TO THE READER.

THE Publisher, in presenting the following Sketches to the world, takes this opportunity of most respectfully returning his sincere and grateful thanks to those several literary Gentlemen who have rendered him such valuable assistance in bringing them forward,-without whose aid they would certainly have wanted much of their present value and interest. Although it would have afforded the Publisher the highest gratification had he been permitted to record, in this place, the names of those to whom he feels especially indebted, yet, as some Gentlemen who have exerted themselves in furtherance of the work, have strictly enjoined that their names should not be made public, he has deemed it proper to make the above general acknowledgment in preference to particularizing any of his Friends, and humbly trusts the whole of them will see the propriety of his plan in so doing.

In this Work, which comprises some account of more than forty towns, villages, and hamlets, the reader must not look for any lengthened historical disquisition; all that has been attempted is to give an outline only of each place. A minute desiption of the exterior and interior of the respective churches, strict veracity, and an ardent desire to avoid giving offence to any individual, will, it is presumed, be discovered as the leading characteristic of this publication.

It will be perceived that, in several of these Sketches, in common with the local topography of this county already published, there is a considerable hiatus between the period to which the ancient account is brought down and that from which the modern one is commenced; nor can we hold out a hope of having this chasm filled till certain individals, in whose possession much valuable information is supposed to remain, shall become actuated with more liberal sentiments.

The quantity of interesting matter furnished for some of the parishes, having extended the work to upwards of eighty pages more than stated in the prospectus, the Appendix, which was intended to contain historical notices of several other places in the county of Lincoln, is unavoidably omitted. With respect to the Sleaford family, an engraving of whose arms,-Arg. a chevron, or. between 3 trefoils,—taken from York's Union of Honour, is introduced in the title-page, very little is now known, further than that in the year 1662, the manor of Obthorpe, in this county, which had then been recently enclosed, belonged to them.

The drawings principally, and the copper-plate engravings, are by Mr. R. L. Wright, 338 Strand, London, and will, it is conceived, be esteemed a credit to his talents.

The Publisher closes this brief preface with returning his humblest acknowledgments to the Right Honourable the Earl of Bristol, for his condescension in patronizing the work, as well as to upwards of four hundred and thirty Nob Clergy, Gentry, and others, who have become subs thereto.

SLEAFORD, OCTOBER, 1

: 1

SUBSCRIBERS.

Those Names that are followed by the letter r, are Subscribers to the royal octavo edition, and those by a d, to the demy octavo.

ALBANS, ST., HIS GRACE THE Banks, Mr. W. Folkingham, r.

DUKE OF, royal octavo.
Allenby, Mr. W. E. Brighton, r.
Allix, C. Esq. West Willoughby, d.
Almond, Mr. J. Sleaford, 2 copies, r.
Almond, Mrs. Sleaford, r.
Almond, Mr. T. Heckington, d.
Almond, Mr. W. Heckington, r.
Ashton, Mr. Wellingore, r.

Dewhirst, Mr. Bookseller, Retford, r.
Dexter, Mr. Thomas, Scredington, r.
Dods, Rev. Richard, Fleet, d.
Dorr, Mr. John, Ancaster, r.
Drakard and Wilson, Stamford, d.
Draper, Mr. George, Grantham, d.
Draycott, Mrs. Sleaford, d.
Draycott, Mr. Boston, r.

Goddard, the Venerable C., D. D,

Archdeacon of Lincoln, r.

Godson, Mr. Richard, Heckington, r.
Godson, Mr. William, Heckington, r.
Goodbarne, Mr, Kirkby Laythorpe, r.
Goodwin, Mr. Sleaford, d.
Gordon, Sir Jenison William, Bart.
Haverholm Priory, 2 copies, r.

Drury, Mr. Bookseller, Lincoln, d. Greenwood, Mr. C. Sleaford, d,

Easton, Mr. Brauncewell, d.
Edis, Mr. Boston, d.

Elliott, Mr. George, Bloxham, r.
Elston, Mr. Thomas, Aswarby, r.

Faulkner, Mr. Little Hale, d.
Faulkner, Mr. Thomas, Anwick, r..
Fardell, J. Esq. F. S. A., Lincoln, r,
Farmer, Jackson, Esq. Leasingham, r.
Fawcett, Mr. Thomas, Sleaford, r.
Fawsit, Mr. Sleaford, r.
Fisher, Mr. Sleaford, r.
Fletcher, Mr. Turner, Sleaford, d.
Fletcher, Mr. William, Sleaford, d.
Forbes, William, Esq. Sleaford, r.
Forman, Mr. John, Helpringham, d.
Foster, William, Esq. Sleaford, r.
Foster, Mr. George, Sleaford, r.
Freemam, Rev. H, Alwalton, Hunts. r.
Freeman, Mr. Great Hale, d.

Freestone, Mr. Heckington, d.

Griffin, Mr, Books,, London, r. & d.
Groves, Mr. George, Sleaford, r.
Gunniss, Rev. Friskney, Sleaford, r.

Hackett, Mr. Edward, Sleaford, r.
Hackett, Mr. John, jun. Sleaford, r.
Hage, Mr. Bookseller, Newark, d
Hall, Mr. John, Sleaford, d.
Handley, Benjamin, Esq. Sleaford, r.
Hanson, Mr. Butterwick, d.
Hare, Mr. Charles, Sleaford, r.
Harmston, Mr. Edward, Sleaford, r.
Harmston, Mr. T. Billingborough, r.
Harper, Mr. Sleaford, r.
Harris, Mr. Joseph, Leasingham, r.
Harrison, Mr. Samuel, Spilsby, r.
Harrison, Mr. C. Sleaford, d.
Harrod, Mr. Matthew, Billinghay, r.
Hazelwood, Rev. S. Anwick, r
Hedley, Mr. Folkingham, r.
Herring, Mr. George, Sleaford, r.
Herring, Mr. William, Sleaford, r.

Frost, Charles, Esq. F. S. A. Hull, r. Hoare, Sir R. C. Bart., F. R. S. and

Sunderland, d.

Gameau, Mr. J. E. Stilton, r.
Garbutt, Mr. Book
Gee, W. Esq. London, 2 copies, r.
Gibson, Mr. Folkingham, d.
Gilbert, Mr. Bookseller, Spalding, d.
Gilbert, Mr. Francis, Billinghay, r.
Glynne, Sir Stephen, Bart. Hawar-
den Castle, North Wales, r.

S. A. Stourhead, Wilts. r. Hodson, Mr. Bookseller, London, r. Holdich, Rev. T. Maidwell Hall, r. Holland, Mr. Thomas, Walcott, r. Hollway, J. H. Esq. Boston, r. Holmes, Mr. John, Walcott, ". Hopkinson, W. Esq. Stamford, r. Hume, Sir Abraham, Bart. Wormlybury, Herts. 7.