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Quakerism began in the seventeenth century, with the Civil War (1642-1651) being
one of the catalysts ... a time when Winteringham’s Reverend Edward Boteler (1649-1670) was staunchly Royalist and was appointed King’s Chaplain. But elsewhere in Winteringham, others were turning to what they
saw as a more ‘primitive Christianity’. Evidence of Winteringham men and women being amongst the earliest Quakers is found in the Church Registers, and is reported both in Andrews “History of Winterton and the
Adjoining Villages” (1836) and again in the 1912 Guide to Winteringham, which appears to have transcribed Andrews’ original paragraph almost word for word. What both books failed to note was that Thomas
Wressell was a Winteringham Quaker, explaining why the banns were not read in church!
“The registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials, begin as early as the year
1562; and contain many curious entries highly characteristic of the times in which they were written.
At the season to which we refer, the banns of marriage were not always published in the church, as appears from the following entry. "The purpose of marriage betwixt Thomas Wressell of this parish, and Margaret Davison of Burton-super-Stather, was the first time published in our markett. upon Saturday, April 19th, the 26th, and the 3rd of May, 1656. They were married. Matthew Geree Register."
Being a Quaker or ‘Friend’ was far from easy. They refused to swear
oaths. Most particularly when the Commonwealth, formed after the Civil War, required them to do so, and again when the Monarchy was restored, and for refusing to do this 86 of their number were taken from
their houses or meetings and imprisoned in Lincoln Castle. Amongst those we find Thomas Wressle snr, and Thomas Wressle jnr.
According to an account at the time, they were placed in rooms in the castle which were so crowded that they could not all lie down at the same time, and were treated more harshly than ‘felons and murderers’. Should their friends and family bring them food they were not allowed to see them.
By 1667* meetings were held at “Wintringham” and the Book of Records states that
the Wintringham meeting covered Alkborough, Roxby, Thealby, Whitton and Appleby, with the men being Thomas Wressle, Anthony Westoby, Robert Sharpe, William Harrison, John Wressle, and John Johnson.
Boothby’s Charity was started by Thomas Boothby in his will of 1682, when he
entrusted his house in High Burgage to Anthony Westoby, William Harris(on?) and Thomas Wressle, with the rent to be bestowed on poor persons of the parish “of any persuasion or religion whatever as the said trustees
should think fit.” Though we currently have no proof that Thomas Boothby was a Quaker, it would seem prudent to draw this conclusion.
Everyone was expected to pay tithes.
Many Quakers refused absolutely to do so, and so in the 1680s we find the name of Thomas Wressle again. He was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in Lincoln Castle for the non-payment of tithes.
 It is thought that Winteringham’s Meeting House was in Low Burgage with a
burial ground being shown on early maps behind the houses to the east of this road, in the vicinity of the current Methodist Chapel. This is how it is described in the 1912 Guide: “Continuing down Low Burgage is the old Quaker's Burial Ground
in Mr. John Westron's premises. Older inhabitants of the Village recollect the stones on the ground, and the grass is never disturbed on this small plot.”
Andrew also tells us the following in his 1836 book: “Whilst on the subject of
images, mention may be made of a very beautiful specimen of carved ivory, which belongs to Mr.Stanewell of Burton Stather, who has kindly allowed us to
inspect it, and also to take a drawing of it. It is not named in the history of Burton, because we find it formerly belonged to this village. Mr. Stanewell's family
obtained it many years ago from a quakeress of Winteringham, called Kirby, who is said to have been the last member of the society of friends that resided here.
This ivory relic of monastic ages, represents the infant Saviour in the arms of his Virgin Mother. In niches on each side, are angels holding candles, and below
them two nuns at their devotions; the holy mother forms the centre of the piece, and she has doubtless once been richly gilt and painted. This valuable curiosity has probably once been suspended round the neck of a
catholic priest, or has served, to ornament the walls of his dormitory.”
An entry in the Parish Registers records the baptism of Mary, daughter of George Waddingham and his wife
Anne (February 24th 1726 - Julian Calendar, which we would give as 1727.)
According to “Quakerism in Lincolnshire” the meeting house in Winteringham was closed and sold some time in
the 1860s.
*Lincolnshire Archives holds the Quaker records for the Winteringham Monthly Meeting, including registers from
1656 to 1818. Presumably this indicates quite accurately the dates that the Society existed as a functioning body in Winteringham.
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