The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

THE CHURCH. 527
In 1637, a warrant was issued under the Privy Seal, to permit Lady Mary
Herbert, a minor, to suffer a recovery, or recoveries, of the manor of Butterwick, and other lands and manors in the county of Lincoln.1
A subsidy was levied in 1642, to which fifty-seven persons in Butterwick
paid 221. 4s. l1id.e
Among the proprietors of land in this parish at that time were the
Duke of Richmond and James Digby, Esq. Nicholas Norwood was farmer of
the parsonage at Freiston and Butterwick. The same names very generally occur both in Freiston and Butterwick at this period. A subsidy of
21. 8s.3 was paid by the parish of Butterwick in 1673; and, later in the same
year, another subsidy, amounting to 41. 10s. 6d.,4 was levied upon thirty of the
inhabitants. The names of Pinchbeck, Shepherd, Packharness, Sibsey, Wheldale, Gilbert, Lawis, Holden, and Scupholme, occur in this roll.
We have stated (see page 508), that the church of Butterwick, with all its
tythes and customs, was given, in 1114, by Alan
de Croun, to the Abbot of Croyland, to build a
cell for the monks of Croyland. He selected
Freiston as the site of such cell, where it was
immediately established. Butterwick Church
is dedicated to St. Andrew. Scarcely any por- I / l I
tion of the original building is remaining; the i I
present church has very little claim to the at- I
tention of the antiquary or architect. It consists of a low brick tower at the west end; a
nave, with side aisles; and a chancel at the east
end. The brick steeple was erected in 1714;5 I
and various parts of the nave and chancel have
also been repaired with bricks. The stairs _
to the rood-loft still occupy their turret on the ---- _
north side of the east end of the nave, and a ___
part of a perpendicular Gothic screen yet = __
separates the nave and chancel. The font at. Ithe west end of the south aisle is of the early
English type, —a circular bowl scooped in an
octagonal unsculptured block, —supported by eight circular pillars upon an
octagonal base.
The following arms were found by Mr. HOLLES:in COampa2nili.
Gules, 3 waterbougets, arg. - Ros.
Argent, on a chief, gu. an annulet of the first, over all a bend Leeke.
engrailed, azure. 6
Of these there are no remains. There are a few inscriptions in memory of
the Pinchbeck family. The venerable sycamore-tree in the churchyard, which
is said to have been planted in the year 1653, continues in a very flourishing
and vigorous condition.7
Land Pleas of Charles I., 12th, roll 47, Court 6 Harl. ISS., British Museum, No. 6829,
of Common Pleas. p. 208.
2 See page 501. 7 Some old verses state that the tree was given
3 Subsidy Rolls. 4 Ibid. by JoHN BENNETT, then clerk, and planted by
5 Parish Register. WILLIAM MICHALLIS, the churchwarden.