St. Thomas' church Skirbeck Quarter Boston

[Redroger]

Baptisms, marriages and funerals in the late 19th early 20th century are shown as being conducted by the curate of Skirbeck church in "The Iron church"
This was the predessor of St. Thomas' London Road, which was built c1920. Does anyone know of a picture of the Iron church, and also how did the curate get from Skirbeck to Skirbeck Quarter? For those who don't know Boston the two communities are on opposite sides of at that point the tidal river Witham, and the road journey before 1966 was approximately 5 miles in each direction.

[pamthomas]

For those who don't know Boston the two communities are on opposite sides of at that point the tidal river Witham, and the road journey before 1966 was approximately 5 miles in each direction.

You need a more accurate piece of string to use on your map RR.  Nothing like 5 miles each way. Two and a half absolute maximum one way (so, yes, a round trip of approx 5 miles), though probably nearer two. And if you could nip across the Swing Bridge and along the Bath Gardens, even shorter. 
As to how the curate made the journey between the two - probably walked, biked, or horse and cart.

http://www.churchplansonline.org/
The plans look slightly different to what was built - and then remodelled (probably in the late 50'/early 60's) to today's present look. http://www.wparkinson.com/Churches/S%20photos/Skirbeck%20Thomas.jpg
I thought I had a book about the history of St Thomas', but it seems 'o'erweel hidden and canna be found' at the moment. 

[Redroger]

My faulty grammar, should have said both, not each direction.Very difficult to nip over the swing bridge before the dock was built, though certainly an option  later  in the  period.The church was certainly not remodelled before 1965, I passed it every day up to then. Thanks for pictures.

[Redroger]

The picture is as I remember the church, I think most alterations are due to the removal of surrounding trees. What I really wanted was a picture of the Iron church

[pamthomas]

Slightly off-topic to begin with, but I couldn't resist sharing this little gem found when googling for the opening date of Boston docks. (Though if you lived in Boston, RR, I shouldn't have to tell you such info.  )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrctLh5XPoM
Can't find an absolute opening date for the docks but one book says 1884, so I suspect that the Swing Bridge was built around that time because there wasn't the road transport back then and the only real means of moving the imported goods would have been by rail, which had to go over the Bridge.
The Iron church was at least being built in 1891 because it's on the 1891 census.
Quite interesting to discover that up to at least 1901, the ecclesiastical parish for Skirbeck Quarter was St Nicholas.
Possibly the biggest alteration to the church when it was remodelled was the construction of the new entrance porch, and the 'filling in' of the old double wooden doors at the western end. Certainly stopped a bit of the draught as people opened the door to enter the church!
I'll keep looking for that book. Though it would help if I could remember the size and thickness of it. I have a feeling that it's booklet size which makes it easy to overlook when skimming through piles of stuff.

[Redroger]

I seem to remember that the Dock railway was built some years after the dock opened, I believe there were problems with the fishermen getting their smacks up the river past the proposed site of the bridge which caused delay to the project. The two ex BR diesels taking the aggregate wagons over the bridge brought back memories of the late 1950s when a J69 steam shunting engine would bring 20+ wagons of timber from Scandinavia over the bridge. For those who don't know the area there is a steep gradient up to the bridge also severe curvature on the track. When coal was exported from Boston  (up to around 1960) a J69 shunter pushing coal wagons up the slope and over the bridge was a sight to behold, smoke everywhere! Back to the message though, I still wonder what the church looked like when it was made of iron. St. Nicholas is the parish church of Skirbeck, Saxon 11th century, possibly earlier in Domesday book whilst Boston isn't! Skirbeck Quarter developed piecemeal in the 18th -19th century, and was added to Skirbeck parish even though the river separates the two communities. Wish I could find my book on Boston too. Have Pishey Thompson History of Boston, but it is too early for the dock etc.

[GeoffE]

I have a book that says the dock railway branch opened in the 1880s.

There are pictures of the branch here which may bring back some memories http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.enefer/boston/bostondocks.htm

One of the rail magazines had a photo feature on Boston in steam days a few years ago.

When I were a lad, the station pilots at Lincoln Central were J69s.  Then, rather like the Thomas the Tank Engine story, one day they had gone and diesel shunters were in evidence.

[Redroger]

Worth a look Geoff, but I still want to see the iron church

[pamthomas]

Well I've fished out all the Boston books I can see in the cupboard.  Still no sign of the history of St Thomas' one, but (if I have got it  ) I know that I must have put it in an unlikely place.

And I know you don't want to know about the dock RR - but tough, 'cos here's a bit more info.  First sod cut in 1882, first ship docked 15 December 1884.
I've found an Ordnance Survey map dated 1887 which clearly shows the dock railway and the Swing Bridge, so the bridge must have been built about the time of the dock, or at least very soon afterwards.
And never mind the smoke from the trains going to and from the docks, what about the ages you had to wait while the trains chugged v-e-r-y slowly across the road? To say nothing of the jerk you got cycling or riding across the crossing. Still uneven today. 

I'll stop teasing now. If you can get hold of 'The book of Boston' by Neil R Wright, originally published in 1986, (reprinted 1991) and then turn to page 57, your wish will be granted.   
Don't know if Oldrids would have a copy - they have quite a good local history selection of books. Not sure if I'm allowed to quote ISBNs on the forum, so I'll send you a PM.