Tattershall

Description and Travel

Tattershall is both a village and parish about 120 miles north of London, 22 miles southeast of Lincoln and 9 miles southwest of Horncastle. Kirkby on Bain parish lies to the north. The River Witham flows along the southwest border of the parish. Coningsby parish lies across the River Bain to the southeast. The parish covers approximately 1,650 acres.

Tattershall village is southwest of Woodhall Spa, west off of the B1192 trunk road. The village is alongside the River Bain. Tattershall was an ancient market town. Tattershall Thorpe is a village in this same parish, just to the north of Tattershall. If you are planning a visit:

• The Blue Bell Inn welcomes travelers. Here are two photographs of the inn provided by Richard Short, of Nottingham (who retains the copyright):
  
  

• Julie Nicholls, in 2001, advised: "Tattershall is very rural, it is a village about 15 miles S.E. of Lincoln city and about 8 miles S. of Horncastle. It has a very impressive castle and at nearby Coningsby there is a Battle of Britain Memorial centre."
  
  
• Our touring page for area resources.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Tattershall sub-district of the Horncastle 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 the Holy Trinity.
  
  
• The church dates from just prior to 1455 (probably 1438-39). The church was unfinished at Cromwell's death in 1455. It is built of Ancaster stone. The church stands about 80 yards east of the castle, near the outer fosse.
  
  
• This large church seats about 520 people.
  
  
• An ancient brick building, near the end of the Market Place, is reputed to be the original parish church.
  
  
• Here are two photographs of Holy Trinity Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from the year 1569.
  
  
• The LFHS has published several indexes for the Horncastle Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• The Wesleyan Methodists had a chapel in Tattershall, built in 1849. The Wesleyan's also had a chapel in Tattershall Thorpe which they rebuilt in 1865. For more on researching these chapel records, 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 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

• Tattershall is generally considered to be the Roman site of Dorobrevis. They used it as a summer military station. Traces of the encampment can be found in Tatterrshall Park.
  
  
• A college was founded here under Henry VI (1438-9) by Sir Ralph de CROMWELL.
  
  
• Robert EUDO, in 1201, obtained a grant from Richard II to hold a weekly market here.
  
  
• Robert EUDO's son, Robert, obtained a license from Henry III to build a castle here.
  
  
• The first castle here was begun about 1230 by Robert of Tateshale, a descendant of EUDO. It is believed to have been finished in 1440.
  
  
• An annual cattle fair was held here each September 25th.
  
  

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Manors

• Right after the Norman Conquest, King WIlliam gave the manor at Tattershall, along with Tattershall Thorpe, to Eudo and Pinco, two Norman nobles.
  
  
• Tattershall was long celebrated for the beautiful remains of its ancient castle. The castle stood to the Southwest of the town and was erected around 1440. Considerable restoration was done in 1913.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2157.
  
  
• 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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Military Records

John Emerson, who retains the copyright, provides these photographs of the war memorial at Tattershall:

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Politics and Governance

• In 1880, a detached portion of Tattershall parish was ceded to the new Wildmore parish.
  
  
• Tattershall was also a township occupying about 2/3rds of the parish. Tattershall Thorpe is also a township in the parish.
  
  
• The parish was in the southern division of the ancient Gartree Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  
• Kelly's 1913 Directory of Lincolnshire places the parish, perhaps in error, in the South Lindsey district of the county.
  
  
• For today's governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• The parish had 10 tenements, occupied by 10 poor families, first established here as almshouses in 1440 by Sir Ralph de CROMWELL.
  
  
• In 1834, Hirst GIBSON bequeathed a charity which annually gave cloth and money to the parish poor.
  
  
• 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 National School was established here some time prior to 1842 and replaced by a new building in 1864. The school had been held in the parish church originally. The school was enlarged in 1873 and again in 1907 to hold up to 138 children.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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