he Booth family, and partly by
the Smedley trustees.

The parish is still divided into Far Thorpe, Church Thorpe, and Middle
Thorpe. Far Thorpe included the farms held by the late Mr. Griffin and
Mr. Addison. Mr. Wattam's house, which is moated, was the old Midthorpe
Hall. As being a hamlet of Horncastle, the benefice was formerly called
Ashby "Capella," or the Ashby Chapelry; and like Horncastle, Wood
Enderby, High Toynton, and Mareham is given in "Liber Regis" as in the
patronage of the Bishop of Carlisle. Until recently it was a perpetual
curacy, in value about 50 pounds a year; but about 30 years ago, on the
enfranchisement of certain episcopal lands, the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners endowed it to the extent of 300 pounds a year, and built a
substantial vicarage. The patronage is now with the Lord Chancellor by
exchange with Kirk Oswald, Cumberland.

The church, All Saints, is of considerable size, being one of the largest
village churches in the neighbourhood, mainly in the Perpendicular style,
and substantially built, consisting of tower, nave, and chancel, the two
latter of the same elevation throughout. The tower has three old bells,
and a peal of eight tubular bells. Gervase Holles gives the inscriptions
on the bells as being:

1. Sit nomen Domini benedictum.

2. Intonat e caelis vox campana Michaelis.

3. Sum rosa pulsata Mundi Maria vocata.

One of these was, some years ago, re-cast; and now bears the inscription
"voco ad templum, date 1759."

The main features of the church are as follows: the porch arch is
semi-circular, Norman, the west window in the tower is unusually high,
12-ft. by 4-ft. in width, of three lights. The north aisle has four
bays. The nave, in the south wall, has two three-light windows, the
western one perpendicular and having pointed arch, the eastern square
headed. In the north wall there is a three-light debased decorated
window. In the west wall of the north aisle is a two-light window of
coloured glass, in memory of Augustus Elmhirst; and in its eastern wall
is a three-light memorial window to his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Ruck
Keene. In the south wall of the chancel are two late four-centre
two-light windows; and in the north wall a three-light flamboyant window.
Gervase Holles mentions a north chancel window having "sa. a crosse
between 4 cinquefoyles arg. . . .," {179} but this has disappeared. The
east window is modern, with three lights. A new window w