Welby is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish was 169 in 82 households at the 2011 census. It lies north-east of Grantham. The neighbouring villages are Aisby, Oasby, and Heydour.
History
According to A Dictionary of British Place Names, Welby means a "farmstead or village by a spring or stream", combining the Old English "wella" for a stream, with Old Scandinavian "by" for a "farmstead, village or settlement".Mills, Anthony David (2003); A Dictionary of British Place Names, pp. 487 and 520, Oxford University Press, revised edition (2011). .
Welby is recorded in the 1086 Domesday account as "Wellebi", within two manors in the Threo Hundred of Kesteven."Documents Online: Welby", Great Domesday Book, Folio: 337v, 367v; The National Archives. Retrieved 5 July 2012 The first manor held 57 households, 7 villeins, 4 smallholders, 37 freemen, a priest, a church, a meadow of , and woodland of . In 1066 Queen Edith was Lord of the manor, this transferred to William I in 1086, who also became tenant in chief. The second Domesday entry shows a manor with 3 villagers, 5 freemen and 4 ploughlands, with a meadow , and woodland of , with the lord in 1066 being Aethelstan, son of Godram. In 1086 the lordship was transferred to Ranulf, with Guy of Craon becoming tenant in chief."Welby". Retrieved 5 July 2012
Welby's Grade I listed Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew the Apostle. The church originates from the 13th century and is mainly Early English, but with a Perpendicular clerestory and porch.Cox, J. Charles (1916) Lincolnshire p. 331; Methuen & Co. Ltd. In 1873 the north aisle was extended and the chancel rebuilt by J. H. Hakewill, who matched the Early English style.Pevsner, Nikolaus; Harris, John; The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire p. 704; Penguin, (1964); revised by Nicholas Antram in 1989, Yale University Press. .Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire with the port of Hull 1885, p. 701. Within the porch is a 14th-century stone tomb cover with relief depictions of a woman's head and shoulders, within a quatrefoil recess, along with a shrouded baby. It was originally sited in the graveyard.
The former rectory is also a listed building. It was designed by the Grantham architect Cornelius Sherborne.
In 1885 Kelly's Directory reported a Wesleyan chapel, built in 1866, and a school and four almshouses founded in 1780 by William Welby; a further school for 70 pupils had been built in 1869. The main crops grown were wheat, barley, oats and turnips, within a parish area of . The 1881 population was 390. The lord of the manor and owner of the parish land was Sir William Earle Welby-Gregory DL, JP, of Denton Hall. Kellys also noted two public houses, the Red Lion and Waggon and Horses, 12 farmers, 4 graziers, a butcher, shoemaker, shopkeeper, carrier, coal dealer, wheelwright, beer retailer, harness maker and a blacksmith.
Community St Bartholomew's Church belongs to the Loveden Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln. The incumbent is Rev. Georgina Machell."Welby D C C", Diocese of Lincoln. Retrieved 6 August 2011
The village road sign includes images of St Bartholomew's Church and of a cricketer; Welby previously had a village cricket team.
Welby's present-day public house is the Crown and Anchor.
References
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