Alford

Description and Travel

Alford is both a parish and a small but ancient market town. A small brook runs through the parish, which sits 141 miles north of London, and only 6 miles from the North Sea, 8 miles northeast of Spilsby and 13 miles southeast of Louth. Bilsby parish is just to the east, and Well parish to the south. The parish covers about 1,100 acres.

If you are planning a visit:

• Well parish is also called "Holy Well" because the well is said to have medicinal properties.
  
  
• By automobile, the town is just east of the A16 trunkroad that runs between Spilsby and Louth. From that road, take the A1104 east about two miles to Alford.
  
  
• Visit the Alford Town website to see what is happening in town. The town has an official guide available at the Library and the Tourist Office, and cost is around 50p.
  
  
• For more local information, try the Alford Council website.
  
  
• For photographs of the village sign, taken in 2008 by Patricia McCrory, please see the Genuki Alford parish profile.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

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Cemeteries

• The Cemetery, laid out in 1881, covered two acres and is on the south side of the town and contains a mortuary chapel. It was under the control of the Town Council
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Alford sub-district of the Spilsby 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 Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Wilfrid (sometimes given as St. Wilfred) and is built of green sandstone.
  
  
• The church was endowed in 1209.
  
  
• The church was rebuilt around 1250 to replace a smaller structure.
  
  
• Queen Elizabeth's grammar School started in a room above the church porch.
  
  
• The church was restored and enlarged in 1867-8.
  
  
• The church seats about 750 persons.
  
  
• There is a photograph of St. Wilfrid's church on the Wendy Parkinson Church Photos web site, taken by Paul Fenwick.
  
  
• Here is a photograph St. Wilfrid Church supplied by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish church register dates from 1538.
  
  
• The Lincolnshire Archives holds: Baptisms 1561-1987; Marriages 1538-1998; Burials 1538-1944; Bishops Transcripts 1561-1836 and 1882-1891.
  
  
• The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has copies of the parish register on film 1541968 covering baptisms 1845-1944.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage indexes and a burial index for the Calcewaith and Candleshoe Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• There were chapels here prior to 1871 for Wesleyan Methodists, Reformed Methodists and Primitive Methodists, as well as Independents and Baptists. The Wesleyans built their's in 1864-5 to seat up to 700 members and guests. The Congragational Chapel was founded in 1795. A United Methodist chapel was built in 1850. 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 Alford sub-district of the Spilsby Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
  
  

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History

• Ivan Dominikovich tell us:
  In the year 1630 Alford was plague stricken, almost a quarter of a century earlier than the great plague of London in 1665. The town was probably saved from extinction by the generosity of the people of the surrounding districts when a cross was placed on the top of a hill (Mikes Cross Hill). In a receptacle that contained vinegar [the only known disinfectant at that time] the Alford people placed their money, the other people would bring food stuffs, poultry, eggs etc., and place it out at fixed prices and retire. The Alford people then climbed the hill, removed the food they wanted and left money in its place. This way they never came into contact but were able to know the situation and in doing so surely saved Alford and many of its families from disaster. At the top of Miles Cross Hill the food was left by a large stone. At some point this PLAGUE STONE as it is locally known was removed and placed in the garden of Tothby Manor where it still lies today.
  
  
• Market Day was held every Tuesday.
  
  
• The Alford Savings' Bank was established in 1817.
  
  
• A gas works was erected here in 1842.
  
  
• A Police Station was built here in 1844.
  
  
• Around 1850, the East Lincolnshire branch of the Great Northern railway established a station here, about a half mile west of the town.
  
  
• The Corn Exchange was erected here in the Market Place in 1856.
  
  
• There is a booklet entitled: "Alford Guide and History," by Geoff HADFIELD and Jane HILL.
  
  

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Manors

• Alford Manor House is a Grade II listed Building, and it could be one of England's largest thatched Manor Houses. Recent research by a York University archaeological team has dated the House to 1611. The building was erected from the start as a timber and masonry structure, known now as a mud and stud house.
  
  
• In 1900, Alford Manor House was the residence of Major John HIGGINS.
  
  
• Alford Manor House was given to the town by Dorothy HIGGINS, whose Grandfather had once lived there. In 1967 Alford Civic Trust was formed with the aim of preserving the House, and it is now owned by Alford and District Civic Trust Ltd.
  
  
• There is a photograph of the Manor House, showing its thatched roof, taken in 2008 by Patricia McCrory, on the Genuki Alford Parish Profile.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 4575.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Military History

• A Volunteer Corps, consisting of 100 men, was formed in 1860. The officers were Captain HIGGINS, Lieutenant CARTWRIGHT and Ensign HANDSLEY.
  
  
• In 1900, Alford was home to F Company of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, housed in the Drill Hall in South End. The Captain was Thomas Eeward SANDALL, Lieutenants were Charles H. HUMPHREYS and Joseph F. PORTER, the chaplain was Rev. B. G. JARRETT and the Drill Instructor was Col-Sergt. Henry YALLOP.
  
  
• In 1912, Alford was home to F Company of the 5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, housed in the Drill Hall in South End. The Captain was James Henry HADFIELD, and the Drill Instructor was Sergt. Wm. COLDWELL. The Territorial Drill Hall was erected in 1910.
  
  
• The Alford War Memorial was dedicated in August 1919 in pouring rain by Lt Col. SANDELL, a local man who had been the Colonel of 1/5th Lincolnshire Regiment throughout the Great War. He was a doctor by profession. The memorial is immediately outside the main door of St Wilfrid's Parish Church. My thanks to volunteers who have added more than just the names to this list.
  
  

ERRATA: Supplied by Allan Middleton. John Lambert who died in WWI and comes from Alford is: John G. Lambert, Private, Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Batalion, service no. 20051. Under additional information at the CWWG website it says: Son of Charles Lambert Middleton and Lucy Lambert, of Finsbury Street, Alford, Lincs. His brothers Bertie and Herbert also fell. The Roll of Honour records the entry for one: John G. Lambert, son of John Pogson, of 21, Rosegarth St., Boston, Lincs.

• Another Roll of Honour, this time for World War 2. Supplied by John Readman. Captioned:
  ALFORD WITH RIGSBY And AILBY ROLL OF HONOUR 1939 - 1945
  FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
  
  

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

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Names, Geographical

• The name Alford is from an ancient ford over a stream.
  
  

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Names, Personal

• Click to see the text file: Bailey's British Merchant's and Trader's Useful Companion for 1784 list of names. [Mark in Barcelona]
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the ancient Calceworth Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  
• For today's governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
  
  
• The town of Alford is governed by an Urban District Council first established in April, 1896.
  
  
• A "petty session" court was held here every alternate Tuesday at the local Police Station.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• In 1668, Sir Robert CHRISTOPHER left £550 to build an almshouse at Alford for six poor women. The sum was augmented in 1716 by Lord Harborough. The almshouse was rebuilt in 1870.
  
  
• After the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, the parish became part of the Spilsby Poorlaw Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1801	1,040
1831	1,784
1871	2,881
1881	2,894
1891	2,843
1901	2,478
1911	2,394
1921	2,194
1931	2,227
1951	2,218
1961	2,139

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Schools

• Francis SPANNING founded the Grammar School here in 1565. In the 1800s, the school was "free for the classics to all the boys of Alford" and some neighboring parishes. This was later known as "Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School" and later was a secondary school.
  
  
• A National School was first built here in 1820, expanded in 1860 and again in 1866. It was on West Street. It is believed that this is the "Daddy Ruston School" identified by John Readman, which was converted in 1958 to the Ritz cinema and later became a carpet shop. However, it may also be the "John Spendluffe School".
  
  
• A Girls' National School was built in 1851, and enlarged in 1866.
  
  
• An Infants' School was built in West Street to hold up to 180 children.
  
  
• An Education Committee for the Public Elementary Schools was formed in 1903.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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