England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Dowsby St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Dowsby lies in southern Lincolnshire roughly 6 miles north of the market town of Bourne. Dowsby is just one of a string of villages which lies on the B1177 road which leaves the A15 just north of Bourne and heads through to Heckington. These villages sit on the edge of Fenland where peaty former wetland areas butt up against the emerging limestone that forms the spine of the county. Dowsby sits at the junction of this road with the B1397 which heads determinedly straight across Fenland to Boston, with 3 roads meeting at a crossroads it naturally forms an "L" shape. Dowsby's position gave it not only access to the rich peaty soils of the Fens traditionally growing high value table vegetables, to the limestone with more cereal based farming and to exploitation of the stone for building. Much of the land on higher ground sat within the estate of Dowsby Hall, a 17th century house much modified over the centuries. The small streams draining the parish head out into Fenland where they are quickly swept up by the man-made drainage exemplified by the South Forty Foot Drain which arcs north and then east to meet the River Witham at Boston before passing into the North Sea. Much of Dowsby parish is at or close to sea level but it rises west of the village at 10 metres before reaching the dip-slope plateau where most heights hover between 70 and 80 metres. By Lincolnshire standard Dowsby parish was extensive covering just over 1,800 acres and supporting a population of close to 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Dowsby could offer just 7 ploughs, meadows and woodland plus a mill all of these assets being shared between 3 landholders, a typical small farming settlement of its time.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits south of the village on the western side of the B1177 just where properties run out on that side of the road. Whilst most of the church is late medieval, Perpendicular in style, earlier fabric can be found to take the origins back to the 13th century. The northern arcade is of this vintage and shows quatrefoil piers with fillets of that style. The main body of the church together with the western tower was undoubtedly rebuilt in the late 14th or early 15th century as the Perpendicular style is found through the rest, some, however, is merely reused materials in the Victorian restoration. The tower is perhaps the most authentic fabric in this style. A substantial restoration of 1864 not only rebuilt the chancel and aisles back up from the ground it also removed the pre-existing clerestory and rebuilt it. In most cases the original materials were rebuilt making true dating hard to achieve. Whilst the B1177 carries some traffic it has broad pavements allowing careful parking half-off the road, take care not to block pedestrians, however. Sadly for the photographer the church is placed close to the churchyard's southern edge removing the favoured aspects from the photographer's portfolio, all other angles are, however, available.