SPILSBY

'Spilsby' is a market town in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 2,336. It lies between the Wolds and the Fens.

Contents

History

RAF

Famous people

Twin towns

Notes

External links

History

Spilsby Market was granted its charter in 1302.
The town hosts the King Edward VI Humanities College, a small secondary school granted specialist school status in 2005.^[1] The school takes its name from the King Edward VI Grammar School, which was founded by order of King Edward VI in 1550 and endowed by the Willoughby family. ^[2]
Eresby House was built by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk in the 1530's. This was after his marriage to Lady Catherine Willoughby, daughter and heiress to the last Lord Willoughby d'Eresby.
Sadly it was destroyed by fire in 1769. A carpenter accidentally started a fire while he was repairing the roof. Very little remains today except an avenue of trees that once led to the mansion and one of the gate posts. No painting or sketch has survived of this lost house.
A 14th century manor house had stood near to the site of this mansion; many fragments of this earlier dwelling have been discovered.
Eresby House was built in the 'H' shape that was popular at the time. A 1771 plan shows an orangery, cherry orchard, bowling green, dove cote and an ash grove which were all close to the house. An old moat that once part of the old manor house had become a fish pond.
The Medieval Buttercross is to be found in the East Market Place opposite the Methodist Chapel.
Nikolaus Pevsner, (Buildings of England, Lincolnshire), suggests that the Buttercross was built in 14th century. Graham Platts in "Land and People in Medieval Lincolnshire" (History of Lincolnshire.Vol. 5.1985) records a Charter was granted to John Beck in 1255 to hold a Market on Monday and a three day fair 24-26 July.In 1259, a Charter to hold Fair on 5-8 December also granted to John Beck.
IN 1305 Charter to hold Monday Market & July Fair granted to Robert of Willoughby. (The copy of the market charter which is in the Church is dated 1302).
The steps would have served as a market stall for the traders to display their wares and as a platform for itinerant preachers.
The Spilsby Branch Railway Line was four miles long and connected with the main King's Cross to Cleethorpes line at Firsby Junction.
This branch line from Firsby Junction was opened on 1868 May 01. It was operated by the Great Northen Railway who provided the rolling stock. It had one stop which was as Halton Holegate.
Early in 1920 the Spilsby engine was derailed so passengers had to be taken by road. When the locomotive was back on the tracks it managed to reach Firsby in eight and a half minutes instead of it's normal 13 minutes. Unfortunately, a few days later, it ran into the buffers at Firsby with passengers badly shaken. A 71 year old business man, Mr. Welch, died the following day from the delayed effects of the accident.
Passenger services ceased in 1939. Grain, potatoes, livestock and other agricultural products were among the regular produce transported out of Spilsby on the line. Petrol, parraffin and coal continued to come into Spilsby by rail up to its closure on 1958 November 30.
The popular Spilsby Show takes place on the Spilsby Playing Fields on Ancaster Avenue Playing Field off Boston Road. The even is held every year supporting local charities.

RAF

The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is in East Kirkby, Spilsby. This commemorates the RAF's presence in Lincolnshire during World War II, with notable airfields such as Scampton being located in the flat countryside[1]. During the Second World War RAF Spilsby was home to both No. 44 Squadron RAF and No. 207 Squadron RAF^[3] of RAF Bomber Command.

Famous people

Notable inhabitants of Spilsby have included Sir John Franklin, the sea captain, governor of Tasmania, and explorer who died on an expedition to the Canadian Arctic, while attempting to chart the Northwest Passage. Although he did not succeed, a statue of John Franklin in Spilsby bears the inscription 'Sir John Franklin - Discoverer of the North West Passage'.
Born on April 16th 1786, the fourth son of nine children and educated at Louth, he experienced his first taste of the sea aged 12 when he visited Saltfleet. He joined the Navy at the age of 14 and fought in two of the greatest sea battles: Copenhagen in 1801 and Trafalgar in 1805. He served as Midshipman to another Lincolnshire explorer, his cousin Matthew Flinders. Being shipwrecked off Australia did not deter the young John Franklin who later took part in exploration to the Arctic. He is often referred to as 'The man who ate his boots' as in 1819 while commanding his first expedition to the Arctic he and his companions suffered incredible hardship and survived by eating lichen and leather from their boots.
In 1829 he was awarded the Geographic Society Gold Medal and was knighted by King George IV, he was also presented with a silver plate by the people of Spilsby. In 1836 he was appointed Governor of Tasmania. At the age of 59 he made his last voyage to seek the North-west passage between Canada and the Arctic. Sadly the entire expedition disappeared and it was 12 years before their fate was known. During these years his widow Jane spent all her money organizing ships to search for the missing party. Finally, she received confirmation that her husband had died on Beechy Island in July 1847. It was assumed he died from natural causes and the rest of the party by disease and starvation. Several suggestions have been put forward and one theory is that the probable cause was lead poisoning from faulty cans.
Dominating the market area is an impressive statute of this remarkable man.

Twin towns

★ Fresay-sur-Sarthe, France^[4]

Notes

1. King Edward VI Humanities College.
2. Spilsby Grammar School Foundation
3. 207 Squadron
4. Explanation of twinning of Spilsby and Fresay.

External links

★ Visit Lincolnshire

★ About Britain

★ Poacher Country

★ RAF Spilsby and its Squadrons

★ 207 Squadron Royal Air Force Association

★ Local Information

★ Spilsby Junior Football Club

★ Spilsby Area Tourism Guide

★ Spilsby And Lincs Coast Information