Asterby (also Asserby)

Description and Travel

Asterby is both a town and parish six and half miles north of Horncastle and eight miles southwest of Louth. The parish itself is bounded on the north by Stenigot parish, to the west by Goulceby and on the south by Hemingby parish. The parish is in the heart of The Wolds. In 1871, the civil parish covered about 900 acres, but that was enlarged by 1900 to 1,100 acres. The ecclesiastical parish included Goulceby.

Asterby is a small village, often not marked on many modern maps. In was more populous in ancient times (see Population). If you are planning a visit:

• The town is easily accessed as it lies just north of the A153 trunk road between Louth and Horncastle.
  
  
• Silverines Meadow is a grassland area preserved by the Lincolnshire Trust. Map co-ordinates are TF 259787.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Horncastle sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• The North Lincolnshire Library holds copies of the census returns for 1841 and 1881.
  
  
• 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. Peter.
  
  
• The church was renovated in 1900.
  
  
• The church seats about 140.
  
  
• The Diocese of Lincoln declared St. Peter's Church redundant in November, 1983. It was retained by the parish as a monument in 1988.
  
  
• There is a photograph of St. Peter's Church on the Wendy Parkinson web site.
  
  
• Here is a photograph St. Peter's Church supplied by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  
  

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Church Records

• Parish registers exist from 1686, although Bishop's transcripts go back to 1561.
  
  
• We have the beginnings of the church parish register extract in a text file for your review. Your additions are welcomed.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage indexes for the Horncastle Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• A Wesleyan Methodist chapel wes erected here in 1866. The Baptists also held services in the parish for many years in a chapel near Goulceby village. For more on these chapels and their records, check our Non-Conformist Church Records page for additional resources.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Horncastle sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which started in July, 1837.
  
  

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History

• In 1821, at Hall Close, three human skeletons and a dirk were dug up.
  
  

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Land and Property:

• In 1842, Sigismund Trafford SOUTHWELL, Esq., owned the greater part of the parish and was lord of the manor.
  
  
• In 1872, William S. TRAFFORD, Esq., was the principal landowner and lord of the manor. William PINNING and Benjamin HARRISON also had estates in the parish.
  
  
• In 1900, William Henry TRAFFORD, Esq., of Wroxham Hall, Norfolk, was the principal landowner and lord of the manor.
  
  
• In 1913, William Henry TRAFFORD, Esq., was the principal landowner and lord of the manor.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2679.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer 273 map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our "Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Names, Geographical

• The name of Asterby comes from the Old English and Old Scandinavian combination easterra+by or "easterly farmstead".
  A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991.
  
  
• The name also appears in old records as Asserby and Aisterby.
  
  

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Names, Personal

• White's 1842 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: FOWLER, HARRISON, KIRKBY, MARTIN and TRAFFORD.
  
  
• White's 1872 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: ATKIN, BABB, BLAND, BROWN, FRITH, GRIFFIN, GUNNELL, HALL, HARRISON, HATCLIFF, HUTCHINSON, JACKSON, KIRKBY, LEONARD, MARTIN, PINNING and WRIGHT.
  
  
• Kelly's 1900 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: ASHLEY, BONNETT, FISHER, GRAHAM, GRIFFIN, HOWARD, LEE, LEONARD, WALTER and WRIGHT.
  
  
• Kelly's 1913 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: ASHLEY, BURKITT, EAST, ENDERBY, FAULKNER, GRAHAM, GRIFFIN, HOWARD, PATCHETT and SMITH.
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the ancient Gartree Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  
• For today's governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• The common lands were enclosed here around 1790.
  
  
• In 1638 Anthony ACHAM left a yearly rent charge of £2 and 10 Shillings for the poor, which was distributed in bread.
  
  
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Horncastle Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

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Schools

• A public elementary school was built here for the children of this parish and Goulceby about 1756, partly endowed by Anthony ACHAM. The school was rebuilt in 1826 and again in 1865.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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