GRIMSBY (GREAT), a parish and borough and sea-port and
market-town, having separate jurisdiction, locally
in the wapentake of
Bradley-Haverstoe, parts of LINDSEY, county of LINCOLN,
35 miles (N. E.by N.)
from Lincoln, and 161 (N.)
from London, containing
3064 inhabitants. This place,
anciently called Grimsbye, is
situated on the little river Freshney, near the mouth of
the Humber, and is supposed to have been the spot where
the Danes landed when they first invaded Britain, towards
the end of the eighth century. Camden treats as
fabulous a tradition that the town was founded by a
merchant named Gryme,vj\iO obtained great riches in consequence
of having brought up an exposed child, called
Haveloc, who proved to be of the Danish blood royal,
and, after having been scullion in the king's kitchen, obtained
the king's daughter in marriage: to this romantic
story, whatever may be its foundation, there is a reference
in the device of the seal of the corporation. A
Benedictine nunnery was founded here before 1185, and
subsequently convents of the Augustine and Grey friars,
but of these establishments there are no remains. In
the reign of Edward III. Grimsby was a considerable
sea-port; and at the siege of Calais, in 1346, it supplied
the king with eleven ships and one hundred and seventy
mariners, towards his naval armament. The harbour
was formerly defended by two blockhouses, and the commerce
of the port was very extensive till the haven became
obstructed by the accumulation of sand and mud deposited
by the Humber, so as to prevent the access of any vessels
but sloops, in which state it continued till the beginning
of the present century. The town now consists of
several good streets, the houses in which are well built;
and much improvement of late years has been made in
its general appearance. It has also recovered its commercial
importance, chiefly through the spirited exer-
tions of some of the principal landed proprietors in the
neighbourhood, who raised a subscription for improving
the harbour, and obtained an act of parliament incorporating
them under the title of " The Grimsby Haven
Company." A wet and a dry dock have been constructed,
at the expense of about £70,000, the works having
been opened in December 1800; since which, many
new buildings have been erected, especially in the
vicinity of the haven. Grimsby is a port subordinate to
that of Hull, and has a deputy-collector and comptroller
of customs, with a coast surveyor. Coal, salt, and the
produce of the countries bordering on the Baltic, constitute
the principal articles of its commerce. The number
of vessels that entered inwards during the year
ending January 5th, 1827, was twenty-nine British and
seventy-five foreign; and the number which cleared
outwards, twelve British and fifty-five foreign. Ships
are annually sent to the Greenland fishery, and here
are a few yards for building them. There are in the
town some extensive breweries; and bone-crushing, and
the trade in bones for manure and other purposes, are
largely carried on. The market is on Friday, and a
fair is held;,on the 6th of June; one on the 15th of
September has been discontinued.
Grimsby is one of the most
ancientboroughs inEngland:
it received its first charter
from John, being either the
first or second which that
monarch granted. The charter
whereby the town is now
governed was bestowed by
James II.: it ordains that
the corporation consist of
a mayor, a high steward, a
recorder, eleven aldermen,
twelve common councilmen, two coroners, two chamberlains,
two bailiifs, a town clerk, and three Serjeants at
mace. The mayor, who is annually chosen on the first
Tuesday after the festival of the Exaltation of the Holy
Cross, and two of the aldermen elected annually to the office,
are justices of the peace. A court of session is held
quarterly, at which the recorder or his deputy presides.
The mayor possesses the power of holding a court, which
was formerly open every Monday, for taking cognizance
of all actions of debt, as well as assaults and breaches
of the peace, arising among the burgesses. The bailiffs
are also empowered to hold a similar court., called the
"foreign court," for determining actions for debts to any
amount, brought against any resident non-freeman.
A court of requests for the borough and liberties of
Grimsby, and the parishes and places in the wapentake
of Bradley-Haverstoe, and the east division of the
hundred of Yarborough, is held every Wednesday, for
the recovery of debts not exceeding £5, under an act
passed in the 46th of George III. The mayor and bailiffs,
as lords of the manor, hold a court leet, and view
of frankpledge, and a court baron at Michaelmas. A
meeting of the magistrates for the general administration
of justice is held weekly, at the town clerk's office.
There is a common gaol for the custody of offenders,
under the jurisdiction of the mayor and justices,
who appoint the gaoler. The corporation possess the
exclusive right of fishing and fowling in the manors of
Grimsby and Glee, and a claim on all wrecks thrown
upon their coast; and they likewise collect groundage
from all ships driven on shore in gales of wind. This
borough has sent two members to parliament from the
23rd of Edward I. to the present time: the mayor is'
the returning officer. The right of eleetion, according to
the last decision of the house of commons, is in the "freemen
admitted at a full court by the mayor, aldermen,
common council-men, and burgesses, such freemen
being resident, and paying scot and lot, in all cases,
except where no rate has taken place subsequent to their
admission." All the sons of freemen born in the town
are entitled to the elective franchise on coming of age,
by observing the prescribed conditions, as well as every
person marrying a freeman's daughter or widow, or-who
has obtained his freedom by servitude or redemption;
the number of free burgesses at present is about three.
hundred. The political influence of the borough is possessed
by Lord Yarborough.
The town formerly contained two parochial churches,
but the parishes were united in 1586, and the church of
St. Mary, then dilapidated, was suffered to fall into ruins-
The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry
and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the king's books at
£14. 18. 4., for the two parishes. George Robert Heneage,
Esq. was patron in 1815. The remaining church, dedicated
to St. James, is a spacious, handsome, cruciform
structure, with a tower in the centre. Originally it was
larger than it is at present; a part of the choir having
fallen down about 1500, it became necessary to take the
adjoining chantry down also. A considerable portion
of it is in the early style of English architecture, with a
western entrance of Norman character: the font is large
and in the early English style, as is also a mutilated stone
cross in the church-yard. The Baptists, Independents,
and Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists, have each a
place of worship. The free grammar school was founded
in 1547, by letters patent of Edward VI., and endowed
with the revenue of a suppressed chantry, which previously
belonged to the church of St. James, for the
support of a master to instruct the boys of parishioners
gratuitously. The corporation lands are charged with
the payment of £4. 5. 6. per annum to the master of
this school, which is further endowed with £7 per annum
given by Catherine Mason, widow. A few religious
houses existed in the neighbourhood previously to the
dissolution, but every vestige of them has been obliterated.
Spittal-hill is supposed to have been the site ol
an establishment of the Knights Hospitallers of StJwm
of Jerusalem. In the vicinity are several deep circular
pits, called Blow Wells, the water of which rises even with
the surface of the ground, but never overflows, vr.
John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, a prelate distinguished
for his piety and learning, was born here
in the year 1530; and Dr. Martin Fotherby, Bishop ol
Salisbury in the reign of James I., was also a native ot
this place.