Willingham (Willingham by Stow)

Description and Travel

Willingham is both a parish and a village 6 miles southeast of Gainsborough and 11 miles south of Scunthorpe. The parish itself is bordered on the north by Upton parish, on the east by Fillingham parish, to the south by Stow parish. The parish covers just over 2,200 acres.

Willingham village is near the River Till, which passes near the east end of the village. If you are planning a visit:

• Take the B1241 trunk road at Lea off of the A156 trunk road south out of Gainsborough and head east about two miles, then follow that road as it turns south for about a mile.
  
  
• Visit our touring page for more sources.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Willingham sub-district of the Gainsborough Registration District.
  
  
• In an 1890 re-organization, the parish was placed in the Marton subdistrict of the Gainsborough Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives the Census Piece Numbers for the parish, where known.
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Helen.
  
  
• The body of the church dates from the 11th century and the tower from the 14th.
  
  
• The body of the church was rebuilt in 1880.
  
  
• The church seats 200.
  
  
• There is a photograph of St. Helen's Church on the Wendy Parkinson web site under "Yet More Lincolnshire".
  
  
• Here is a photo of St. Helen's Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1562.
  
  
• The National Burial Index lists 650 burials between 1813 and 1900.
  
  
• The Lincolnshire FHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Corringham Deanery to make your search easier.
  
  
• A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built here prior to 1841 and later joined by a Primitive Methodist chapel. 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 Willingham sub-district of the Gainsborough Registration District.
  
  
• In an 1890 re-organization, the parish was placed in the Marton subdistrict of the Gainsborough Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July 1837.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 8784.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #271 map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Medical Records

• There was a "cottage" hospital here, erected in 1880, but it only had room for 9 patients. No records of admissions are known.
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the ancient Well Wapentake (Well Hundred) in the West Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• The Common Land in this parish was enclosed in 1780.
  
  
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Gainsborough Poorlaw Union.
  
  

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Schools

• A school was built here in 1818 and enlarged in 1880.
  
  
• A School Board was formed here in Feb., 1876.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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