__NOTOC__ Freiston is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish (including Freiston Shore) at the 2011 census was 1,306. It is situated approximately east from Boston. The Greenwich Prime Zero meridian line passes between the village and Hobhole Drain.

History

In 1114

Freiston Priory Freiston Priory was a Benedictine cell of Crowland Abbey founded in 1114, and became a priory soon afterwards. It was Dissolved in 1539 and was located in Freiston, Lincolnshire, England. The priory A priory is a monastery of men or women und ...

of St James was founded by Alan de Creon for Benedictine monks – it became a monastic cell of Crowland Abbey in 1130. Nothing remains of the priory buildings that stood on the south side of the present church, except for a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

doorway in the south aisle that opened into the cloisters. Between 1217 and 1232 the powerful Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester signed an agreement with the 56 free tenants of Freiston, who quite remarkably all had seals on the document. The number of seals could also suggest remarkably high literacy rates which were not previously thought to have existed in the 13th century. From what is known about the composition of medieval settlements and households there would have been between 4-6 people on average for each of these households giving a minimum population of 224–336, this not taking into the account the possibility of serfs and other peasants who were not included in the signing of the document meaning the population could have been above 500. Until 1974 the parish formed part of Boston

Rural District Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...

, in the

Parts of Holland The Parts of Holland is a historical division of Lincolnshire, England, encompassing the south-east of the county. The name is still recognised locally and survives in the district of South Holland. Administration Parts of Holland was one of th ...

. Holland was one of the three divisions (formally known as ''parts'') of the traditional county of Lincolnshire. Since the Local Government Act of 1888, Holland had been in most respects, a county in itself. Before this, Freiston had been in

Skirbeck Skirbeck is a suburb and former civil parish in the Borough of Boston in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Skirbeck is a long v-shaped formation wrapped around the south and east side of Boston parish. It has been incorporated into the Boroug ...

Wapentake, Parts of Holland.

Community

Freiston is one of 18 civil parishes which, together with Boston, form the Borough of Boston local government arrangement, in place since a reorganisation of 1 April 1974 which resulted from the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

. The parish forms part of the Coastal electoral ward. The settlements of Haltoft End, north-north-west, and Scrane End (or Crane End), south from Freiston, lie within the parish On its eastern side, Freiston parish adjoins The Wash. Freiston is the location of

HM Prison North Sea Camp HM Prison North Sea Camp is a men's open prison ( Category D), located on the edge of the parish of Freiston (near Boston) in Lincolnshire, England. North Sea Camp is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History North Sea Camp opened as a B ...

, a men's open prison.

St James' church

Freiston Grade I listed

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

parish church is dedicated to

St James Saint James or St. James may refer to: People Saints *James, brother of Jesus (died 62 or 69), also known as James the Just *James the Great (died 44), Apostle, also known as James, son of Zebedee, or Saint James the Greater **Saint James Matamoro ...

. The church was originally cruciform with a central tower. The existing tower is of Perpendicular style, and the parts of the nave are Early English. The roof and chancel were restored in 1763, and the whole building in 1871.''Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire with the port of Hull'' 1885, pp. 397, 398 An earlier

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...

was sold to the church at

Fishtoft Fishtoft is one of eighteen civil parishes which, together with Boston, form the Borough of Boston in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Local government has been arranged in this way since the reorganization of 1 April 1974, which resulted ...

.Cox, J. Charles (1916) ''Lincolnshire'' p. 129; Methuen & Co. Ltd"St James' Church"
Lincolnshire Parish Councils. Retrieved 23 December 2013

References

External links

details of the parish Council
not available at present--> *
RSPB Freiston Shore reserve information
{{authority control Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in England Civil parishes in Lincolnshire Villages in Lincolnshire Borough of Boston