Billinghay

• The parish was in the Billinghay sub-district of the Sleaford Registration District.
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Michael.
• The church has Norman arches but the date of construction is uncertain.
• The church spire was rebuilt in 1787.
• The church was thoroughly restored and reseated in 1856.
• The church is a Grade I listed building with British Heritage.
• The church seats 300.
• David HITCHBORNE has a photograph of the church interior on Geo-graph, taken in 2004.
• Here are two photos of St. Michael's church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):

• The Anglican Church at Walcot is dedicated to Saint Oswald.
• Here is a photos of St. Oswald's church, taken by Ron COLE (who retains the copyright):

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1627.
• The Lincoln Archives have the parish register for your review (and purchase of copies).
• The Lincolnshire FHS has a Loan Library service which has the parish registers on microfiche for Baptisms from 1567 to 1813 and Marriages from 1567 to 1813.
• The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Lafford Deanery to make your search easier.
• Shelley CLACK provides this list of St. Oswald's (Walcott) churchyard monument inscriptions to help you with your search. The file is in a Portable Document File.
• There were three Non-conformist chapels in the parish: Weslyan Methodist, Baptist and Primitive Methodist. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
• Andrew HILL provides a photograph of the Baptist Church on Geo-graph, taken in 2009.
• John SKIPWORTH was the Baptist Minister in Billinghay around 1845 till 1870.
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.

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

This village, township and parish are 10 miles northeast of Sleaford, on the A153 trunk road. Timberland parish is to the north, and Digby parish to the west. The parish covers about 3,670 acres.

Walcot, often spelled Walcott, is a hamlet (and township) in Billinghay parish, northwest of Billinghay village. Dogdyke is a township in the parish, but most of the township is now a separate parish. If you are planning a visit:

• A small stream, called the Skirth, divides North Kyme from Billinghay and passes through the parish.
• Parts of the Skirth are navigable, but much of it is just a drainage canal. Richard CROFT catured a Narrowboat on the Skirth on Geo-graph, taken in 2008.
• The old Roman Car Dyke passes through the parish.
• See our touring page for more sources.

• Geograph
• Flickr

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Billinghay to another place.

• The parish register tells us that, in 1746, 132 of the parishioners had smallpox and that 10 of them died.
• Billinghay had a police station in 1912. Inspector Charles TAYLOR was in charge and had one constable assigned to him.

• See our "Maps" page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF156549 (Lat/Lon: 53.078823, -0.275751), Billinghay which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• Richard CROFT has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2008.

For a photograph of the Billinghay War Memorial and the names on the plaques in the church, see the Roll of Honour site.

There is one World War II grave in the St. Michael Churchyard:

1. Cyril LAMYMAN, sapper, Royal Engineers, age 37, died 2 Feb. 1944. Husband of Mabel.

• Locals often pronounce the name like "Billing - huh".

Here's a newspaper clipping mentioning the village. Unfortunately, the newspspaer's name is lost, but the date is 13 Oct. 1917: Diane Maltby

BILLINGHAY
MILITARY MEDALLIST.- We are pleased to announce that Lce.-Corpl. Atkin, of the Leinsters, has come home on ten days' leave from France after winning the Military Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty. He is in the best of health and spirits, although he has endured some very hard times in the trenches. He has been out in France for eleven months, and has the distinction of being the first Billinghay boy to win honours.
ON LEAVE.- Lieut. W. Cullen has been visiting Billinghay on leave from France. -Pte. Albert Atkin, who some time ago was seriously wounded, has been home for a few days' leave from Hospital in Scotland.
WESLEYAN CHAPEL.- On Sunday week the harvest thanksgiving services were held in connection with the above church. Eloquent sermons were preached by the Rev. Bishop, of Sleaford. The chapel had been tastefully decorated for the occasion with flowers, fruit, etc. Mrs. Goodman (North Kyme) presided at the organ. On Thursday evening the Rev. Lee (Metheringham) preached. The fruit, vegetables, etc., were afterwards sold by Mr. William Ravell.

And from 27 Oct. 1917: Diane Maltby

ROAD ACCIDENT.- On Monday, Samuel Gibson, of Ropsley, was found lying in an unconscious condition on the main road, near Tattershall Bridge, a pony and cart being close by. No one knew how he came there, and it is supposed that the pony ran away, the man falling off the trap and being run over. Inspector Taylor had him brought to Sleaford Infirmary.
DEATH.- We regret to announce the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Porter Atchinson, who during the last few years had resided with her daughter in Nottingham. The deceased, who was in her 85th year, was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frances Gilbert, seed merchants of this village.
A BILLINGHAY HERO [with photograph]
Our photograph is of Lance-Corporal Walter Atkin, who was awarded the Military Medal, particulars of which appeared in a recent issue.

• This place was an ancient parish in Lincolnshire and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
• The parish was in the first division of the ancient Langoe Wapentake in the North Kesteven division of the county, in the parts of Kesteven.
• You may contact the Billinghay Parish Council regarding civic or political issues, but they are NOT staffed to assist you with family history searches.
• For today's governance, see the North Kesteven District Council.

• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Sleaford petty session hearings every Monday.
• In 1799 the parish built its own workhouse for the local poor.
• After the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act reforms, the parish became part of the Sleaford Poor Law Union.

Year	Inhabitants
1801	579
1841	1,245
1871	1,501
1881	1,440
1891	1,315
1911	1,288
1921	1,226
1931	1,222

• A Public Elementary School was built here in 1868 to hold up to 158 children.
• A second Public Elementary School was built here in 1884 to hold up to 206 children. Both schools were in use in 1912.
• A Public Elementary School was built at Walcot in 1881 to hold up to 103 children.
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.