Surfleet
Surfleet is both a village and parish which lie 96 miles north of London, 4 miles north of Spalding and southwest of Boston. The parish is bounded on the northwest by Gosberton parish and on the south by Pinchbeck parish. The River Welland and the River Glen provide a boundary line on the southwest edge of the parish. The area is just over 4,060 acres of flat fenland, drained by many small canals, and includes the hamlet of Surfleet Seas-End.
If you are planning a visit:
- The parish was in the Gosberton sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
- We have the complete 1891 Census for Gosberton and Surfleet (some Enum. Districts overlap).
- We have a partial surname index for the 1901 Census. Your additions are welcome.
- 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 / 611 |
| 1851 |
H.O. 107 / 2096 |
| 1861 |
R.G. 9 / 2322 |
| 1871 |
R.G. 10 / 3320 |
| 1891 |
R.G. 12 / 2561 |
| 1901 |
R.G. 13 / 3030 |
- The Anglican parish church was dedicated to St. Lawrence (also commonly found as "St. Laurance").
- The church was restored in 1900.
- The church seats 276.
- There is a photograph of St. Lawrence's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
- Another photo of the parish church can be found at Currant Bun site listed on our Church Photographs page.
- Here is a photo of Saint Laurance's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
- Anglican parish registers exist from 1562 (some sources give 1662).
- The LFHS has published several indexes for the West Elloe Deanery to make your search easier.
- The Wesleyan Methodists and Free Methodists had chapels in Surfleet. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
- Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
- The parish was in the Gosberton sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
- Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
- The railways came to Surfleet in the 1850s.
- Passenger railw service halted in 1961, but the station stood until 1994.
- Cressy Hall, near Risegate Eau, 1.5 miles north of the village, is a handsome mansion.
- The Manor House was rebuilt by Sir Henry HERON who died in 1695.
- The Manor House was burnt down about 1820 and was again rebuilt.
- The National Grid Reference for the village is TF 2528.
- An Ordnance Survey "Explorer 249" map will show detail of 2.5 inches to 1 mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- The list of military men who died in the World Wars can be found on the Surfleet War Memorial.
- The name Surfleet is from the Old English sur+fleot, or "Sour Stream". In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Sverefelt and in 1167 as Surfleit.
A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.
- Bastardy cases would be heard in the Kirton and Skirbeck petty session hearings.
- The Common Land was inclosed here in 1777, with 27 acres set aside for the poor.
- In 1810, Samuel EISDALE let a charity that provided £9 in 1843 to distribute to the poor as food, clothing and the like.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Spalding Poor Law Union.
- The parish also had enough poor land set aside to generate about £100 in 1900 for distribution to the poor.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
609 |
| 1831 |
871 |
| 1871 |
1,069 |
| 1891 |
979 |
| 1911 |
1,010 |
- The Free school was founded and endowed in 1764 by Lady Ann FRAISER. The schoolmaster's income was about 40 pounds a year, for which he taught about 20 free students. This school closed in 1877.
- The Public Elementary School was built in 1878 to hold up to 130 children.
- For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
Note: Sections marked (JB) were contributed by John R. G. Bland of Lincolnshire.
Last updated on 9-March-2013
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