WRAGBY, a market-town and parish in the western
division of the wapentake of WRAGGOE, parts of LINDSEY,
county of LINCOLN, 10 miles (E. N. E.) from Lincoln,
and 139 (N. by W.) from London, containing.
633 inhabitants.' This place, noticed by Leland as a
village giving name to-a small beck, or stream, which
flowed by it, in its course from Panton to Bardney abbey,
is of some antiquity, but is. not distinguished by any
event of historical importance. From an inconsiderable
village it was-raised to a market-town by George, Duke
of Buckingham, who, in 1671, obtained for it the grant of
a market and three annual fairs, two of which are still
held. The town is pleasantly situated on the high
road from Lincoln to. Horncastle, at the point where it
meets the road to Louth, and consists of neatly-built
houses. The environs comprise an extensive tract of
fertile land, in the cultivation of which the inhabitants
are principally employed. There is very little trade, except
what arises from its situation on. a publicroad, and
is requisite for the supply of the inhabitants. The market
is on Thursday; and fairs are annually held on Holy
Thursday and the 29th of September, for sheep and'
cattle. The town is under the jurisdiction of the county
magistrates, and within that of a court of requests for the
wapentake of Wraggoe, established by an act passed in
the 19th of George III., for the recovery of debts under
40s.., The living is a vicarage, united, in 1735, to the rectory
of East Torrington, in the archdeaconry and dio-.
cese of Lincoln, rated in the king's books at £8. 4.2.,
and in the patronage of Edmund Tumor, Esq. The
church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient structure,
principally in the later style of English architecture,
and contains several, sepulchral memorials. There is
a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. William
Hansard, in 1632, bequeathed a rent-charge of £30
for teaching poor children of the parish. Sir Edmund
Tumor, Knt., founded an almshouse, with a chapel, for.
six clergymen's widows, and for six aged widowers, or
widows, of Wragby, which, in 1707, he endowed with
a rent-charge of £100, for keeping the buildings in repair,
for the support of the; inmates, and for the pay--
ment of a stipend to the vicar for officiating in the
chapel. There are also some charitable bequests for
distribution among the poor.