The Parts of Lindsey are a traditional division of
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
, England, covering the northern part of the county. The
Isle of Axholme
The Isle of Axholme is an area of Lincolnshire, England, adjoining South Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is located between Scunthorpe and Gainsborough, both of which are in the traditional West Riding of Lindsey, and Doncast ...
, which is on the west side of the
River Trent
The Trent is the third Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, longest river in the United Kingdom. Its Source (river or stream), source is in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through and drains the North Midlands ...
, has normally formed part of it. The district's name originated from the
Kingdom of Lindsey of Anglo-Saxon times, whose territories were merged with that of
Stamford to form Lincolnshire.
As with the other historic divisions of Lincolnshire, Lindsey is no longer a local government unit, although its name survives in that of two districts of the county council area Lincolnshire (
East
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
and
West Lindsey
West Lindsey is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Gainsborough, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Caistor and M ...
), and it is still recognised as a geographical area.
Local government
When the English shires were established, Lindsey became part of Lincolnshire. It, and each of
Kesteven and
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
, acquired the formal designation of
Parts of Lincolnshire. Thus it became the Parts of Lindsey.

Lindsey was itself divided into three
ridings: the North, West and South Ridings, which in turn were divided into
wapentakes. The
West Riding covered the western part, including
Gainsborough,
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe () is an industrial town in Lincolnshire, England, and the county's third most populous settlement after Lincoln, England, Lincoln and Grimsby, with a population of 81,286 in 2021. It is the administrative centre and largest settleme ...
and
Spital. The
North Riding covered the north-east, including
Barton upon Humber,
Caistor
Caistor is a town and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman Empire, Roman castrum or fortress. It lies at the north-west edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, on the Vikin ...
,
Cleethorpes,
Brigg,
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
and
Market Rasen
Market Rasen ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The River Rase runs through it east to west, approximately north-east from Lincoln, England, Lincoln, eas ...
. The
South Riding covered the rest, in the south-east, including
Louth,
Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe is a seaside town in the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.OS Explorer map 283:Louth and Mablethorpe: (1:25 000): In 1961 the civil parish had a population of 3,611. On 1 Ap ...
and
Skegness. The point at which the Ridings all touched was somewhere near
Lissington.
Lindsey, like the other parts of Lincolnshire, had long had a separate county administration (
Quarter Sessions). In 1889, this division was followed in the establishment of the
administrative county
An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until 1973 in Northern Ireland, 2002 in the Republic of Ireland. They are now abolished, although most Northern ...
of Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey, which had an elected
county council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Australia
In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...
.
Lincoln and
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
were independent
county boroughs.
Within the rest of Lindsey there were various
urban districts and
rural district
A rural district was a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. I ...
s, established by the
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The act followed the reforms carried out at county leve ...
. The rural districts were
Caistor
Caistor is a town and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman Empire, Roman castrum or fortress. It lies at the north-west edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, on the Vikin ...
,
Gainsborough,
Glanford Brigg,
Grimsby
Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...
,
Horncastle,
Isle of Axholme
The Isle of Axholme is an area of Lincolnshire, England, adjoining South Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is located between Scunthorpe and Gainsborough, both of which are in the traditional West Riding of Lindsey, and Doncast ...
,
Louth,
Spilsby,
Welton. A rural district of
Sibsey also existed until 1936, when it was merged into Spilsby.
The administrative county of Parts of Lindsey was abolished on 1 April 1974 as a result of 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 ...
. Its area was divided between two new
non-metropolitan counties: the northern area of Lindsey was placed in
Humberside while the remainder passed to Lincolnshire.
In 1996 the unpopular decision was all but reversed, in that Lincolnshire status was reinstated for the areas that had become South Humberside, however the Lindsey name was not.

Lindsey was divided between six
non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of Districts of England, local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''s ...
s, as follows
[
]
Present authorities
In 1996 the Humberside districts were re-grouped into unitary authorities
A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...
; units which performed the duties of both county and administrative district. One is North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lincolnshire, England. At the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census, it had a population of 167,446. T ...
(centred on Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe () is an industrial town in Lincolnshire, England, and the county's third most populous settlement after Lincoln, England, Lincoln and Grimsby, with a population of 81,286 in 2021. It is the administrative centre and largest settleme ...
). This comprises the former districts of Glanford and Scunthorpe, as well as the Isle of Axholme which formed the southern part of Boothferry district. The second is North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. It borders the borough of North Lincolnshire and districts of West Lindsey and East Lindsey. The population of the district in the 2011 Census was ...
, comprising the former districts of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The two unitary authorities represent the most urbanised part of traditional Lincolnshire.
The remaining parts of Lindsey largely correspond to the 1974 Lincolnshire County Council districts of West Lindsey
West Lindsey is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Gainsborough, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Caistor and M ...
and East Lindsey.
References
Further reading
*Russell, Reginald Charles (1965). ''A History of Schools and Education in Lindsey, Lincolnshire: 1800–1902''. Lindsey County Council Education Committee.
*Russell, Rex C. (1994). ''A History of School Teachers in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, c. 1800–1902''. Barton-upon-Humber: Workers Education Association, Barton-upon-Humber Branch.
*Wickstead, Arthur (1978). ''Lincolnshire, Lindsey: The Story of a County Council, 1889–1974''. Lincolnshire and Humberside Arts.
*
External links
Map of Lindsey
on Wikishire
{{coord, 53.4333, N, 0.2500, W, source:wikidata, display=title
Geography of Lincolnshire
History of Lincolnshire
Local government in Lincolnshire
Administrative counties abolished in 1974
ru:Линдси (Линкольншир)