Metheringham
- The parish was in the South West sub-district of the Lincoln Registration District.
- 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 / 620-621 |
| 1871 |
R.G. 10 / 3368 |
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Wilfrid (also given as "Wilfred").
- The church appears to date from the 13th century, but the old church burnt down in 1599. It was restored in 1603.
- The church seats about 450.
- There is a photograph of St. Wilfrid's Church on the Wendy PARKINSON Church Photos web site.
- Here is a photo of St. Wilfrid's Church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1538.
- We have a handful of entries in our Parish Register Extract text file. Your additions are welcome.
- The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage indexes and a burial index for the Graffoe Deanery to make your search easier.
- There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel built here in Tanvats in 1887. The Wesleyans built a chapel in Metheringham village in 1840. The Primitive Methodists built their chapel in the village in 1850, as did the Reform Methodists. 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 South West sub-district of the Lincoln Registration District.
- Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July 1837.
Metheringham is both a village and a parish 9 miles south-east of the city of Lincoln and 10 miles north of Sleaford. Dunston parish lies to the north and Blankney parish to the south. The parish covers about 5,900 acres and includes the hamlet of Tanvats, which lies about 4 miles east of the village.
The large village of Metheringham almost merges with Blankney village to the south. If you are planning a visit:
- Take the A15 south out of Lincoln and turn left onto the B1202 trunk road. You should be heading easterly. When you are at the B1188 junction, the village should be in front of you and to the right.
- The Metheringham Delph nature preserve is located at Tanvats hamlet.
- The Railway station is on Station Road (the B1189). There is a photograph on Wikipedia.
- See our transport page for bus and train schedules.
- See our touring page for visitor services.
- The village is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book.
- There had been an ancient cross which stood in the village, but it was replaced by a new one in 1835.
- The parish was drained by the use of a 25-horsepower steam engine. The drainage caused the spring Holywell to stop flowing.
- In 1841, the village hosted a Sick Club and a Cow Club.
- For a history of individual buildings and structures, see Metheringham Highlights website.
- Metheringham Manor was built in the 17th century and badly damaged by fire in the 19th century.
- The Old Hall was divided into tenements by 1841.
- The Manor house was requisitioned by the RAF in 1942 until the end of World War II.
- Metheringham Cottage is the name of the mansion 6 miles southeast of Lincoln.
- The national grid reference is TF 0661.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- During 1942 and 1943 a Class "A" airfield was built here (and partially in Martin parish) for the RAF. It covered 400 acres and opened in October, 1943, as RAF Metheringham.
- The airfield closed in 1946.
- Most of the buildings were demolished or removed by 1970. The remaining structures were given over to commercial use.
- Stop by the Visitor Centre for more information.
- Tanvats is in Metheringham parish, in the Fen on the bank of a long drain, called Metheringham Delph. The name is self-explanatory; it was a tannery, vats being used for steeping (soaking) the skins. This usually took place a long way from a village because of the obnoxious smell. About 70 years ago there was a small but lively community which had grown up there. It is still isolated, and now almost deserted although it used to have a thriving Methodist chapel, and a school. It had a beer house which the locals said had the longest bar in the country - they had to drink on the bank of the drain! There is a bridge connecting it with Blankney, jocularly know as Tanvats Pier! The inhabitants had a sense of humour! ["tinribs," 2001].
- Locals often refer to the parish as "Meg" ["Anne Cole," 2007].
- Bastardy cases would be heard at the Lincoln South petty session hearings.
- A Mr. COLLEY left almost 4 acres of land for the poor (undated).
- In 1829, John ELLIS left an annuity of £3 for the poor.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Lincoln Poor Law Union on 16th January 1837.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
536 |
| 1811 |
601 |
| 1821 |
626 |
| 1831 |
880 |
| 1841 |
1,197 |
| 1851 |
1,522 |
| 1871 |
1,652 |
| 1881 |
1,857 |
| 1891 |
1,614 |
| 1901 |
1,517 |
| 1911 |
1,526 |
| 1921 |
1,447 |
- A Church of England School was built here in 1840 as a Reading Room. It was purchased by Henry CHAPLIN and presented to the parish, upon which it became a school. It was enlarged in 1883 to hold 200 children.
- A Wesleyan Church School was built in 1840 to hold 146 children.
- A Church of England School was built at Tanvats in 1840 to hold 76 children.
- For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
Last updated on 5-March-2015
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