Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle

by J. Conway Walter

Like some other parts of this parish, Holbeck also passed, at a later period, into the ownership of Mr. Stevens Dineley Totton, from whom Mr. John Fardell, of the Chantry, Lincoln, and formerly M.P. for that city, purchased this manor, about 1830. He took down the old residence, then a farmhouse, occupied by a Mr. Hewson, several of whose family are buried in the churchyard at Ashby, and built Holbeck Lodge, forming also the three lakes out of an extent of morass traversed by a brook, or beck. Portions of the old stables and outhouses still remain, but an interesting old circular dovecote [12a] was removed. There was, at that time, a watermill and cottage at the lower end of the lake. [12b]

The Lodge was subsequently bought by a Mr. Betts, but, through mortgages, it became the inheritance of a Miss Cunliffe, from whom Mr. Heywood recently bought it. This gentleman has made considerable improvements and additions to the residence, and one or two interesting discoveries have been made. In sinking a well there was found, at a depth of 20ft., an old key; also, as workmen were trying to trace a drain under the lawn, one of them dropped into a hollow below, where arches were found, apparently of ancient vaults. [12c] The monks of old knew what was meant by a good cellar, and these probably formed a part of the original monastic institution.

I now proceed to a description of the church of Ashby in the words of the late learned Precentor Venables, who gave it, on the visit of the Architectural Society in 1894 (which I conducted). “The chancel was restored in 1869 by the Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln. The rest was restored in 1877. The fabric consists of nave, north aisle chancel, porch, and western tower, having 2 bells. The main building is of the Early English style. A lancet window still remains in the south wall, and at the west end of the aisle. The other windows of the nave are mostly Perpendicular. On the south side of the chancel is a two-light square-headed window of the Decorated period. The arcade has two chamfered arches, on low cylindrical piers. The tower is low, of Perpendicular style, the green sandstone, picturesquely patched with brick, giving a mellowed tint to the whole. The west doorway is well proportioned, and the three-light Perpendicular window above it, and the tower arch are plain, but good. The font is plain octagonal. On the south wall is a brass to Richard Littlebury, of Stainsby, who died A.D. 1521, also his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Edmund Jenny, died in 1523, and their ten children. [13] Haines says that this brass was not cut till 1560, at the same time with another of a knight in armour, without inscription, probably one of the six sons. In the pavement is a very fine incised slab of blue marble, representing a priest in Eucharistic vestments, with chalice on his breast. The head, hands, chalice, and other portions were of brass, but have disappeared.” An interesting discovery was made in this parish rather more than 100 years ago, a description of which I here give in the words of Saunders (“Hist. County Lincoln,” vol. ii., p. 170, 1), who gives particulars more fully than any other authority I have been able to consult. “On the 26th of October, 1794, a labourer, cutting a ditch (the actual site is not given) discovered at a depth of three feet below the surface a Roman sepulchre, consisting of a stone chest, in which was deposited an urn of strong glass, well manufactured, but of a greenish hue; the chest was of freestone, such as is found in abundance on Lincoln heath. When found the urn was perfect and had not suffered any of that decay which generally renders the surface of Roman glass of a pearly or opaline hue, for the surface was as smooth as if it had newly come from the fire. This receptacle was nearly filled with small pieces of bone, many of which, from the effects of ignition, were white through their whole substance; and among the fragments was a small lacrymatory of very thin, and very green, glass, which had probably been broken through the curiosity of the finder, as he acknowledged his having poured out the contents upon the grass in the hope of finding money, before he took it to his employer. The circumstances attending this sepulchre clearly prove it to have been Roman. It is, however, singular that the place chosen was not, as was customary with that people, near to a highway, and that it does not appear to have been the burial place of a family, since, although the trench was dug quite across the field, no traces of a body having been buried in any other part of it were observed. . . . No traces of the Romans have been observed here . . . except that some coins of brass or copper were dug up in an orchard at Stainsby, said to have been Roman, but as they were not preserved this must remain doubtful. . . . The locality, however, is so adapted, for various reasons, to the Roman villa, that Sir Joseph Banks, in an article communicated to ‘Archæologia,’ vol. xii., p. 36, thought it ‘not improbable that such a residence might some day be discovered, the Roman town of Banovallum being so near, with a number of Roman roads branching through the country.’”

The name of Stainsby itself indicates a considerable antiquity, meaning the stones-farm. This may have been from stepping-stones over the Somersby beck, near at hand or from some quarry of the sandstone in the vicinity, still so largely used. The stones were evidently the distinguishing feature of the locality.

P.S.—The writer is requested to say that he is in error in connecting the family of Coltman of Ashby with that of the Pocklington Coltman of Hagnaby, the two being quite distinct.

Asterby.

Asterby is situated about 6½ miles from Horncastle in a north-easterly direction, being approached by the road to Scamblesby and Louth, but diverging from that road northward shortly before reaching Scamblesby. The Rector is the Rev. J. Graham, J.P., who has a substantial residence, erected at a cost of £1,200 in 1863, and standing on the slope of a hill in good grounds. Letters, viâ Lincoln, arrive at 10 a.m.

Not much can be gathered of the early history of this parish. It is named in Domesday Book Estreby; this may mean the “buy,” byre, or farmstead, of the Saxon Thane Estori. But, according to another interpretation, the three elements of the name are As, or Aes, tre and by; the first of these implying “water,” the second “a way” or “passage,” the third a “homestead,” the whole thus meaning the Homestead by the water-way; and so probably referring to the river Bain, which forms the boundary between this parish and Ranby; its breed of trout being not unknown to anglers of our own day.

According to the Domesday survey this manor belonged to the Norman noble Ivo Taillebois, doubtless through his marriage with the Saxon heiress of the Thorolds, the Lady Lucia. And she conveyed to the Priory of Spalding certain “temporalities,” i.e., rents of lands, here, as well as at Scamblesby; her uncle Thorold, Vice-Comes, or Sheriff, of Lincolnshire, being the founder of that institution, and she herself one of its chief benefactors. In the Priory Charters this parish is also called Esterby.

Ivo, however, was only this lady’s first husband, and, as is mentioned in the “Notes” on various other parishes with which he was connected, he died without issue; and on her re-marrying, [15a] her great possessions passed to the Romara family, subsequently to the Gaunts, and were then gradually broken up, and dispersed among their various descendants. Only a few fragmentary records of former owners can now be found.