J. Conway Walter

“ Like the composer of a Pageant play, his endeavour has been rather to clothe the scenes, which he conjures up, with the flesh and blood of quickened reality, than in the bare skin and bones of a dry-as-dust’s rigid skeleton. ”

“ The church, dedicated to All Saints, is a mean structure, erected in the 18th century, of brick and Spilsby sandstone, standing on the site of an earlier church, of which nothing seems to remain except the font. It consists of nave and chancel, both on a very small scale, and a wooden bell-turret, with one small bell. The north and west walls are of sandstone, the former covered with a thick coating of tar to keep out the moisture; the east wall has alternate layers of brick and sandstone. Some improvements have been made in recent years, much needed to make it even a decent place of worship. ”

“ John Brown, the Horncastle Laureate, and others, he helped to amuse considerable audiences, in town and neighbourhood. In comedy he could take all the parts himself, rapidly changing his dress, and at one moment adopting the high falsetto tones of an old crone, and the next moment speaking in the deeper accents of a strong man. ”

“ The Croft Street Chapel, or New Jerusalem Church, is both structurally and intellectually, the most recent developement of Nonconformity in Horncastle. The founder of this community was a personality so remarkable that it may be well here to give a brief sketch of him.
Emanuel Swedenborg, son of a Lutheran bishop, was born at Stockholm, in 1689. During more than the first half of his life he was distinguished as a hard worker in the field of science, and from his many clever inventions, and valuable public services, he was ennobled by his sovereign. ”

“ As to our country roads we are, it is true, well supplied with them, but a pageant view of the past, such as we have here conceived, would reveal to us our British forefathers, toiling, in wearied gangs, under Roman task-masters, at the forced labour of road making; by which the town’s markets and chartered fairs were to be accessible, from all directions, for generations yet unborn. In our present iron ways, we might well suppose that we have attained the highest evolutionary stage in expeditious traffic ”

“ Many witnesses testified to the activity of Leche, in going to private houses and inducing the men to join, and that the gentlemen only joined from fear of violence. Richard Mekylwhite of Horncastle was accused by Thomas Lytellbury, that he was “a great procurer” (of men) , and was “one of the causers of George Wolsey’s death,” (a servant of the late Cardinal Wolsey) .
William Leche, with a great company, went to Bolingbroke, to take the Bishop’s Chancellor, Dr. John Rayne, who was lying there, sick; he was brought on horseback to Horncastle amid cries of “kill him! kill him!” ”

“ The majesty of the law has not always been so worthily domiciled in Horncastle as during the last forty years. In Stukeley’s map of the town, dated 1722, the Sessions House is placed at the south-east corner of the “Mercat Place,” where there now (1908) stands a small refreshment house. The cells for prisoners probably formed the basement of this building, as there is no known record of their being confined elsewhere, until the year 1821, when what was called the “Round House” was built, at the north-east corner of the Market Place, opposite the present Lord Nelson Inn. ”

“ Before coming to Horncastle, in 1841, Mr. Baker was known on more than one county cricket ground, and had distinguished himself on the University ground at Cambridge, “Parker’s Piece.” On coming to Horncastle he immediately made his mark in cricket as a round-hand bowler; and the leading young men of the neighbourhood became his pupils. One of his feats was, in a match between an 11 of All England and 22 gentlemen of the county; when he bowled out, with his first ball, Iddison, Captain of the All England team. The great matches in which he took part for many years were too many to tell. ”

“ Wood Enderby was at that time a chapelry attached to Horncastle Church.
The right of sanctuary, enjoyed by felons, who sought refuge in a church, was a very ancient institution, dating from Saxon times, and only abolished by James I., in 1621, because the great number of churches in the country rendered it so easy a matter for highwaymen, then very numerous, to avail themselves of the privilege, that justice was too often defeated and crime encouraged. ”

“ In recent years no member of the society has been more valued than the late octogenarian, Mr. John Rivett, J.P., who died Sept 4, 1906. For nearly 70 years he was a generous supporter of the cause; he represented the district at no less than 13 Conferences, in various parts of the country, and at the Leeds Conference, in 1882, he spoke for an hour and a quarter in advocacy of its principles. Mr. Henry Lunn, of Horncastle and West Ashby, is also well known, as, for many years, an able local lay preacher and practical man of business ”

“ Co-ordination of work between (as we have at Horncastle) the endowed Infant School, the National Schools, Technical Schools, and the “secondary” Grammar School, with higher-grade colleges, should furnish a kind of educational ladder, by which the child of the artizan, or rustic, may rise from the humblest position to the highest, if he has the ability, and the will, to avail himself of the opportunities thus placed within his reach. ”

“ The east end has a three-light plain lancet window; beneath which is a stone reredos, having three compartments filled with encaustic tiles, having, as their designs, in the centre a cross in gilt, and Alpha and Omega, within ox-eyes, on either side. In the south wall in front of the vestry is a lancet-shaped doorway, and, west of it, an arcade of two lancet apertures, supported by four columns of serpentine. Within the vestry is a two-light lancet window; and let into the eastern wall is a small slab, having four grotesque figures, one blowing a kind of bagpipe, the others dancing. ”

“ A gap now occurs in our history, which can only be filled in, for a time, by conjecture. On the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII., the possessions of Kirkstead Abbey were granted by him to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk; on whose death without issue, they reverted to the sovereign, and were re-granted to the Earl of Lincoln, of the Fiennes Clinton family, subsequently Dukes of Newcastle. The Abbey lands in Thimbleby are not, so far as we know, specially named in this grant, and therefore we are unable to say positively whether that family acquired property in Thimbleby or not ”

“ The great feature of the reign of Stephen was the large number of castles erected by lords who were almost more powerful than their sovereign, and Adelias built her castle at Horncastle, where she resided in great state until, on her favouring the cause of the Empress Maud, daughter of the previous king, Henry I. (whereas Stephen was only his nephew) , her lands were confiscated, and, as we have already seen, only restored on condition that her castle was demolished. [17a] This restoration was, however, only for life and on her demise the manor reverted to the crown. ”

“ The meadow which now lies in the angle formed by the junction of the Bain and Waring at Horncastle is still called “The Holms,” which is Danish for “islands.”
[2c] The name Bain, slightly varied, is not uncommon. There is the Bannon, or Ban-avon (“avon” also meaning “river”) , in Pembrokeshire; the Ban in Co. Wexford, Bana in Co. Down, Banney (i.e. Ban-ea, “ea” also meaning water) in Yorkshire, Bain in Herefordshire; Banavie (avon) is a place on the brightly running river Lochy in Argyleshire; and, as meaning “white,” a fair-haired boy or girl is called in Gaelic “Bhana.” ”

“ As 12 days elapsed between death and burial it is probable that he died abroad. The manor and whole parish, except the glebe, still belongs to the Rolleston family; the benefice being in the patronage of the Earl of Ancaster.
In the floor of the chancel are two memorial slabs, one of the Rev. R. Spranger, D.C.L., late Rector of Low Toynton and Creeton, who enlarged the rectory house, and was a munificent benefactor to the neighbourhood. Among other good deeds he built the bridge over the river Waring, on the road from Low Toynton to Horncastle. ”

“ For a final notice of old records connected with the church, we may mention a matter of less importance, but one which we can hardly realise, in these days of religious liberty, when everyone is “a law unto himself” in matters of faith, and even largely in practice. The parish book of the adjoining Thimbleby, which is in the soke of Horncastle, shews that, as late as the year 1820, the parish officials ordered all paupers, in receipt of parish relief, to attend the church services, on pain of forfeiting the aid granted ”

“ The rectory is a commodious house, built in 1839, doubtless on the site of the former monastic grange; it stands in an extensive garden, embowered among trees of goodly growth. A fine oil painting at the present time adorns the entrance hall. It is reputed to be by Spagnoletto, and was formerly in the monastery of St. Jerome, in Lisbon. Its size is 5-ft. by 4-ft., the subject being St. Jerome translating the Vulgate scriptures.
WEST ASHBY.
This parish, like High Toynton, Mareham-on-the-Hill and Wood Enderby, was formerly a hamlet of Horncastle, of which it adjoins the northern boundary. ”

“ Know that we, by the guidance of God, and p. 19for the health of our soul, and of the souls of our ancestors and descendants, have granted, and confirmed by this present charter, to God, and the church of the blessed Mary of Carlisle, and to the Venerable Father, Walter, Bishop of Carlisle,” &c. It then goes on to specify, among other privileges, that the bishop shall have “all chattells of felons and fugitives, all amerciaments and fines from all men and tenants of the manor and soke; that the bishop and his successors shall be quit for ever to the king of all mercies, fines (&c.) ”

“ Moorby was one of the “thousand four hundred and forty-two manors” which William the Conqueror took as his own portion, when he divided the lands of England among his Norman followers. Being in the Soke of Horncastle, it was doubtless granted, along with that manor, and those of West Ashby, High Toynton, and several others, to Adelias or Alice de Cundi, daughter of William de Cheney, Lord of Caenby ann Glentham, and wife of Roger de Cundi. As she took part against King Stephen, in favour of the Empress Maud, he took the property from her ”

“ John Fretwell was Rector of Winceby, and began his ministry in Horncastle, June 24th, 1782, and was Curate under the Vicars, Revs. James Fowler and Joseph Robinson. He would appear to have possessed a private income beyond his official stipend. He was probably, for some time, in sole charge of the cure, as we find him disposing of some of the “communion money,” for the benefit of the Dispensary, as recorded in a subsequent page of this chapter. There is a tablet of black marble on the north wall of the chancel, in St. Mary’s Church, in memory of Elizabeth, his first wife, who died Dec. ”

“ Within the arch is a Calvary Cross, on the steps of which are these words “He that believeth in Me hath everlasting life.” On the base of the stone is a quotation from the Burial Service, “Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, &c.” Near this a massive decorated cross bears the inscription: “Robert Giles, Vicar of Horncastle, died July 12th, 1872. Jesu, Mercy.” This is an exact reproduction of a granite cross in Willoughby churchyard, erected to the memory of the late Archdeacon Giles, the vicar’s brother. ”

“ In 1319, under Edward II., Robert de Bavent holds his land in Billesby of the King by the service of supplying “3 falcons for the royal use,” [27h] and, under Edward III., certain trustees of Peter de Bavent, by his will, transfer the manor of Mareham to the convent of Revesby, to provide a monk who shall daily throughout the year say masses “for the souls of the said Peter and Catherine, his wife, for ever.” [27i] Truly “L’ homme propose, et Dieu dispose,” for from this time forward we hear little of the Bavents. ”

“ He was interred in the chapel yard, a large stone on the west side marking his grave, while a tablet on the south wall, at the east end of the interior of the chapel bears this inscription, “Sacred to the memory of the Rev. John Pain, who was ordained Pastor over this church and congregation, Anno Domini 1821. As a minister he was talented, zealous and useful, his chief desire being to bring men unto God. As a man he was amiable and affectionate, his private life bearing testimony to the truth of those counsels he publicly taught. ”

“ Of this, he asserts, “the see of Carlisle is seized and the earl is not in legal possession by his lease now ‘in esse.’” [21c] He wages his suit “the more boldly, because of the extraordinary charges he has been at, from the lamentable scarcity in the country, the great multitude of poor people, and other charges before he came had made him a poor man, and yet he must go on with it . . . the number of them which want food to keep their lives in their bodies is so pitiful. ”