Skegness

The Skegness Library is normally open six days a week. It is located on Roman Bank, a ten minute walk from the bustling seafront and five minutes from the town centre.

• Skegness Library
• 23 Roman Bank
• Skegness
• PE25 2SA
• Tele: 01522 782010

• KIME, Winston, "Skegness in Old Photographs," Sutton, 1992, 160 pages, ISBN 0-750-9012-17.

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

Census Year	Piece No.
1841	H.O. 107 / 644
1851	H.O. 107 / 2110
1861	R.G. 9 / 2376
1871	R.G. 10 / 3394
1881	R.G. 11 / 3257
1891	R.G. 12 / 2604

• The original parish church was the Church of Saint Clementt, built in 1280, but this was destroyed in the flood of 1526. The present St Clement's church is believed to date from around the middle of the 17th century.
   
• St. Clement's is a Grade II listed building in reasonable condition.
   
• St. Clements was partially restored in 1884.
   
• The churchyard at St. Clements was enlarged and reconsecrated in 1894.
   
• The "new" church of Saint Matthew was built of Ancaster stone and opened in September, 1880.
   
• The "old" church of Saint Matthew was then used for summer services only.
   
• This church could seat 750.
   
• There is a photograph of the Anglican parish church on the Wendy PARKINSON web site.
   
• Richard CROFT has a photograph of St. Matthew's Church on Geo-graph, taken in February, 2006.
   

• The Anglican parish church registers date from 1653, although Bishop's transcripts go back to 1562.
   
• The parish lies in the Calcewaith & Candleshoe Deanery.
   
• We have an Obituary Extract text file. Your additions are welcome.
   
• The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel on High Street in 1876.
   
• The Primitive Methodists built a chapel on on the Roman Bank in 1836.
   
• Dr. Neil CLIFTON has a photograph of St. Paul's Baptist Church on Geo-graph, taken in Sept., 2009.
   
• Richard HAORE also has a photograph of St. Paul's Baptist Church in Beresford Avenue on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2015.
   
• The Catholic Church of The Sacred Heart was erected on Grosvenor road in 1898 and can seat 150 persons.
   
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.

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

Skegness is both a village and a parish that lie on the North Sea at the end of the A52 trunk road, about 12 miles north-east of Boston. Croft parish lies to the south and Winthorpe parish to the north. The parish covers about 2,150 acres. The town is noted for its six-mile-long beach. It boasts organised beach games during the summer, bars and cafes, amusements, gardens, illuminations and a thriving night life led by the Embassy Centre.

If you are planning a visit:

• There are frequent train and bus services to Skegness. See our transport page for these services.
   
• You'll know that you are THERE when you see this Sign as photographed by J. THOMAS on Geo-graph, taken in June, 2013.
   
• See our touring page for visitor services.

• Geograph
• Flickr

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

• In 1526, a disastrous flood wiped out the entire settlement at Skegness.
   
• In 1873, the first rail line was built to Skegness, prompting a population explosion.
   
• The Police Station was erected on the Roman Bank on land selected in 1880. Petty Session hearings were held on alternate Tuesdays at Noon.
   
• Ben BROOKSBANK has a photograph of Skegness in 1967 on Geo-graph, taken in May 1967.
   
• The Clock Tower in Skegness is correctly called the "Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower" in honor of Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee.

The Skegness Lifeboat has been a popular topic of recent history, and Trevor HEWSON tells us that the original address of the Lifeboat Service (RNLI, The Lifeboat house, South Parade, Skegness) is now a souvenir shop. The new lifeboat house is on Tower Esplanade - a lot nearer to the sea. The lifeboat is still launched off a trailer, towed into the sea by a submersible tractor. The lifeboat house is normally open to the public and its walls are covered with photos of crews past and present and details of the various rescue missions that have been undertaken. The staff at the lifeboat house are happy to respond to family history enquiries (being a charity though, please at least enclose an SAE and a small donation would be welcomed).

• See our Maps page for additional resources.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF566634 (Lat/Lon: 53.144299, 0.33989), Skegness 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.

• The Isolation Hospital for Infectious Diseases was built on Wainfleet Road.
   
• The Skegness and District Cottage Hospital was built on Skegness Road and opened in May, 1913 for 14 patients. This hospital was incorporated into the National Health Service in 1939.
   
• No hospital was required to archive patient records, although the archives may hold financial records and photographs from these institutions.

• For a few weeks in 1914, Naval Air Station Skegness was in operation flying patrols from the Humber River to Cromer. It was replaced by NAS Killingholme.
   
• The civilain airfield at Skegness Ingoldmells is not related to the above airstation.
   
• Adrian S. PYE has a photograph of the Burma Star Association memorial on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2020.
   
• Adrian S. PYE also has a photograph of the Royal British Legion memorial on Geo-graph, taken in March, 2020.
   
• And Adrian also has a photograph of the HMS Royal Arthur facility memorial on Geo-graph, also taken in March, 2020.
   
• David HITCHBORNE has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in May, 2008.
   
• Richard HOARE also has a photograph of the War Memorial on Geo-graph, taken in January, 2015. He notes that civilians are listed on the plinth.

The name Skegness is from the Old Scandinavian Skeggi, a personal name. Not mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Sceggenesse in the 12th century.
[A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991]

Skegness had two newspapers, now only one is in publication. The Skegness News, in publication since 1985, published by the Welland Valley Newspapers Company. An older newspaper, dating back to the mid-1950's, the "Skegness Standard", has merged with the "Skegness News".

The Skegness Herals was published here on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May to Sept. and on Wednesdays from October to April. C. H. MAJOR was the publisher.

The "Skegness Maazine" has an online presence and a Skegness timeline in the "pre 1880" tab that goes back to the year 890 AD.

• This place was an ancient parish in Lincoln county and became a modern Civil parish when those were established.
   
• The parish was in the Marsh division of the ancient Candleshoe Wapentake in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
   
• A Local Board was formed in 1885, but under the "Local Government Act of 1894" governance was invested in an Urban District Council.
   
• In April, 1926, this Civil Parish was enlarged by 1,940 acres when Winthorpe Civil Parish was abolished.
   
• For today's district governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.

• The poor widows of the parish had the rent from three acres of land to divide between themselves. In 1881 this amounted to about £10 a year.
   
• Bastardy cases would be heard in the Spilsby petty session hearings.
   
• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Spilsby Poor Law Union.

The village has grown to a sizable town over the years.

Year	Inhabitants
1801	134
1831	185
1851	366
1871	349
1881	1,338
1891	1,488
1911	3,775
1931	9,122

In 1919, the summer population of the parish was estimated at 16,500.

• A National School was built on the Roman Bank in 1880 to replace an older school. The new building could hold up to 250 children. A new wing was added in 1903.
   
• Skegness Grammar School has a website with a short history.
   
• An infants School was built on Cavendish Road in 1908.
   
• In Skegness there are just two secondary schools: "Skegness Academy" and "Skegness Earl of Scarbrough High School" - this latter entity is now "St Clements College."
   
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.