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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.
Documentary evidence of Quakers in the village
Parish Registers 1726: Baptism February 28th Mary, daughter of
George Waddingham (a Quaker) and his wife Anne
Parish Registers 1733: Baptism January 15th Anne, daughter of Mordecai Westoby (a Quaker) and his wife Sarah
Winteringham 1650-1760:
(Probate inventory): Mordecai Westoby (above) was a mercer, and died in December 1748. According to his probate
inventory, among the things that he owned were a clock, valued at £2, a silver tankard, three “seeing glasses”, 12 leather chairs, 6 cane chairs, and sundry goods in his shop valued at more than £76.
Winteringham 1650-1760: (Probate inventory): Thomas Boothby, buried on the 19th April 1682. His probate inventory shows his estate to be
valued at the enormous sum of £837-17s-6d, including £318 in bills and bonds.
Winteringham 1650-1760: (Probate inventory): Mary Foster, buried on 19th April 1670, a spinster of Winteringham.
Winteringham 1650-1760: (Probate inventory): Robert Sharpe, buried on 2nd October 1673.
Winteringham 1650-1760: (Probate inventory): Thomas Sharp
, buried 6th October 1722, whose probate inventory, though lacking in detail, valued his estate at almost £500.
Winteringham 1650-1760: (Probate inventory): Anthony Westoby
, whose probate inventory is dated 9th January 1703.
Winteringham 1650-1760: (Probate inventory): Joseph Wressell, buried 4th October 1707, a tailor in the village.
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Known Quakers of Winteringham
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Alvin
Baildon
Baildon
Barker
Barrow
Beck
Berrier
Berrier
Boothby
Boothby
Brown
Champion
Champion
Dent
Dent
Dent
Dent
Dent
Edwards
Edwards
Farrow
Farrow
Foster
Foster
Frow
Frow
Frow
Garthorne
Halliwell
Hamersley
Hardy
Harrison
Harrison
Harrison
Harrison
Hood
Knight
Marshall
Marshland
Martin
Nainby
Norton
Oliver
Oliver
Oyle
Oyle
Oyle
Oyle
Parker
Raines
Richardson
Richardson
Shankster
Shankster
Shankster
Shankster
Sharpe
Sharpe
Sharpe
Smith
Sutton
Sutton
Turner
Waddingham
Waddingham
Ward
Westoby
Westoby
Westoby
Westoby
Wilkinson
Wilkinson
Wilkinson
Winteringham
Winteringham
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
Wressell
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Elizabeth
Edward
Magdalene
William
Vincent
Ann
Robert
William
Mary
Thomas
Susanna
John
Mary
James
John
Jonathan
Phoebe
Rachel
Christopher
Elizabeth
Anthony
Michael
Ann
Mary
George
Mary
Mary jnr
Fortune
George
William
Mary
Frances
John
Robert
William jnr
Ann
Robert
Ann
William
Matthew
Nathaniel
Elizabeth
Mary
Thomas
Gervase
Mary
Robert
Thomas
William
John
Rebecca
Samuel
Anthony
Matthew
Susanna
William
Elizabeth
Robert
Thomas
William
Ann
Michael
Elizabeth
George
John
William
Anthony
Elizabeth
Mary
Mordecai
Edward
Nicholas
Robert
Elizabeth
Hugh
Alice
Anne
John
Joseph
Margaret
Richard
Stephen
Susanna
Thomas
Thomas jnr
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Prisoner 1660
Prisoner 1660
Prisoner 1660
Prisoner 1660
Prisoner 1660
Fisherman
Prisoner 1660
m. Joseph Wressell
Mercer
Weaver
nee Davison
nee Cousins
Prisoner 1660
Prisoner 1660
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