I grew up in Old Bolingbroke and for the past eight months have been researching people and buildings in the village between the late 1700s and 1970s.
A
Christopher Maltby was indeed living in the village, from at least 1865 and possibly before, until 1889, when he died. He was a
farmer and
cattle jobber as well as being a churchwarden at Old Bolingbroke Church. One of his responsibilities was to collect church rates from locals. He took several people from the village to court (usually Spilsby magistrates) for non-payment of church rates.
In June 1852 he married
Olive Brothwell (born in Bardney) at Spilsby. He's variously listed as living at '
Old Bolingbroke Hall' and '
High Farm' and possibly lived at both, in that order.
Old Bolingbroke Hall: There have been at least three halls at Old Bolingbroke and people have used the name 'OBH' for all three of them at various times, but
Christopher Maltby probably lived at this one (see map:
https://fixmystreet.lincolnshire.gov.uk/report/new?longitude=0.021936&latitude=53.163687). In 1874 he placed a notice in local newspapers offering the hall to let, so may have moved out of it by this time.
'High Farm': I’ve not heard of a 'High Farm' in Old Bolingbroke – but it could be an alternative name for, or a mistake for, '
Highfield Farm' (occasionally written '
High Field Farm'). It's on the road between Spilsby Hill, Old Bolingbroke and Mavis Enderby (see map:
https://fixmystreet.lincolnshire.gov.uk/report/new?longitude=0.027365&latitude=53.171059), so this would fit the address 'Spilsby Road' that
Olive Maltby was living at in 1891. This farm has been marked as
Highfield Farm on OS maps since at least the end of the 1800s.
I suspect your photograph is actually of the south (front) face of
Highfield Farm. This farm now has a campsite. Why not go there and see whether it's the same building?
Christopher and
Olive Maltby had a son,
Thomas ('Tom') Maltby. In 1917 he married
Miss Kate Hardy, also of Old Bolingbroke, who became
Mrs Kate Maltby.
There was also a young
James Maltby living in Old Bolingbroke at this time, who may also have been a son/other relative of
Christopher and
Olive Maltby. On 19th July 1889 he placed a notice in the Situations Wanted column of various local newspapers: "TO BUTCHERS — Situation wanted by a respectable young man; 5 years' exp.; good slaughterman; refs. —
James Maltby, Old Bolingbroke, Spilsby."
Christopher and
Olive Maltby also had at least two daughters. I don't yet know the name of the first, but the second was called
Alice Maltby. She became
Mrs Alice Spreckley on 30th Oct 1883 after marrying an
Edward Spreckley.
Alice died "suddenly" on 27th Aug 1896, aged 38, so would have been born in 1858 or 1859.
Christopher and
Olive had at least two servants. In 1864,
Christopher Maltby shot two dogs which were trespassing on his land and, he claimed, worrying his sheep. The dogs' owner took him to Spilsby court and Maltby was forced to pay the owner £3 for the loss of his dogs, plus costs.
Christopher Maltby died on 16th April 1889. The
Horncastle News of 20th April 1889 reported: ""SUDDEN DEATHS — On Tuesday [=16th Apl 1889]
Christopher Maltby, cattle jobber of Old Bolingbroke, expired whilst about his morning duties."
On 10th Feb 1890, Mr R Mackinder, auctioneer of Spilsby, held an auction at Thorpe St Peter of "the late
Mr C Maltby's land". This was followed on 4th March 1890 by a sale at Old Bolingbroke of "the late
Mr C Maltby's "Sheep, Beasts, Horses and Implements."
There was still at least one member of the
Maltby family living in Old Bolingbroke in 1909, as on 22nd Nov 1909 a servant girl was harassed by two youths from Mavis Enderby as she came out of Old Bolingbroke Chapel. She responded by threatening to "tell Mr Maltby" [her employer] if they didn't leave her alone.
I hope the above helps.
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