South Witham

Cemeteries

• The parish has a public cemetery on the northeast side of the village. The webpage author has been unable to find out details on this cemetery.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Colsterworth sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
  
  
• In an 1890 reorganisation, the parish was allocated to the new "Grantham South" sub-district of the Grantham 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 Knights Templar founded a preceptory here in 1164 on what is now known as Temple Hill. The Knights were disbanded in 1312. Archaeologists still visit the site.
  
  
• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
  
  
• The church was originally built in a cruciform layout, but parts were allowed to go to ruin and were removed.
  
  
• The church was restored in 1900.
  
  
• The church seats 250.
  
  
• The churchyard was closed to internments in 1893.
  
  
• Tim HEATON has a photograph of St. John's Church on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2005.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. John's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• Parish registers exist from 1561 (some sources give 1686).
  
  
• Boyd's marriage index covers the period from 1688 - 1837.
  
  
• We have a handful of entries from the Parish register in a text file. Your additions and corrections are welcomed.
  
  
• The LDS Church's Family History Library has a printout of baptisms from 1813-1851.
  
  
• The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Beltisloe Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• The Wesleyan Methodists and the Congregationalists each built 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 Colsterworth sub-district of the Grantham Registration District.
  
  
• In 1891, the parish was allocated to the new "Grantham South" sub-district of the Grantham 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

South Witham is both a village and a parish on the River Witham 11 miles south of Grantham, less than a mile off the A1 trunk road to the west. The river flows north at this point, toward neighboring North Witham parish. The parish covers over 1,500 acres and is bordered by Leicester county on the west and Rutland county to the south. The parish covers about 1,770 acres and includes the Forty Acre Wood.

If you are planning a visit:

• "Ermine Street," the old Roman "North Road" to Lincoln, crosses this parish.
  
  
• There used to be train service to Bourne and Spalding in the later half of the 1800s and the early 1900s. That service ceased around 1960.
  
  
• You can visit the village website to familiarize youself with the place.
  
  
• Markery Wood has a car park near the village. The wood is part of the Kesteven Forest.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  

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History

• In 1842, there are three Pubs in the village; the Angel, The Blue Bell and the Blue Cow.
  
  
• Tim HEATON has a photograph of the Angel Inn on Geo-graph, taken in December, 2005.
  
  
• These are the names associated with the Angel Inn in various directories:
  
  

• The Blue Bell Inn was around in the 1800s, but I could not find a photograph of it.
  
  
• These are the names associated with the Blue Bell Inn in various directories:
  
  

• Eugene BIRCHALL has a photograph of the Blue Cow Inn on Geo-graph, taken in July, 2002.
  
  
• These are the names associated with the Blue Cow Inn in various directories:
  
  

There was a Fox Inn on the Common in 1882. It may have replaced the Blue Bell. The Fox is not listed in 1900.

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Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 9219.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #247 map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Military History

• During World War II, the RAF maintained a storage depot in Morkery Wood for bombs, ammunition and oxygen tanks for aircraft. The unit was designated as RAF South Witham.
  
  
• In 1966, the RAF built a large housing estate here for the servicemen stationed at RAF Cottesmore. The village population trebled in size and the school had to be enlarged as well.
  
  
• On August 2nd, 1973, a Canberra bomber crashed in a field east of "The Fox" pub (the crash site is actually in North Witham).
  
  

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Military Records

There are two Commonwealth War Graves in St. John's churchyard, one from each World War:

1. Edward BEAN, corp., Lincs Regt., age 32, died 8 Nov. 1918. Husband of H. Bean of South Witham.
2. Norman W. WING, gunner, 2nd Searchlight Regt. of Royal Artillery, age 21, died 15 Oct. 1943. Son of Robert Henry and Hilda Wing of South Witham.

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Names, Geographical

• Witham is from the Celtic or pre-Celtic river name of uncertain origin, and the name appeared as Widme in the 1086 Domesday Book.
  ["A Dictionary of English Place-Names," A. D. Mills, Oxford University Press, 1991]
  
  
• The village name has also often appeared spelled as South Wytham
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• This place was an ancient parish in Lincoln county and it became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
  
  
• The parish was in the ancient Beltisloe Wapentake in the South Kesteven district in the parts of Kesteven.
  
  
• You may contact the Parish Council regarding civic or political matters, but they are NOT staffed to assist with family history searches.
  
  
• 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 Spittlegate (Grantham) petty session hearings.
  
  
• There is a charity of £30 left by Richard HALFORD, formerly Lord of the Manor (undated). The interest was distributed to the parish poor on St. Thomas Day.
  
  
• The Common Lands were enclosed here in 1796.
  
  
• As a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act reforms of 1834, the parish became part of the Grantham Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	343
1831	410
1841	506
1851	544
1861	531
1871	488
1881	410
1891	575
1911	410
1921	446
1931	427

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Schools

• The parish established a School Board in January, 1877.
  
  
• A Board School (Public Elementary School) was erected in 1879, funded primarily by Ralph TOLLEMACHE, and enlarged in 1899. The facility is on Water Lane and the school is now known as the South Witham Community Primary School.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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© 2001 EnglandGenWeb Project