Revesby

Description and Travel

Revesby (sometimes "Revesby Abbey") is both a village and a parish in the Wold hills, 7 miles southeast of Horncastle and 12 miles north of Boston. Moorby parish lies to the north, Mareham le Fen parish to the west and Carrington parish to the southeast. The parish covered about 4,970 acres in 1815 (part of this was a fen allotment in Wildmore Fen). The parish includes the hamlets of Tumby Wood (not to be confused with Tumby or Tumby Woodside), Medlam, and Moor Houses. These last two are in the West Fen area, part of the drained land, near the Newham Drain, which leads to the River Witham. They are believed to be the former dairyfarms of the old abbey.

Revesby village is skirted on the north by the A155 trunk road as it passes between Conningsby and Spilsby. If you are planning a visit:

• Take the B1183 south out of Horncastle or north out of Boston. When it meets the A155, you are in the village.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Tattershall sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• The North Lincolnshire Library holds a copy of the parish 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. Lawrence.
  
  
• The old church was rebuilt by a member of the BANKS family.
  
  
• A new St. Lawrence Church was erected in 1891 on the site of the former building.
  
  
• The church seats about 192.
  
  
• A photograph of St. Lawrence church is at the Wendy Parkinson English Church Photographs site.
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. Lawrence Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

• A chapel of ease was built in Moor Houses, about 3.5 miles south of Revesby village, in 1875. It has 90 sittings.
  
  
• The church at Moor Houses is also dedicated to St. Lawrence.
  
  

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Church Records

• Parish register entries start in 1594.
  
  
• Burial register entries for St. Lawrence (1813-1900) are included in the National Burial Index (NBI).
  
  
• The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Horncastle Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  
  

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Civil Registration

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

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History

• Near the village is the site of an ancient encampment, though to be of pre-Danish origin. A British Chief is believed buried in the tumulus.
  
  
• In 1142, William De ROMARA, Earl of Lincoln and lord of the manor at Revesby, founded an Abbey here for Cistertian monks. In 1538 it was granted to Charles BRANDON, Duke of Suffolk, and it passed from his family to the HOWARDs, Dukes of Berkshire, and from them to the BANKS family. Abbot's Lodge is all that remains of the monastic buildings.
  
  
• Most of the southern part of the parish was bog-like Fen until drained between 1802 and 1813. Prior to that, this portion of the parish was sparsely populated. Population increased greatly for a few decades after the draining.
  
  
• The parish used to hold a Pleasure Fair on October 24th of each year.
  
  
• In 1909, a Parish Hall was erected.
  
  

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Land and Property

• In 1842, the chief landowners were Sir James Banks STANHOPE, lord of the manor, R. A. CHRISTOPHER and several smaller owners.
  
  
• In 1872, the chief landowners were Sir James Banks STANHOPE, lord of the manor, Sir J. H. HAWLEY, Samuel PARK and several smaller owners.
  
  
• In 1900, the chief landowners were Mrs. STANHOPE, lady of the manor, Sir Henry Michael HAWLEY, baronet, William VINCENT and several smaller owners.
  
  

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Manors

• Revesby Hall, sometimes called Revesby Abbey was built around 1660 by Craven HOWARD, about a mile east of the village, near the site of the ancient abbey. It was later enlarged by the BANKS family. The new hall was built in 1849 to replace the older one.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2961.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #261 map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Names, Geographical

• The name derives from the Old Scandinavian Refr+by, meaning "farmstead of a man named Refr". It appeared in the 1086 Domesday Book as Resuesbi.
  [A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991].
  
  

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Names, Personal

• Sir Joseph BANKS, baronet, born in London, was the son of William BANKS of Revesby Abbey, who died in 1743. In 1763, Joseph made a voyage to the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador as an explorer and scientist. In 1768, he accompanied Captain COOK on his voyage to the South Sea islands. In 1777, he was elected President of the Royal Society, and held that position until his death in 1820.
  
  
• White's 1842 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: ALLETT, BENTON, BLAKEY, BONNER, BROCKLESBY, CHAPMAN, CLEMENT, COMPTON, CONEY, COVIL, CURTIS, DICKINSON, FOUNTAIN, FOWLER, GRAHAM, GRAVES, GREEN, HODGSON, HOLMES, HOULDEN, INGOLDBY, KIRTON, LAKE, MORLEY, NORTH, SCOTT, SERLS, SHERIFF, SKELTON, SOULBY, STANHOPE, STENNETT, TRAFFORD, VIETCH, WATKINS and WINTER.
  
  
• White's 1872 Directory lists the following surnames in the parish: ADDISON, BARKER, BELL, BETT, BLACKIE, BROCKLESBY, BROOKE, BURN, CANHAM, CHAPMAN, CHEATLE, CLARKSON, COMPTON, DONABY, EDWARDS, HOLMES, HOULDEN, JOHNSON, KING, LAKE, MORLEY, NORTH, ORGANER, OVERTON, PETT, ROBERTS, RUSSELL, SCOTT, SKELTON, SMITH, STANHOPE, STENNETT, TAYLOR, THISTLETHWAITE, TRAFFORD and WILSON.
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the West division of the ancient Bolingbroke Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  
• The parish was also in the Bolingbroke Soke.
  
  
• In 1880, the parish boundaries were adjusted and detached parts went to Leake parish near Boston and to Carrington parish.
  
  
• For today's governance, visit the East Lindsey District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• In 1672, Theophilus HART bequeathed 20 Shillings a year for the poor out of rent charges for land at Moor Houses.
  
  
• In 1727, Joseph BANKS established an Almshouse for five poor men and five poor women. The endowment gave the Almshouse £50 in 1842 toward food and fuel.
  
  
• An unknown donor left 20 Shillings a year for the poor out of rent charges for land at Thorpe.
  
  
• 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 school was built here in 1858 to hold 100 children.
  
  
• Children from Moor Houses attended school at Tumby Woodside.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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