“Sacred to the Memory of the Rev. Mr. THO: GIBSON, A.M. Forty four years Vicar of this Parish. He liv’d in such times when Truth to the Church, and Loyalty to the King, met with Punishment due only to the Worst of Crimes. He was by the Rebellious Powers carried away Prisoner, four times, from his congregation, once exchanged into the Garrison of Newark, for a Dissenting Teacher: afterwards Sequester’d, and his family driven out by the then Earl of Manchester. He survived the Restoration, and was brought back at the head of several hundreds of his Friends, and made a Prebendary in the Cathedral Church of Lincoln. As his Enemies never forgave his Zeal to the Church and Crown: so nothing but the height of Christian Charity could forgive the insults he met with from them. He Died April the 22d, 1678.”
Against the wall on the south side of the chancel is a lozenge shaped piece of canvas, on which are painted these arms: Argent, two bars sable, each charged with three mullets of six points or, pierced gules; and under them the following inscription:
“Here lieth the worthy and memorable Kt. Sir INGRAM HOPTON, who paid his debt to nature and duty to his King and Country in the attempt of seizing the Arch-rebel in the bloody skirmish near Winceby, October the 6th, A.D. 1643. [29]
“—nec tumultum
Nec mori per vim metuit, tenente
Cæsare terras.“Paulum sepultæ distat inertiæ
Celata virtus.”
On a stone in the floor of the chancel is this inscription, in capital letters:
“M. S.
THOMÆ LODINGTON, LL. D.
Qui Vicarii jure usus
Sacra apud Paganos de Horncastle
De More Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ
Annos perpetuos XLV peregit
Annorumque LXXIII Curriculo
Confecto Morti cessit
Mar. XXI A.D. MDCCXXIII.
Posuit Pientissima Conjux
Prudentia Lodington.”
Beside the sepulchral memorials already detailed, are a number of others on the floor, and a few of recent date, on marble tablets, against the walls.
At the end of the north aisle of the chancel, is the following table:
The BENEFACTORS to the CHURCH and POOR of this Town, the Clauses of whose Wills may be seen at large in a Book in the Town Chest. Note these Tables were erected 1724.
William Everitt and Joseph Brown Churchwardens.
Anno 1611, October. Mr. Robert Clark of Woodhall gave to the Poor of this town . . . Shillings a year, to be paid to vicar on St Thomas’s, and by him to be distributed every Christmas-day for ever, out of his lands in Thimbleby, now belonging to John Hutchinson, Gent.
Mrs Ann Smith gave to the poor of Horncastle twenty shillings a year out of her lands there, now in the possession of Mr. Thomas Coats: it is given in brown bread every Good Friday.
George Acham of Asterby, Gent. gave also one hundred and forty pounds, to purchase lands, the rents thereof to be disposed off yearly to the poor of Horncastle, at the discretion of the governors of the free-school (for the time being,) which lands are in the parish of Burgh in the Marsh.
Anno 1629 May the 2d. Mr. William Hurtscroft gave one house the yearly rent of fifty-two shillings; to be given weekly (viz.) twelve pence in bread every Lord’s day to poor fatherless and motherless children in Horncastle, by the Overseers for the poor; the said house now in the possession of widow Scamon.
The same year. Andrew Kent, gent. gave six pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence, to be a stock for the poor of Horncastle, which is applied accordingly in coals for their use.
Anno 1661, June the 6th. Thomas Bromley of Conesby gent, left to the poor of this town forty shillings per annum (viz.) twenty shillings every good Friday, and twenty every St. Thomas’s day, to be paid out of his lands in Haltham super Bane; now the said lands belong to Thomas Hammerton gent.
Rutland Snowden, gent. gave to the poor of Horncastle one house of the yearly rent of twenty-six shillings; but being decayed is now reduced to thirteen, paid in bread sixpence every other Sunday: the said house belongs now to Mr. William Dawson.
Anno 1673, December the 5th. Thomas James, gent. gave to the poor of Horncastle twenty shillings yearly in white bread on every Christmas day for ever payable out of his lands there, which lands are now the estate of Thomas Howgrave, Esquire.
Anno 1702, December the 20th. Captain John Francis gave two chaldern of coals yearly to be given to the poor, appointed by the governors of the school, out of lands in this town now the Rev. Mr. John Francis’s of Sibsey.
Anno 1703, December the 14th. Mrs Douglass Tyrwhitt of Gaiton on the would gave ten shillings yearly to the poor of Horncastle on St. Thomas’s day, out of her lands in Belshford, now the lands of Joseph Sutton of the same.
Anno 1696, May the 26th. Nicholas Shipley, gent. gave to this church one brass candlestick of twenty-four sockets, and Fox’s three books of martyrs. He gave also to the poor five pounds, which was immediately given amongst them, and thirty shillings yearly for ever, (viz.) twenty on St. Thomas’s day, and ten every good Friday, in brown bread, to be paid out of his lands adjoining to this church yard, now purchased by Mr. Thomas Hammerton. He gave also to the governors of the school one hundred pounds the interest thereof to put out poor boys apprentices to trades; but their then treasurer dying insolvent, that money was lost. We mention this here because this misfortune doth not lessen the charity of that well disposed gentleman.
Anno 1719. Mrs. Mary Hussey, widdow, gave one silver plate to the communion table for ever.
Anno 1721. Mrs. Dorothy Parker of Boston, gave to this church one brass candlestick of sixteen sockits, and to the poor widdows and widdowers of this town she gave sixty pounds, the interest or rents thereof to be given amongst them on St. John’s day, in Christmas, and St. James’s in July, yearly for ever.
Anno 1724. Mrs Mary Waters, widdow, gave to the overseers of the poor, five pounds, to be by them put out at interest, and the said interest to be given to the poor yearly on Christmas day for ever.
Against the wall over the north entrance are several scythes and hay knives, some of which are yet remaining in the shafts to which they have been affixed, in order to render them instruments of warfare. The occasion for which they were so prepared is unknown, the traditionary accounts of them being both vague and contradictory.
In the steeple are six bells, bearing the following inscriptions in capital letters: