hite’s Directory of Lincolnshire 1872.
Wrangle.
Wrangle a pleasant and well built village on the Wainfleet Road, 4 miles from Old Leake railway Station & 9 miles North-east of Boston has in its parish1279 inhabitants and 6232a. 3r. 15p. of fertile land. The soil belongs to the Keal, Swain, Taylor. Barton, Balderson, Collins, Gask and other families. The manor of Wrangle was held by Queen Elizabeth as part of the Honour of Richmond and, having passed through other hands, it became, in 1676, the property of Thomas Woodcock Esq. and, in 1820, was held by the heirs of Mrs. Rebecca Wright from whom it passed to the late John B. Rooper Esq., though its claims had ceased to exist, having been commuted at the enclosure of the Fen in 1807 for an allotment of land. Tradition says there was formerly a market and that a large creek ran within half a mile of the church, which is now about two miles from the great Estuary of the Wash where large tracts of silt etc, are left bare at low water and are intended to be recovered from the tides and warped into good land. In 1359, Wrangle furnished one ship and eight men to the navy of Edward III . In the parish are two moated mounds on which the foundations of buildings may still be traced. There is a coast-guard station at Lea End, established in 1847, and consisting of a commandant (William Williams) and two men.
The church (St. Mary the Virgin & St. Nicholas) which consists of nave, aisles, chancel, south porch and square tower containing six bells is an interesting structure, chiefly of Perpendicular character. The chancel, in which are the recumbent effigies of Sir John and Lady Read, is a good example of Decorated work, and has a fine five light East window of reticulated tracery. In several of the North aisle windows are considerable remains of painted glass. The West arch, originally of Norman architecture, and the organ, which was presented by the late vicar, the Rev. Thomas Bailey Wright, have recently been restored by his family and friends. The church contains a handsome pulpit of the Elizabethan period and about 560 seatings. The living was appropriated to Waltham Abbey in the reign of Henry II and is now a vicarage, valued in K.B. at £9 18s 6d and now at £868. It is in the gift of Mrs. H.W.Wright and is held by her son, the Rev. Richard Franklin Wright M.A., who has a good vicarage house, erected in 1707.
Wrangle Hall, anciently the seat of the Read family, belongs to St. Bartholemew’s Hospital and is occupied by Mr. George Saul. The residence, now called The Manor House, which is occupied by its owner, Mr. John Swain, is a handsome building erected in 1807.
The tithes were commuted at the enclosure, in 1813, for allotments of 438 a. 1r. 31p. to the vicar , and 292a. 1r. 2p. to the impropriator. The latter now belongs to the Rev. James Linton.
The School & Bedehouse were founded by Thos. Alenson, who, in 1555, bequeathed his house, called Joy Hill, to be converted into a bedehouse for two poor men & two poor women of Wrangle & Leake and for a schoolmaster to teach English & Latin to the poor children of these parishes. For their endowment he bequeathed about 40 acres of land, now let for £120 per annum; out of which £60 is paid to the four alms people in weekly stipends and the remainder to the schoolmaster who teaches reading, writing & arithmetic, gratuitously, to all the children of the two parishes who apply for such instruction. A descendant of the founder is the master and teaches about 60 free scholars. In 1705, the Rev. W. Erskine augmented the endowment of the bedehouse with a bequest of 9 acres of land, now let for £20 per annum. The poor parishioners of Wrangle have the following yearly doles, viz. 26s in bread, left by John Holland, in 1690, out of 24a. of land belonging to the Preston family; £4 as the rent of 2 cottages and 2r. of land left by Hannah Leach in 1719; £5. 5s., as the rent of 5a. 3r. 23p. left by Sir Charles Read before 1680; £3 from 2a. 33p. left by Rev. Richard Bailey in 1755; £6 from 3 acres left by John Wilby in 1752; £7 from 5a. 2r.19p. left by the before named Rev. W. Erskine; £9 from 5 acres called the Town Lands; £3 11s 6d from 4 tenements and 3a. 36p. derived from the bequests of Thomas Taylor, alias Smith, and others; about £7 from land derived from unknown donors and let to poor labourers; 20s. out of Lowgate Marsh Farm left by Francis Read; 10s. left by Sir John Read out of an estate here now belonging to St. Bartholemew’s hospital, London; and 15s. as the interest from £20 left by Francis Chamberlain & S. & W. Wilby.
The Wesleyans and the Primitive Methodists each have a chapel in the parish.
A school was erected, in 1862, at Lowgrounds, by the vicar, by whom it is chiefly maintained; and another has been recently built in Lowgate.
Post Office:- Mr. R. Osbourne, postmaster. The nearest Money Order and Telegraph office is at Leake.
Schools: - Bede & Free. - J.Harrison, Master.
- Low Gate - Ms Mackinder, Mistress?
- Lowground - F.Rose, Master, Ms. Rose, Mistress.
Residents.
Vicar: Rev. R. F.wright M.A.; Parish Clerk & Sexton: J.Chapman; Vestry Clk. T.Saul.
Surgeon: J.Smith.
Beerhouse. - W.Allen; W.Evison & Farmer; R.Swift.
Blacksmith. - J.Dawson; J.Haynes; D.Tilley; H.Wood.
Bricklayer. - S.Humble & Machine Owner.
Butcher. - S.S,Bontoft; J.Scrimshaw.
Carpenter. - W.Dawson; C. Dowlman & Farmer; J.Royle; J.Wood.
Coastguard. - T.Roberts; J.Stiff; J.Thomas; W.Williams.
Farmer. - G.Baker; J.Balderson; W.Balderson; G.Barton; A.Blake; W.Bothamley; E.Bucknall; J.Burton; A.Chapman; C.Clark; D.Codd; G.Collins; H.Collins; H.Collins jun; T.Cook; Miss H.Cooke; G.Crawford; R.Daubney; J.Donner; R.Donner; T.Edwards; O.Eldred; J.English; E.Evison; T.Evison; E.Exton; G.Foster; T.Foster; J.Gaunt; G.Gilson; M,Greenfield; J.Gunson; T.Haynes; C.Hornsby; F.Hoyles; J.Huggard; E.Humble; J.Idle; R.Keal; E.Leary; W.Limb; F.Longden; J.Mason; F.Overton; T.Plant; R.Rannard; F.Reeson; T.Reeson; G.Richardson; G.Saul; T.Saul; C.Simpson; E.Simpson; S.Simpson; T.Simpson; J.Skinner; A.Smith; J.Smith; W.Smith; W.Smith jun; W.Spense; J.Stephenson; J.Swain; Mrs. E.Swain; R.Swain; F.Taylor; H.Taylor; J.Taylor; J.Taylor jun; O.Taylor; T.Taylor; J.Tilley; C.Wainfor; Mr.Waite; E.Ward; J.Watts; W.Welsh jun.; H.Wright.
Inns & Public Houses. - W.Bowser, Black Bull also Carpenter & Shopkeeper; Mrs.A.Harrison, White Horse; S.Royle, Angel Inn also Farmer.
Miller. - C.Balderson; J.Harrison (Corn) also Farmer; J.Wilcock (Corn) also Cooper.
Shoemaker. - J.Evison.
Shopkeeper. - Miss F.Kime; J.King; J.Snowden; C.Twist; W.Willerton also Beerhouse.
Tailor. - W.Misdal.
Wheelwright. - J.Congrave; J.Dawson.
Carriers. - G,Crawford; W.Spence; T.Plant; H.Wright. (to Boston, Wed. & Sat.)