Like the composer of a Pageant play, his endeavour has been rather to clothe the scenes, which he conjures up, with the flesh and blood of quickened reality, than in the bare skin and bones of a dry-as-dust’s rigid skeleton. How far he has succeeded in this he leaves to others to decide; for himself he can honestly say, that it has not been from lack of care, enquiry, or labour, if he has fallen short of the ideal aimed at. [Picture: Signature of J. Conway Walter] CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE PART I—PREHISTORIC. Horncastle—its infancy 1 PART II—THE DIMLY HISTORIC PERIOD 3 CHAPTER II. RECORDS OF THE MANOR, &c., FROM THE NORMAN CONQUEST 11 CHAPTER III. ST. MARY’S CHURCH 33 CHAPTER IV. THE CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY 57 CHAPTER V. NONCONFORMIST PLACES OF WORSHIP. The Wesleyans 64 The Primitive Methodists 71 The Independents 77 The Baptist Chapel 84 The New Jerusalem Church 86 CHAPTER VI. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS—THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 91 CHAPTER VII. WATSON’S FREE SCHOOL 108 THE LANCASTERIAN AND THE BELL SCHOOLS 111 THE SCIENCE AND ART SCHOOL 112 CHAPTER VIII. THE DISPENSARY 119 CHAPTER IX. THE CANAL 126 THE RAILWAY 130 CHAPTER X. WORKHOUSE OR UNION 133 THE COURT HOUSE 135 THE STANHOPE MEMORIAL 136 THE CLERICAL CLUB 137 THE MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE 139 THE CORN EXCHANGE 140 THE WHELPTON ALMHOUSES 142 THE DRILL HALL 145 CHAPTER XI. HORNCASTLE WORTHIES, &c. 151 ODDITIES 160 PUBLICHOUSES 161 APPENDIX. THIMBLEBY 165