St Helens' Church Mareham Le Fen

27/05/2026

Tales from the churchyard

We cleared an area in the south east corner of the graveyard to find the headstone of Sarah Coupland.

Sarah Coupland was born in Mareham le Fen in 1860 and her family roots are tied to Mareham Le Fen through many generations dating back to the early 18th century. Her father Edward was born in Mareham in 1815 and like his father, John Coupland, before him he was an agricultural labourer. In 1841 aged 26 he married Eleanor Coupland (related?) whose father was also called John. By 1851 Eleanor had given birth to 3 sons, John, Charles and William and a daughter Mary was born in 1857.

There is no 1861 census record for Edward and his family however by 1871, Edward is living alone on Watery Lane, Eleanor is working as a live in Charwoman for a Widow on the High Street, Sarah, aged 12, is staying with Thomas Marshall and his family in Horncastle, where Thomas is the Inn Keeper of the Greyhound Inn.

Sarah died in March 1875 aged 15 years. She was a member of St Helens Church choir and her headstone states that it was given as a token of love by the church choir.

In 1881 Edward, aged 66, is living with his wife on Watery Lane and employed as a Wood Labourer. He died aged 74 and was buried in the village cemetery on 19 Sep 1889.

In 1901 Eleanor, aged 86, was a self employed Market Gardner and employed her daughter Mary. She died in 1907 and was buried in the village cemetery on 1 Jun 1907.

By 1861 John, aged 18, is living and working on a farm as a Carter in Tumby. He married and moved to East Kirkby where he farmed, he died in 1922 aged 79.

At the age of 15, Charles is living on a farm in Moorby working as a farm hand. Charles later became a farmer working for the Revesby estate. He married and lived on School Lane in a Mud and Stud cottage and later moved to Moorhouses. He died in 1929 aged 79.

William was employed on the Railways and in 1881 was a Rail Guard living with his wife and 2 children in Battersea London. They later moved to Hull where he died in 1929 aged 79.

In 1871 Mary, aged 15, is working as a live-in servant for Thomas Wilkinson the village butcher. By 1881 she was employed as a live-in Cook for the Rector of St Peters Church Toynton All Saints. In 1901 she was living with and working for her mother. In 1911 she was employed as a live-in cook for Dr Mann at Revesby. In 1939 she was working as a live-in house assistant at Mill Farm with her nephew and his wife. She died in Oct 1945 aged 88 and is buried in the village cemetery.

26/05/2026

This Oak Tree was donated and planted by Mr David Maxfield, a long standing member of the church who possess a wealth of knowledge on all things countryside. David, was also responsible for creating the wildflower meadow ‘Gods Acre’ and planting the Millennium Yew, both can be seen in the churchyard. The Oak Tree was planted to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in May 2023. Why not come and take a photo of your children by the tree and watch them both grow as the years go by. Maybe in years to come they will have photos of their own children taken by the same tree.

It's grown a bit since 2023!

15/05/2026

More Graveyard Tales from Roy

David and I started clearing the 5 graves on the west side of the church, which have suffered over time from what is now a large tree and ivy. Two of the head stones are that of Joanna the wife of Thomas Sarjantson (Snr) and her son Thomas Sarjantson (Jnr).

Thomas Sarjantson (Snr) was born in Crowle in 1740 and married Joanna Mell also from Crowle, in Nov 1767. They had three children Susanna, Thomas and John all born in Crowle. Thomas (Snr) farmed Flax and H**p and moved to Mareham le Fen in the 1820’s where he worked as an agricultural labourer. His wife Joanna died in May 1816 aged 67 and Thomas died in December 1823 aged 83. Both are buried in Mareham le Fen and Joanna’s headstone has an inscription that is illegible (the base of the stone is covered over) and may be that of her husband Thomas.

Thomas Sarjantson (Jnr) was born in Crowle on the 28 May 1781 and at the age of 25 he married Mary Pepper at Crowle on 16 March 1806. Their daughter Hannah was born in Crowle and baptised in March 1807 and another daughter, Mary, was born in Mareham le Fen in Feb 1824. Thomas now aged 46, was a member of the Revesby & Mareham le Fen Association for the Prosecution of Persons Guilty of Felony and Other Misdemeanours, attending a meeting at the Red Lion Inn on the 4th January. In April 1831 Hanna married James Jackson a farm labourer at St Helen’s Church, the service being conducted by the Rev William Goodenough, Rector of St Helen’s, whose grave can be found on the north side of the church. In 1845, daughter Mary married Benjamin Ranshaw Chapman of Mareham le Fen, a Grocer and Draper.

By 1851 Thomas farmed 92 acres and lived with his wife, their daughter Hannah, now a School Mistress, her husband and their seven children, Thomas, John, Joanna, Samuel, Jane and William. Also living at the house was Betsy Ann Scarborough a house servant. Thomas died and was buried on 30 November 1851 aged 70 and his wife Mary died and was buried nearly a year later, on 27 October 1852 aged 67. In 1856 daughter Mary died aged just 32. The 1861 census shows Hanna and her husband, now a farmer, living at 1 Watery Lane. James died on 14 Oct 1863, aged 61 and Hannah died 17 Apr 1885 aged 79. Many of the Jackson family moved away from Mareham le Fen to Manchester or by marriage.

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John Pidd was born in Crowle in 1759 and married Christina Harrison, also born in Crowle in 1765 on the 10 Aug 1784. By 1798 they had moved to Thimbleby, living in a property owned by the Rev W Holmes and paid an annual rent of 7 pounds and thirteen shillings. Christina died aged 71 years on 7 July 1835. In 1841 now aged 80, John was living in the Almshouses at Revesby and the rent was paid for by charity. He died and was buried in Mareham le Fen on 21 Nov 1843.

11/05/2026

This area, at the side of the church has been re-seeded and is now taped off. It would be greatly appreciated if walkers would now use the side gate. Thank you for your co-operation.

09/05/2026

So lovely to see so many people in St Helen's for the Evening of Song from the Louth Male Voice Choir and two violin solos from Lincolnshire's Young Musician of the Year, Amelia. What a great evening! Thank you all 😊

05/05/2026

Not long now!

29/04/2026

Don't forget our Evening of Song with Louth Male Voice Choir.
7.30pm Friday 8th May. Admission only £5!
Parking at the Community Centre - by the hedge near the church footpath please.

29/04/2026

Tales from the Graveyard, Episode 3 - correction

Thank you for your interest, my error, John was born in 1785. According to the 1881 census, Rectory Farm was located near Moorhouses, which comes under the parish of Mareham le Fen.

Roy

Another overgrown headstone has been cleared - that of John Clement and his wife Anne.
John & Anne Clement were born in Bolingbroke. John was born in 1785 and in 1832 was farming in Revesby. By 1851, aged 66, he was living in Mareham le Fen where he farmed 32 acres of land on the Fen. His wife Anne Babington was born in 1779, and married John in Bolingbroke in 1818 when she was 39 years old. They had 2 children, twins John and Susanna, born in 1821. John (snr) died in October 1854 and was buried in St Helens graveyard on the 27 Nov 1854. Anne died in 1859 and was buried with John on the 27th Feb 1859. Their Son John, also a farmer, married Anne Sajantson of Mareham Le Fen in 1844, they lived at Rectory Farm and would go on to have 14 children. In 1840, Susanna married Waters Mastin, a grocer from Sleaford, they had 5 children but sadly 2 died in childbirth in 1842 and 1843.

A quantity of cut wood is available to anyone who wishes to collect from the back of the church.

Please note that work will soon start on re-seeding the worn area at the rear of the church and will be taped off. Would walkers please use the side gate to allow this patch to be repaired.

Thank you

Roy Crowshaw
Church Warden

19/04/2026