Records, Historical and Antiquarian of Parishes Round Horncastle

Ashby Puerorum is situated about five miles from Horncastle in an eastern direction, lying between Somersby on the north-east, Greetham nearly west, and Hagworthingham almost south. It includes the hamlets of Stainsby and Holbeck. The register dates from 1627. Letters, via Horncastle, arrive at 10 a.m. At Tetford is the nearest money order and telegraph office, although there is in the village an office where postal orders and stamps can be obtained. The principal owners of land are Earl Manvers, the representatives of the late Mr. Pocklington Coltman, of Hagnaby Priory, and F. W. S. Heywood, Esq., of Holbeck Hall. The antiquity of the parish is implied in its name. “Ash” is the Danish “esshe” (the pronunciation still locally used), and “by” is Danish for “farmstead.” Indeed, the whole of the neighbourhood was overrun by the Danish Vikings, as is shewn by the termination “by,” which is almost universal, as in Stainsby, Somersby, three Enderbys, Spilsby, etc. The ash was probably the “moot” tree of the village, beneath whose spreading shade the elders sat in council. This tree was formerly held sacred. The “world-tree,” or “holy ash” of the Danish mythology (called by the Druids “Yggdrasil”) was supposed to have its top in heaven and its roots in hell (“Asgard and the Gods,” by Wagner). I am aware that another derivation has been suggested, viz., that “ash” represents the Norse “is,” “use,” “uisge” (compare river Ouse), all of which mean “water,” as in Ashbourne, where the latter syllable is only a later translation of the former, both meaning water. But I cannot see that water is so prominent a local feature as to give a name to this parish, nor to the other Ashbys in the neighbourhood.


The oldest official notice of the parish is in Domesday Book, where it is stated that “in Aschebi, Odincarle (Wodin’s churl) and Chilbert had 4 carucates (i.e., 480 acres) rateable” to the tax called “gelt,” their whole land being 5 carucates or 600 acres. This was in Saxon times. When William the Conqueror took possession these were deprived of their property, and he bestowed the manor on Odo, Bishop of Baieux, who was his half-brother on the mother’s side. On the bishop coming to England, William created him Earl of Kent, and also Count Palatine, and “Justitiarius Angliæ.” He was so powerful that historians of the day described him as “Totius Angliæ Vice-dominus sub rege,” second only to the King. He held, of the King’s gift, 76 manors in Lincolnshire, besides 463 in other parts. This greatness, however, was his ruin, for, from his pride and arrogancy, he incurred the Conqueror’s displeasure and was sent to prison in Normandy. On the Conqueror’s death, in 1084, King Rufus restored him to his honours, but, finding his power not so great as formerly, he headed a conspiracy against Rufus in favour of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and, failing in it, he fled to the Duke, who made him governor of that Province, where he died in 1097. Ashby Puerorum was thus again “in the market.”