During an open weekend staged at St. Oswald's Church, Althorpe, in August 1989, many items of interest were on loan from various sources, one of which was a map from the Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery, produced for the Overseers of the Poor of Scunthorpe. The survey date was 1888 reprint 25/99. This particular map unfortunately only includes part of Althorpe parish. This map, however, clearly indicates the two separate civil parishes with the parish boundary alongside an unnamed open drain or stream with its outfall into the River Trent, immediately south of the old Keadby mill. The mill was sited on land adjacent to the Trent bank approximately where 'Mill House' now stands. This map clearly indicates the Public Elementary School huilt in 1876 which served both villages. (Now replaced by a modern building officially opened 22nd July 1975). The Friendship Terrace is opposite the school and Hollywell Villa is also shown. The first Althorpe Station and level crossing does not appear on the map. However, this was sited south of the present line and bridge. The house which belonged to the Stationmaster and Crossing Keeper still stands today on the right of the A18 south of the railway bridge.
Keadby village is situated almost entirely on the north side of the canal, the exception is the Friendship Public House and two cottages between the south soak drain and the canal. Immediately north of the canal bridge was a level crossing with access to the wharf on the Trent, houses and the South Yorkshire Hotel are shown in an area which has been described as Keadby market place. Between this point and the old warping drain and sluice on the northern boundary of the village was situated Keadby village. Within this area there was a Primitive Methodist Chapel on the Trent side and a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and Temperance Hall in Chapel Lane. The topography clearly shows the existence of both woodland trees and orchard and the existence of a group of cottages situated on the Trent bank adjacent to the warping drain. Today only one house exists on this riverside plot.
The civil parish of Althorpe and Keadby including the hamlet of Derrythorpe was formed into a single parish in 1954, taking in the former parish boundary of each parish. The ecclesiastical parish has, however, undergone many changes. Currently the Rector of Althorpe and Keadby is also group parish priest to Amcotts, Garthorpe and Luddington. For many years Amcotts had a Rectory, now a private house, and Garthorpe and Luddington had a Vicarage with a resident incumbent.
Prior to 1850 when Amcotts built their own church, they had a chapel of ease and were part of Althorpe parish. Burringham too had a chapel of ease and an arrangement with Althorpe Church prior to building their own church in 1857. These two dates are of special significance for about this time both parishes began using their own church registers. Burringham however had a special geographical problem for this village is situated on the east bank of the Trent with no bridge to connect with the west bank. It was therefore necessary to use the ferry boat to bring wedding and funeral parties over to Althorpe Church. The burials then took place in Althorpe Churchyard.
In searching for the origin of place names of settlements in the area, a visit to Scunthorpe Museum library produced surprising results. There was more than a little disagreement on the subject. Both Althorpe and Keadby appear to be of Danish origin and there were spelling variations e.g. Aletorpe, Alethorpe and Altorpe and Keteby, Kedby, Kidbie and Kadby.
T.R.F. Eminson in his 'Place and River Names of the West Riding and Lindsey' gives the following explanation. Althorpe receives its name from the 'village at the river pool', the river being the Trent and the pool the lake and swamp area which in former times surrounded the village of Burringham and referred to in the llth century as Manelinde Lake, stretching from Burringham to the higher ground where Messingham stands! The Doomsday records the name Aletorp coming from Ay-le-Thorpe, Ale being Danish and Anglian occurring in Aleford now Alford, Lincolnshire and Alegate now Aldgate, London. According to Eminson, Keadby refers to the settlement at the mooring haven, and in the time of the Edwards in the 14th century, Keadby had a haven pool where along with West Stockwith and Barton-upon-Humber supplied both men and ships for the King's service.
Discovering the above mentioned book, the first edition of place names compiled by John K. Johnstone is open to question. J.K. Johnstone gives more credence to the thorpe element, thorpe meaning settlement or farmhouse and Ali being the owner's name, thus giving Alithorpe and later Althorpe. Keadby is a corruption of Hedeby and is made up from haeth, a heath or a moor and 'by', an abode, producing the abode by the heath referring to Keadby Common.
Today this parish and the surrounding district is predominantly involved with agricultural activities with no livestock, other than a single farmer breeding and fattening pigs. There are wharf facilities recently extended at Keadby and a small industrial storage complex serving both Keadby and Gunness wharves. There are fewer people employed within the parish than ever before in its history; those who are employed within the parish are in minor servicing establishments.
For many years large numbers of people were employed in work associated with the canal and the river and even more employment was generated with the expansion of the Keadby Junction together with the loco yard and associated cattlepens in the 19th century.
There was competition between the canal and railway networks but there were opportunities for expansion for both at a time when farm produce, coal, steel and later petroleum products were transported by water and rail. In addition passenger services were provided, sharing the accommodation with all manner of merchandise ranging from livestock to groceries, provisions and stationery products. A disruption to this comparative security began following the depressive years of the 1920's when Scunthorpe was continuing to develop and the rail network was due for redevelopment, following the opening of the new road and rail bridge at Keadby in 1915. So it was that on 12th June 1932, the new Frodingham yard opened in Scunthorpe and on the very same day, the Keadby loco yard closed. The yard and wharf facilities remained for some time but engines for use in the yard had to be sent down from Frodingham, and this added insult to injury. As a result, many workers left the area to work in the steel industry.
The Rector of St. Oswald's Church, Althorpe, comments on many occasions in the Parish Magazine during the 30's, of the loss of Church members leaving the district for better living accommodation and higher wages. The eventual closing down of the railway function and the nationalisation of the canal system in 1948 was a further devastating blow to Keadby. Use of the canal did continue into the 1950's but overall tonnage began to fall and by the late 1960's as the demand for coal declined, boats on both river and canal were disappearing. By the end of the 1970's commercial traffic had ceased using the canal between Keadby and Bramworth.
The waterways and the people who worked the boats have always been surrounded by much romantic speculation but in reality the work was hard and sometimes highly dangerous. Some idea of the intense activity in the 1920's is contained in Harry Day's account as a 'tug broker' at Keadby. Harry Day had an office on the Keadby jetty and he speaks of fifty and more boats leaving the canal on the tide. He would get up at 3 a.m., wake the captains, who would then prepare to go through the lock ready for the tide. There would be three or four tugs on the Trent each towing eight keels in a V formation. These keels would then transfer to the canal and would rely on 'horse-marines' or sail to continue their journey on the canal. The tugs would then collect the keels for a return journey to Hull.
Eric Todd, a boatman on the canal, had much to say on the subject of 'horse-marines'. The custom appears to have been, whoever caught a keel's rope when it was thrown to the jetty was hired, and the 'marines' who stabled their horses by the 'Friendship Inn' in Keadby would tow the keel to its destination. The 'horse-marines' wore distinctive clothing which consisted of a black trilby hat, a muffler, corduroy trousers and waistcoat. They all carried a whip tucked into a massive leather belt.
The list of boats using the canal and their cargoes is long and fascinating. "Manley Pride' carried grain, 'Integrety', 'Goodwill', 'Annie Maud' and 'Brasso' carried coal, aggregate and sand. The steam keel 'Swift' carried Darley's beer from Thorne to Hull and was a market boat on the return journey, delivering all manner of goods for both farms and shops, calling at Keadby, Crowle, Medge Hall and Thorne.
Among those who worked on the boats and eventually saw their disappearance were Eric Bailey, Billy Guest, Eric Todd, George Trevethick, Charlie Lister, Herbert Moxon, John Pettinger and George Beckett to name but a few.
Towards the end of the 19th century when the Rev. Robert Charlton was the rector of the parish and William Cranidge was the tailor, parish clerk and post master, the parish had a population of 1028 as compared with a total population today of 1740. James Booth was the headmaster of the Board School and Fred Walker and Edmund Foster were station masters at the two stations. Keadby also had a gas works situated by the canal. The annual feast for Althorpe was the end of July and for Keadby, the third weekend in May. In Keadby activities appear to have taken place in the Market Place and in Althorpe, in Dolphin Street, now Ferry Road, extending from the post office to the Trent ban r. The chapels also had anniversary celebrations and teas. The church had an annual church fete on a week day commencing during the afternoon and continuing into the evening so that workers could join in later. All these events were much criticised by the head teacher at the Board School. He complained that together with all occasional days holiday and the extended holiday for potato picking and other land work, there was no time left for educating the children. At this time there were four carpels in the parish, two in Keadby, one in Althorpe and one in Derrythorpe. The only one remaining today is in Althorpe, beautifully maintained, and used regularly for Sunday worship.
