories:
  
  

• Richard CROFT also has a photograph of The Red Lion Inn on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008.
  
  
• Here are the names of the owners/managers of the Red Lion on High Street taken from various Directories:
  
  

The 1881 census gives the following information on the above Public House, reference RG 11/3222, folio 42. Mary Ann is listed as a widow:

Relationship	Name	Sex	Age	Where born
Head	Mary Ann THORPE	F	35	Ruskington, Lincolnshire
sister	Sarah MARSHALL	F	25	Ruskington, Lincolnshire
brother	Charles ULYATT	M	16	Ruskington, Lincolnshire
sister	Alice THORPE	F	11	Ruskington, Lincolnshire

• The Shoulder of Mutton Public House on Church Street has been around for over 100 years.
  
  
• Here are the names of the owners/managers of the Shoulder of Mutton taken from various Directories:
  
  

The Shoulder of Mutton pub. is listed in the 1881 census, run by Walter BALDOCK and his wife Nancy. Here is the census entry (RG 11/3222 folio 27):

Relationship	Name	Sex	Age	Where born
Head	William BALDOCK	M	42	Wigtoft, Lincolnshire
wife	Nancy BALDOCK	F	43	Colsterworth, Lincolnshire
daugh.	Jane Ann BALDOCK	F	14	Ruskington, Lincolnshire
Grand daugh.	Laura Annie DAY	F	1	Ruskington, Lincolnshire
servant	Alice CAMM	F	16	Digby, Lincolnshire

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 0850.
  
  
• An Ordnance Survey "Explorer #272" map will show detail of 2.5 inches to 1 mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Military History

• Richard CROFT has a photograph of the War Memorial at Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008. The Memorial stands at the edge of the village cemetery.
  
  
• Ruskington cemetery holds one Commonwealth War Grave for World War I (M. W. WILSON) and one for World War II (E. J. TILSTON).
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• This place was an ancient parish in county Lincoln and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
  
  
• The parish was in the ancient Flaxwell Wapentake in the North Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
  
  
• The parish adopted The Local Government Act in 1864. An Urban District Council was formed and met every third Monday at the Board School.
  
  
• In August, 1882, the parish was reduced in size by giving a portion of land to North Kyme CIvil Parish.
  
  
• In March, 1885, the parish gained Anwick Wong from Anwick CIvil Parish.
  
  
• In October, 1896, the parish was reduced in size by giving another portion of land to North Kyme CIvil Parish.
  
  
• You may contact the Ruskington Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to help you with family history searches.
  
  
• For today's district governance, see the North Kesteven District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• In 1709, Mrs. Martha CHAMERLAIN left a yearly grant of 30 shillings for the education of poor children.
  
  
• In 1719, Lady Ann HODGSON left a yearly rent charge for charitable purposes in Rowston and Ruskington. Part of the bequest left money to care for 3 poor women in the parish almshouses. Two cottages, called the "Teetotal Homes" were built in 1887 from the bequest.
  
  
• In 1904 J. R. SCOTT built four almshouses for the use of needy parishioners of any denomination.
  
  
• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Sleaford petty session hearings.
  
  
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Sleaford Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	483
1841	979
1871	1,156
1881	1,191
1891	1,082
1901	1,196
1911	1,214
1921	1,101
1931	1,245

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Probate - Wills

We have, for your pleasure, the will of Edward ROTHWELL from 1658.

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Schools

• A school was first built here in 1824.
  
  
• A school board was established in 1868 (some sources give 1878).
  
  
• A National school was built here on High Street, by subscription, in 1868, to hold 120 children. This replaced the school above. This school closed in 1978 when a new school was built in Chestnut Street.
  
  
• A second school for infants was built here in 1880, to hold 140. This school moved to a new facility on Chestnut Street in the 1960s.
  
  
• Both those schools were amalgamated to form the Chestnut Street Primary School in the 1980s. The old National School is now the Winchelsea Centre.
  
  
• For photographs of the Winchelsea Centre, see our Winchelsea Centre page.
  
  
• For photographs of the school built in 1880, see our Ruskington School page.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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