Pinchbeck

Description and Travel

Pinchbeck is both a village and parish a mile north of Spalding and situated south of Surfleet parish that includes the hamlet of Pinchbeck West. The area is flat fenland, drained by many small canals. The parish covers over 14,000 acres.

The village of Pinchbeck is 2 miles north of Spalding on the Donington Road and 95 miles north of London. The River Glen flows easterly past the north end of the village. If you are planning a visit:

• It is probably easiest to take the A16 Motorway north from Spalding for about one mile, or south out of Boston past Seas End.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

Top

Census

• The parish was in the Pinchbeck sub-district of the Spalding Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• Check for ancestors on our 1901 Census Surname Extract.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

Top

Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Mary.
  
  
• There was a chapel of ease at Money Bridge in the 1800's.
  
  
• There is a photograph of St. Mary's Church on the Wendy Parkinson Church Photos web site.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. Mary's church, taken by (and copyright of) Gordon Walton.
  
  

• Here is a photo of St. Mary's Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

• West Pinchbeck is an ecclesiastical parish formed on 11 March 1851 from Pinchbeck and Spalding civil parishes.
  
  
• The Anglican parish church in West Pinchbeck is dedicated to St. Bartholomew.
  
  
• The church of St. Bartholomew was built in 1849.
  
  
• The church was restored in 1897.
  
  
• The church seats 350.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. Bartholomew's Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

Top

Church Records

• The Anglican parish registers exist from 1560.
  
  
• We have a small Register Extract file to which you are welcome to increase.
  
  
• Michael Edgoose has provided a list of Away from home - buried in Pinchbeck folk.
  
  
• West Pinchbeck parish registers exist from 1850.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the West Elloe Deanery.
  
  
• There was an Independent chapel built in the parish at Money Bridge in 1787. The Baptists built one in 1844 and the Free Church Methodists followed with a chapel in 1847. A United Methodist chapel was built in West Pinchbeck in 1863. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  
  

Top

Civil Registration

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

Top

History

• In 1742, a brass Roman coin of Commodus was found in the manor house gardens.
  
  
• The first drains around Pinchbeck were built in the 1590s.
  
  
• In 1871, a Mr. M. I. AITKEN had a flax scuthching mill here, employing about 100 people.
  
  
• The village is also mentioned in "Aspects of Spalding Villages," by Michael J. Elsden, cost is approx. £19.95.
  
  
• You can also find the village in "Remembrances of Times Past," by Tom Bray, publ. Elsam Cross & Co., Spalding, 2005.
  
  

Top

Manors

• The moated Manor House at Pinchbeck was Pinchbeck Hall or Otway Hall, depending on which of the two families who occupied it at the time. It was torn down in 1802 and a new Hall built in its place in 1812.
  
  

Top

Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2325.
  
  
• An Ordnance Survey #249 map will have a scale of 2.5 inches to 1 mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

Top

Military History

• We have eight photographs of the Pinchbeck War Memorial which honours those who served in both World Wars. The photographs may slow the download. To skip to the text list of names, go to the Pinchbeck War Memorial List.
  
  

Top

Names, Geographical

• The name Pinchbeck is from the Old English pinc+bece or pinca+bece, meaning either "Minnow Stream" or "Finch Ridge". In the 1086 Domesday book, the village is given as Pincebec.
  [A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991]
  
  

Top

Names, Personal

• George Edward Cockayne's "Lincolnshire Parish Registers and Monumental Inscriptions" contains a list of Rectors of Pinchbeck prior to 1699.
  
  
• Kelly's 1896 Directory lists these residents of the parish: BEATON Mrs. Pinchbeck Hall; WAYET Rev Frank Field (vicar); DARLEY Benjamin, farmer Surfleet Rd; DARLEY George, Farmer Surfleet Rd; GUY Benjamin, wheelwright and blacksmith, Knight St; GUY Sarah (Mrs) farmer; HARGRAVE Isaac butcher; NICHOLLS John farmer; ORBELL Samuel, The Bull Inn; RICHARDSON William, bulb and fruit grower and farmer Surfleet rd; ROWLAND John Wm farmer The Grange. (Thanks, Louise Oliver).
  
  
• Check for ancestors on our 1901 Census Surname Extract.
  
  

Top

Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the ancient Elloe Wapentake in the South Holland district of the parts of Holland.
  
  
• For today's local government, visit the local South Holland District Council site.
  
  

Top

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Spalding Poor Law Union.
  
  

Top

Population

Top

Probate Records

Michael Edgoose has an index to Pinchbeck wills (beneficiaries, witnesses, landlords, tenants, etc. mentioned in Pinchbeck wills 1500-1750) at Rootsweb. To access:

• Go to Rootsweb.com
• Enter the surname for which you are searching
• When the first page of results come back, then click on "British, UK and Ireland Data" to restrict the range of the display.
• Look for information given under the following sub-headings:
  1. Name: i.e. the subject of your search
  2. Location of Event: ENG
  3. Parish: Pinchbeck
  4. Date: 1500-1750 (i.e. the scope of the index)
  5. Source: The Lincs Archives Will Reference which includes the year of probate
  6. Notes: The name here is that of the testator. The information after the semi-colon is the relationship of the subject of your search to the testator.
     
     

The following, from Anne Cole, documents some Inquests held at The Horse and Jockey public house:

• Inquest held 2 May 1822 at the house of John Nickson, The Horse and Jockey, Pinchbeck.
  
  
• Inquest held 31 July 1834 at the house of John Hickson, The Horse and Jockey at the Northgate in the parish of Pinchbeck.
  
  
• Inquest held 24 Aug 1841 at the house of Joseph James Shotbolt, The Horse and Jockey, Pinchbeck.
  
  
• Inquest held 16 May 1843 at the house of Joseph Shotbolt, The Horse and Jockey, Pinchbeck.
  
  

Top

Schools

• Pinchbeck West school was erected here in 1849, followed by Pinchbeck East in 1854. Between them, in 1911, they held 350 children.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

Top

Return to the Alphabetical Index

© 2002 EnglandGenWeb Project