England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Osbournby St Peter & St Paul

The Parish

The parish of Osbournby lies in southern central Lincolnshire roughly 6 miles south of the market town of Sleaford. Osbournby sits on the A15 road which links Sleaford with Peterborough and onwards to London. Osbournby is a small and compact crossroads settlement, most properties lining either the A15 or one of two lanes which branch east & west from it, the western lane being the village's High Street. Osbournby sits on Lincolnshire's share of the Jurassic limestone which here rises gently from The Fens to the prominent escarpment overlooking Grantham. Osbournby would have consequently had a more mixed farming regime than most parishes within its county, the thin soils often being used for grazing of sheep whereas today they are almost entirely arable. In addition the limestone was quarried, employing a few, mainly for local use in building and road upkeep. Osbournby is drained northwards by the South Beck, after joining the North Beck the pair head eastward into the Fens where man-made drainage takes over, water is quickly taken by the South Forty Foot Drain northwards to Boston, the River Witham and the North Sea. Osbournby is sited at just 20 metres above the sea but land rises gently westwards reaching 90 metres to the south of Heydour. Osbournby parish was fairly typically sized for its area, covering close to 1,500 acres it would have supported a population of around 600 parishioners. In Domesday time it was a relatively modest settlement held by Gilbert of Ghent, its sole assets recorded were its 8 ploughs.

The Church

St Peter & St Paul's church sits immediately west of the A15 on the northern side of High Street. The church is a creation of the 14th century, begun when Decorated style was in vogue and completed during the later Perpendicular period, Representing the early 14th century Decorated style one finds principally the chancel, its tall lancets a look-back to the earlier Early English Gothic period but carrying ogee detailing of the Decorated fashion. Also of the same period comes the western tower, completed too with ogee detailing. Further Decorated work can be found by its fashion for reticulated tracery seen well in the southern aisle whilst its northern equivalent is of the late 14th century and Perpendicular. As with most churches St Peter & St Paul received a typical Victorian restoration, in this case a moderate affair of 1873 which created the east window amongst minor other changes. The village High Street is broad until it leaves the built area allowing ample space for street parking opposite the churchyard. Gates at the western end of the site grant entry to a churchyard which is something of a challenge to the photographer as the church sits close to its tree-filled southern edge removing most of that favoured aspect from the photographer's portfolio, indeed only views from the extremities of east and west seem readily available.