Kelly’s Directory of Lincolnshire 1909.
Wrangle.
Wrangle is a parish near the seashore, 4 miles south-east from the Old Leake station on the East Lincolnshire section of the Great Northern railway, and 9 miles north-north-east from Boston, in the Holland division of the County, parts of Holland, in Ashwardhurn wapentake, petty seasonal division of Kirton & Skirbeck, Boston union and county court district, rural deanery of North Holland No. 2, arch-deaconry and diocese of Lincoln.
The church of SS. Mary & Nicholas is a building of stone in the Late Norman or Transitional, Early English and later styles, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of six bays, south porch and a western tower with pinnacles containing 6 bells. The earliest feature in the church is a richly worked arch of Late Norman or Transitional character between the tower and the nave and next, the Early English doorway of the porch, which is itself perpendicular. The chancel is Decorated, the nave arcades and clerestory chiefly Perpendicular and both clerestory and aisles have embattled parapets. The chancel retains its sedilia and an aumbry. The windows of the north aisle contain considerable remains of the ancient glass placed here by John Harold and Alice, his wife, John Haliday, formerly vicar of Wrangle, Alan Haliday, Agnes Haliday and Thomas de Weyversty, Abbot of Waltham. The glass is, in part, heraldic, and otherwise consists of figures of prophets and subjects from the New Testament, together with figures of saints and angels. There are brasses to John Reed, merchant of the Staple of Calais, and Margaret, his wife, both of whom died in 1503., with 12 Latin verses and marginal inscriptions in English. On the south side of the chancel is a tomb with recumbent effigies, inscribed in Latin to Sir John Reade, a member of a family of wealthy merchants once resident here, who died November 12th, 1626; the tomb was erected by Ann, his wife, daughter of Sir John Garret, Lord Mayor of London, who also placed her own effigy thereon. The tomb also bears figures of their children. There are several tablets to the Bailey and Wright families. The pulpit is a good example of Jacobean work. The font was given by Richard Bailey, vicar, in 1724. The church was restored in 1875-8 at a cost of £2487 and in 1896 the seats and roof were repaired at a cost of £248, there are seats for 563. A new oak reredos and sanctuary fittings were provided in 1907 at a cost of £200. The register dates from 1653.
The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £400, including 12 acres of glebe with residence, in the gift of, and held since 1892 by the Rev. H.A.Barker M.A. of Magdalen College, Oxford. There are Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels. There are charities of about £80 yearly value for distribution.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners,S.Robson, of Cawkwell-by-Horncastle, St. Bartholemews Hospital, London, T.P.Saul esq. and Capt. T.Waite are the principal land owners but there are many smaller landowners. The soil is rich loam; sub-soil clay. The chief crops are corn, potatoes, mangel-worzel and turnips with a good portion of pasture land. The area is 6295 acres, rateable value £7012.
The population in 1901 was 1028.
The Rev. Thomas Alenson devised 70 acres of land, now producing £183 yearly, one moiety of which is applied to the provision of Scholarships & Exhibitions, tenable at other schools & the other for the maintenance of two bedesman and two bedeswomen, each of whom receive 7s. weekly; this fund was further augmented by by rents of land devised by W.Erskine, late vicar of Wrangle, now producing £30 yearly.
Post Office; J.A. Haynes (also farmer), The nearest telegraph office is Old Leake.Letter Boxes:- Low Ground, Low Gate, Hall End, The Chapel End.
Schools.
Central, Wainfleet Rd.; Master, E. James - Built 1898 for 159 children.
Low Grounds; Mistress (Miss) F. Plant - Built in 1861 for 100 children. .
The schools are under the control of 6 managers appointed March 31st 1904, J.B.Collins, Chairman; A.Rose, Clerk to the Managers.
The Alenson & Erskine charities are under the control of the Charity Commissioners and are in part divided betweeh Scholarships and Exhibitions of the above schools.
Residents.
Vicar; Rev. H.A.Barker M.A.; Parish Clerk. C.Mendham.
Physician & Surgeon: W.F.Miller, M.B. & B.S. Durham, M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P. Lond.
Officer i/c Coast Guard: C.Gillingham.
L.R.Cheavin; J.R.Dawson; T.P.Saul; Capt. T.Waite; Miss Waite; Mrs. Whitworth; J.Wilson.
Beer Retailer. - F.Bontoft; J.Coupland; W.Lowe.
Blacksmith. - J.A.Haynes & Farmer; W.Swann; E.Twells & Beer Retailer.
Butcher. - J.Banks & Farmer.
Boot Repairs. - Fountain Bros.
Farm Bailiff. - S.Leggitt.
Farmer. - A.Allen; W.Allen; W.Barnes; A.Blake; W.Blanshard; U.Bowles; T.D.Carter; B.Chapman; L.R.Cheavin; J.Clark; J.Codd; J.R.Collins (Brewers Agent); C.Coupland; Chrst.Coupland; A.Dalton; I.Daubney; J.Dawson; J.R.Dawson; S.Dowlman; A.Edwards; W.R.Edwards; W.Exton; J.G.Fairbanks; S.Gosling; R.Haw; H.Hodson; W.Houghton; F.Howden; S.Humble; J.Ingamells; W.Keal; G.Leachman; J.Leadbeater; J.Lefley; W.Lefley; W.Limb; W.Martell; J.Mason; S.Parish; W.Peak; W.Pepper; F.Pitcher; J.Plumtree; Executors of S.Royle); A.Saul jun.; F.Saul; T.P.Saul; G.Savage; J.Sharp; Jsph.Sharp; Wm.Sharp; W.Sharp; C.Simpson; E.Simpson; Miss R.Simpson; R.Smith, jun.; S.Spence (also beer retail); E.Stanley; H.Stephenson; G.Thompson; S.Thornalley; T.Waite & Maure Merchant; T.West; J.White; F.Wilkinson; R.Williams; W.Williams; Mrs. J.R.Woods.
Inns & Public Houses. - C.C.Cooke, Angel Inn; F.Smith, Black Bull.
Miller. - R.Hanson; H.Ingamells.
Poultry. - Miss R.Simpson.
Wheelwright. - M.H.Allen, Berry Bros., J.H.Woods.
Shopkeeper. - W.Harlock; J.S.King; Mrs.F.Wray.
Carrier to Boston. - Pickwell; W.Harrison, G.Leachman. S.Blanshard. (Wed & Sat.).