Blankney 1882

Whites Directory

Whites directories are a valuable source of information about locations in England during the 19th century.  Although they give a description of the location, unlike the census, they are not comprehensive, tending to give only a list of landowners and tradespeople. They are nevertheless indispensable as a research tool. This extract is taken from Whites 1882 Directory of Lincolnshire

See also other Whites entries for the Metheringham Area

BLANKNEY is a pleasant village, on a woody plain on the eastern side of Lincoln Heath, 7 miles from Navenby Railway Station, 10 miles S.E. of Lincoln and N. of Sleaford, and its parish had 658 inhabitants in 1881, and comprises about 6000 acres of land extending 11 miles in length, from the Green Man Inn, on the Lincoln and Sleaford road, eastward to the River Witham, though it is only about a mile in breadth. It is in the Parts of Kesteven, Sleaford union, county court district, and petty sessional division, Langoe wapentake, Metheringham polling district of Mid Lincolnshire, Longogoby rural deanery, and Lincoln archdeaconry., Its rateable value is £78408. It includes the hamlet of Linwood (700 acres, belonging to E. G. Binks, Esq.), 3 miles E.; Barf, 2 miles E. ; the scattered farms of Blankey and Linwood Droves, on the fen, from 3½ to 6 miles E. ; and Blankney Dales, on the west bank of the Witham, 7 miles E. by N. of the village. The Church (St. Oswald), an Early English rebuilding of a still older church of the same period, comprises nave, aisles, chancel, and tower (rebuilt about fifty years ago), and north porch. It was restored restored from designs by Messrs. Carpenter & Ingelow, in 1880, at a cost of about £3000, towards which Mr. Chaplin contributed £1000. The north aisle, of Perpendicular character, replaces an Early English aisle, or lady chapel. The vault which occupied the north aisle of the chancel (called the Chaplin aisle), has been reconstructed under the pavement, the aisle itself, with the chancel, being lengthened 9 feet. The porch has been rebuilt, and the old archway, brought from an adjoining stable-yard, inserted. New high-pitched roofs have been erected, except in the chancel aisle, where the old low-pitched roof has been restored. The floor, which had been raised 2 feet, has been reduced to its original level and reseated with movable open benches. The east window has been filled with stained glass by Messrs. Clayton & Bell, given by the recor, parishioners, and their friends. The organ is the gift of Lady Florence Chaplin, and the lectern of the Duchess of Sutherland. The altar-cloth and frontal is the gift and work of the Viscountess Folkestone and Mrs. Cecil Chaplin ; the service-book for altar, with cover and book-markers, the gift and work of the Viscountess Folkestone. Besides the above, there are other gifts from various ladies and gentlemen. The register dates from 1553. The rectory, which was valued in K.B. at £16 10s.7d., and now at £750, is in the incumbency of the Rev. John Otter Stephens, M.A., who has 325 acres of glebe and a rectory house, a quarter of a mile west of the church, erected in the Tudor style in 1881, at the expense of the rector. A Court of Foresters was established here in 1840, meets atthe Tally Ho Inn, and has about 160 members, whose available funds amount to £830. Blankney Hall, a large and handsome mansion, with a well-wooded lawn, is the seat of the Henry Chaplin, Esq., M.P. for Mid Lincolnshire, the lord of the manor, owner of most of the soil, and patron of the benefice. In theevillage is a National School, established in 1821, by the Chaplin family. It is a neat building in the Elizabethan style, attended by 50 boys and girls. The Kennels of the Blankney Hunt, consisting of 50 couples, are in this parish. H. Chaplin, Esq., M.P., is master, and Henry Dawkins, Huntsman.
Post Office at Mrs. Samuel Sharpe's. Letters arrive at 9.45 a.m. from Sleaford and 3.45 p.m. from Lincoln

Those marked 1 should be addressed Martin, Sleaford; those 2 Blankney Dales, Horncastle.

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