Wigtoft

Census

• The parish was in the Swineshead sub-district of the Boston Registration District.
  
  
• Kathryn Lake Hogan provides this partial surname list from the 1871 census: HUMPHREY, HUBBERT, LAKE, ALLWELL or ALEWELL, WALKER, MILLER, LISTER, BAKER.
  
  
• We have a small snapshot from the 1891 Census in a text file for your review.
  
  
• 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 was dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
  
  
• The church structure is of various dates. The lower part of the tower is Norman.
  
  
• The church was restored in 1854 and again in 1891-92.
  
  
• The church seats 250.
  
  
• A photograph of Sts. Peter and Paul Church is at the Wendy PARKINSON English Church Photographs site.
  
  
• J. HANNAH-BRIGGS has a photograph of Sts. Peter & Paul church on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2012.
  
  
• Here is a photo of Saint Peter and St. Paul Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1618.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several indexes for the Holland West Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• The Primitive Methodists built a chapel here in 1839. The Wesleyan Methodists had one in 1862. 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 Swineshead 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

This village and parish lies 7 miles south-west-by-south of Boston, 11 miles north of Spalding and just west of Sutterton parish. The parish covers about 3,500 acres and includes the hamlets of Burtoft and Hoffleet Stow.

If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, the A17 trunk road between Sleaford and Holbeach runs right thru the village.
  
  
• Visit "The Conifers" on Golden Grove in WIgtoft, PE20 2PU and enjoy their trees.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  

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Manors

• Easthorpe Court was the mansion and manor house of the HOWSON family. The house has since been torn down.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2636.
  
  
• 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

The parish church has a stained-glass window and an alabaster tabled which were dedicated in December, 1920, to the 19 men who died in World War I.

The church also contains a parchment book with the names, records and, in most cases, photographs of everyone from the parish who served in World War I.

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Military Records

Michael PECK advises: I recently stumbled across 2 unusual Rolls of Honour (one for WW1 and another for WW2) at Wigtoft (St. Peter and St. Paul Church). They are unusual in that they have a short record of the service of the men (and 2 women) involved and, most importantly, most have a photo attached. Unfortunately the books are beginning to show the effects of damp and the photos are of variable quality,

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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 Kirton (in Holland) Wapentake in the Boston Borough in the parts of Holland.
  
  
• You can contact the local Parish Council about civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to answer family history questions.
  
  
• 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 Common Lands were enclosed here in 1773.
  
  
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, this parish became part of the Boston Poor Law Union.
  
  
• Land was set aside for the poor. It generated £24 a year in 1848.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	536
1811	555
1821	637
1831	697
1841	713
1851	741
1871	699
1881	675
1891	653
1901	693
1911	723
1971	445

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Schools

• A Free School was established here in 1714 by William BLISBURY and rebuilt in 1830.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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