England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Great Gonerby St Sebastian

The Parish

The parish of Great Gonerby lies in southwestern Lincolnshire not too far from it 3-counties meet with both Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Great Gonerby is located roughly 1 1/2 miles northwest of the market town of Grantham and sits on the former route of the A1 (Great North Road) which now bypasses to the west, the old route being downgraded as the B1174. Great Gonerby is a large village which just maintains its separation from its larger neighbour, a clear space of just a couple of hundred yards is all that is left between Grantham's suburbs and Great Gonerby. The village sits on top the Jurassic limestone escarpment just before it falls into the vale below, a small brook headed eastwards separated the village into two distinct portions. Like most Lincolnshire parishes Great Gonerby would have been and still is an arable farming parish, cereals are the main crop backed by beet and oil-seed. Modern developments surround the village, no fewer than 3 railway lines enclose its centre, the Main East Coast line from London to Newcastle to the east, the Nottingham to Sleaford to the north and the Nottingham to Peterborough to the south. In addition to the west runs the modern dual-carriageway of the A1 on its new route. Great Gonerby's small brook exits from the eastern end of the village cemetery and soon reaches the River Witham where water turn northward to Lincoln before performing an about-turn to the southeast and reaching the North Sea through the port of Boston. Great Gonerby is sited at around 100 metres above the sea, to the west of the village a spot height of 113 metres on Stubbock Hill marks the crest of the escarpment before land plunges to just 40 metres in the vale to the west. Great Gonerby was an extensive parish for its county, covering 2,850 acres it would have supported a population of around 1,050 parishioners. Even by Domesday times Great Gonerby was already a large settlement its 48 households being just sufficient to place it into the top 20% in the land by population, the manor was shared by no fewer than 6 landholders included the King, himself, and a Saxon survivor Kolgrim of Grantham, collectively their assets of 16 ploughs, extensive meadows and 5 mills made for a highly profitable set of holdings.

The Church

St Sebastian's church sits on the eastern side of the B1174 (High Street) towards the southern end of the village, it shares its extensive grounds with the civil cemetery and the village middle school. The church is a product of the 14th and 15th centuries, a period when sheep roaming these lime-rich fields gave valuable wool to the weavers of Grantham and generated the wealth to create this stunning church. Traces of 12th century forms in the capitals show a previous church rebuilt, the early church being possibly cruciform in layout and aisleless. There is just a small fragment, a 13th century arcade in the Early English Gothic style indicating the rebuild commenced in the late 13th century and both northern and southern aisles show Transitional features with both 13th century and 14th century motifs. The main body, however, is purely 14th century with most in the Decorated style and some in the later Perpendicular. The final flourish and thoroughly Perpendicular it the splendid western tower topped with its landmark spire, given the land falls away westwards it must be visible for many miles. The northern arcade is also of the same vintage as is the clerestory, a typical Perpendicular feature. For once Pevsner does not mention a Victorian restoration so if one occurred it was light and sensitive. Despite High Street's downgrading it does carry much traffic and as the road curves around the churchyard there are blind spots discouraging on-street parking. It is only a short walk from Pond Street or Long Street where it is much safer. The western tower looms over the road making the better views from outside, a few trees also marr the southeastern aspect but all other angles are available to the photographer.