Editing Grantham (section)

==Modern history==
===19th and 20th centuries===
The Lincoln Theatre Company of actors took a 21-year lease on the theatre in 1800.<ref>{{cite book|title= Treading the Boards : Actors and theatres in Georgian Lincolnshire |author= Neil R Wright|publisher= SLHA|year= 2016|page=68}}</ref> [[Westgate Hall, Grantham|Westgate Hall]], which was commissioned as the local [[corn exchange]], was completed in 1852.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Westgate Hall|num= 1062439 |access-date=11 July 2023}}</ref>

The town developed when the railway came. The Nottingham Line ([[London and North Eastern Railway|LNER]]) arrived first in 1850, then the London line ([[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|GNR]]) – the Towns Line from Peterborough to Retford – arrived in 1852. The [[Boston, Sleaford and Midland Counties Railway]] arrived in 1857.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leleux |first=Robin |title=The East Midlands |series= A regional history of the railways of Great Britain |volume=9 |year=1976 |pages=86–91}}</ref><ref>{{cite PastScape |mnumber=1365060 |mname=Boston, Sleaford and Midland Counties Railway |access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Boston, Sleaford, and Midland Counties railway |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=860200 |work=A vision of Britain through time |access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref><ref name=vobmaps>{{cite web |title=Historical maps:History of Grantham, in South Kesteven and Lincolnshire |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/maps/?layer=europe&xMin=3291949.84272&yMin=2928969.06313&xMax=3328949.84272&yMax=2965969.06313 |work=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>

[[Gas lighting]] appeared in 1833. The corporation became a borough council in 1835. Little Gonerby and Spittlegate were added to the borough in 1879. The town had been in the wapentake of [[Loveden]] and included three townships of Manthorpe with Little Gonerby, [[Harrowby, Lincolnshire|Harrowby]] and Spittlegate with Houghton and Walton.<ref name=vobmaps/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/Reg/districts/grantham.html|title=Grantham Registration District|website=www.ukbmd.org.uk}}</ref><ref name=SKDCmaps>{{cite web |title=314 315 GRANTHAM TOWNSCAPE ASSESSMENT / APPENDICES APPENDIX A: HISTORIC MAPS OF THE STUDY AREA|url=http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4943&p=0|work=heritage study and town plan |publisher=South Kesteven County Council |access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>

Grantham Golf Club, now defunct, was founded in 1894 and continued until the onset of the Second World War.<ref>[http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=630 "Grantham Golf Club"], "Golf's Missing Links" website. Accessed 21 September 2022.</ref>

Until the 1970s, the housing estates west of the town centre were green fields. Green Hill, on the A52, was literally a green hill.<ref name=vobmaps/><ref name=SKDCmaps/> In July 1975 the National Association of Ratepayers' Action Groups (NARAG) was formed in Grantham by John Wilks, its chairman, as a forerunner of the [[TaxPayers' Alliance]].{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

===Military history===
[[File:Army Housing - geograph.org.uk - 155382.jpg|thumb|right|Army barracks, next to the [[A52 road|A52]], east of the town]]
The town has a long military history since the completion of the [[The Old Barracks, Grantham|Old Barracks]] in 1858.<ref name=drill>{{cite web |url=http://www.drillhalls.org/Counties/Lincolnshire/TownGrantham.htm |title=Grantham |publisher=The Drill Hall Project |access-date=9 December 2017}}</ref>

====Dambusters====
During the [[Operation Chastise|Dambuster Raids]] [[Royal Air Force]] missions in May 1943, the [[RAF Bomber Command]]'s [[No. 5 Group RAF|No. 5 Group]] and operation HQ were in [[St Vincents Hall|St Vincents]],<ref>[https://archive.today/20120918213324/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2004/09/25/pbomb25.xml Telegraph.co.uk], St Vincents</ref> a building later owned by Aveling-Barford and housing a district council planning department. It was built by [[Richard Hornsby]] in 1865 and lived in by his son. It is now a private house. In 1944 (including [[D-Day]]), it was the headquarters for the [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]]'s [[Ninth Air Force]]'s [[IX Troop Carrier Command]], known as Grantham Lodge.<ref>{{cite web |author=Raymond Harwood |url=http://www.publicenquiry.co.uk/commands/tc9th.html |title=9th Troop Carrier Command |publisher=Publicenquiry.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201183319/http://www.publicenquiry.co.uk/commands/tc9th.html |archive-date=1 December 2008 }}</ref>

====RAF Spitalgate====
[[RAF Spitalgate]] trained pilots during both world wars, initially as a [[Royal Flying Corps]] establishment. It was the first military airfield in Lincolnshire. It has never been an operational fighter or bomber base; although it did see operational service during the 1943 invasion of Europe as a base for American and Polish gliders and parachutists. It officially closed in 1974. The [[Women's Royal Air Force]] had been there from 1960 until closure.<ref name=RIS>{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Philip Ralph |title=RAF Spitalgate (formerly RAF Grantham) |url=http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/spitalgate/spitalgate.htm |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> (as [[RAF Wilmslow]] was closing due to the imminent ending of [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|National Service]]), and moved to [[RAF Hereford]] (now the home of [[Special Air Service|SAS]]).{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

After closure, RAF Spitalgate became the Royal Corps of Transport, later [[Royal Logistic Corps]] barracks: [[Prince William of Gloucester Barracks]], named after [[Prince William of Gloucester]].<ref name=RIS/><ref>{{cite web |title=Spitalgate (Grantham) Airfield History |url=http://www.bcar.org.uk/spitalgate-history |work=Bomber County |year=2010 |publisher=Bomber County Aviation Resource |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> Grantham College used the site's two football pitches for their South Lincolnshire Football Development Centre (from September 2004).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grantham.ac.uk/Courses.aspx?AcademiesCourses |title=Courses – Grantham College |first=First |last=Media}}</ref> After closure in 1975 a vehicle test centre was built on the outfield; this closed in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chapter 6: Vehicle Inspectorate |url=http://archive.treasury.gov.uk/pub/html/docs/nar/c6.pdf |work=National asset register |publisher=National records office |access-date=7 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117022216/http://archive.treasury.gov.uk/pub/html/docs/nar/c6.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grantham (33) |url=http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/crt/doitonline/bl/vosateststationlocations/grantham%2833%29.htm |publisher=VOSA |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref> The large mast on the base was part of the [[British Telecom microwave network|BT microwave network]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Backbone_radio_link_and_radio_standby_to_line_links_for_safeguarding_vital_communications |title=Backbone radio link and radio standby to line links for safeguarding vital communications |work=British GPO paper |date=July 1956 |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)]] CAB 134/1207}}{{dead link|date=March 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

The [[Queen's Royal Lancers]] (part of the [[Royal Armoured Corps]]) have their RHQ on the base.

====RAF Regiment====
The [[RAF Regiment]] was formed north-east of the town in parts of [[Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without]] during December 1941 with its headquarters at [[RAF Belton Park]], which is recognised as its birthplace.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/history/ |title=RAF – History |first=RAF Details |last=here |access-date=17 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406170752/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/history/ |archive-date=6 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Belton Park estate had been a training centre for the [[Machine Gun Corps]] from November 1915.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/history.html |title=Membership |publisher=Machineguncorps.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711143831/http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/history.html |archive-date=11 July 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The RAF Regiment reached in excess of 66,000 personnel and during training was housed at [[RAF Belton Park]], the Regiment's first depot, [[RAF Folkingham]] and [[RAF North Witham]].

===Women's police force===
Grantham was first after London to recruit and train women police officers. It was the first provincial force to ask the newly formed Corps of Women's Police Volunteers to supply them with occasional policewomen, recognising them as useful for dealing with women and juveniles. In December 1914 Miss Damer Dawson, the Chief of the Corps, came to Grantham to supervise the preliminary work of the women police. Officers stationed there were Miss Allen and Miss Harburn.<ref>''Grantham Journal'', 19 December 1914.</ref> In 1915, Grantham magistrates swore in [[Edith Smith (police officer)|Edith Smith]], making her the first policewoman in Britain with full powers of arrest.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4610200.stm |title=Town remembers first policewoman |work=BBC News |date=13 January 2006 |access-date=1 March 2011}}</ref>

===Industrial history===
====Richard Hornsby & Sons====
[[Richard Hornsby]] and Richard Seaman founded Seaman & Hornsby, Iron Founders and Millwrights, at Spittlegate in Grantham in 1810. The company was renamed [[Richard Hornsby & Sons]] when Seaman retired in 1828.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Seaman_and_Hornsby |title=Seaman and Hornsby |website=www.gracesguide.co.uk}}</ref> Products included ploughs and seed drills.

From 1840 until 1906 the company built steam engines. Thereafter production shifted to oil, petrol and gas engines. It employed 378 men in 1878 and 3,500 in 1914.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Richard_Hornsby_and_Sons |title=Richard Hornsby and Sons |website=gracesguide.co.uk}}</ref>

In 1905 Richard Hornsby & Sons invented a [[Tracked vehicle#Hornsby / Holt / Phoenix|caterpillar track]] for a machine using Hornsby's [[Hornsby-Akroyd oil engine|oil engines]]; these engines were developed by Yorkshireman [[Herbert Akroyd Stuart]], from which [[Hot bulb engine|compression-ignition]] principle the [[diesel engine]] evolved, being manufactured in Grantham from 8 July 1892.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://engines.rustyiron.com/hornsby/ |title=Richard Hornsby Vaporizing Oil Engine |publisher=Engines.rustyiron.com |date=7 December 1910 |access-date=30 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081202142817/http://engines.rustyiron.com/hornsby/ |archive-date=2 December 2008}}</ref> Although such engines were not wholly compression-ignition derived, in 1892 a prototype high-pressure version was built at Hornsby's, developed by Thomas Henry Barton [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] – later to found Nottingham's [[Barton Transport]] – whereby ignition was achieved solely through compression; it ran continuously for six hours as the first known diesel engine. In the town, Hornsby's built Elsham House, whose grounds became [[Grantham College]]) and the Shirley Croft. Its site in Houghton Road was bought from Lord Dysart.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}
[[File:Oil Engine - geograph.org.uk - 2194963.jpg|thumb|right|Hornsby oil engine at the [[Museum of Lincolnshire Life]]]]
In 1910 Hornsby presented its chain-track vehicle to the British Army, which then bought four caterpillar tractors to tow artillery. At the demonstration, a British transport officer suggested putting armour plating and a gun on a Hornsby tractor, so creating some sort of self-propelled gun. David Roberts, managing director of Hornsby, did not pursue the idea, but later expressed regret at not having done so. Four years later, Hornsby sold the patent for its [[Continuous track|caterpillar track]] to the Holt Manufacturing Company of California, USA, for $8,000, having itself sold only one caterpillar tractor commercially.<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/US916601 "Patent number: 916601"]; [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|United States Patent Office]], 30 March 1909. Retrieved 11 July 2012.</ref> The Holt system was superior to Hornsby's, but the Hornsby transmission was what Holt really wanted. Thanks in part to this acquisition, Holt eventually became the successful [[Caterpillar Inc.]] Tractor Company. In 1918, Hornsby's amalgamated with Rustons as [[Ruston & Hornsby]]. In the 1920s the company had its own orchestra in the town; the site was a diesel engine plant. During the Second World War, the company made tanks such as the [[Matilda II|Matilda]] at the Grantham factory. Ruston and Hornsby left in 1963 and most of the factory was taken over by a subsidiary, Alfred Wiseman Gears, which itself left in 1968.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}
[[File:Ruston crawler tractor working model.JPG|thumb|right|Scale model of Hornsby 1910 steam caterpillar tractor]]

====Barford's====
The agricultural engine and steamroller manufacturer [[Aveling and Porter]] of [[Rochester, Kent|Rochester]], Kent, merged with [[Barford & Perkins]] of [[Peterborough]] as [[Aveling-Barford]] Ltd in 1934, largely with financial help from Ruston & Hornsby, as both firms had entered into administration. The new company took a former site of Hornsbys, naming it the Invicta works, from the [[Invicta (motto)|motto]] on the coat of arms of [[Kent]], which translates as "unconquered"; all Aveling & Porter machinery was brought from Kent by rail.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

During the 1970s Barford's was the town's largest employer, with around 2,000 employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Aveling-Barford|title=Aveling-Barford – Graces Guide|website=www.gracesguide.co.uk}}</ref> It initially prospered, but declined with the sinking market for large [[Dump truck|dumper trucks]] and [[road roller]]s. In 1947, its agricultural division, [[Barfords of Belton]], developed the world's smallest tractor, the Barford Atom, weighing {{convert|177|lb|kg|abbr=off}}.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

Now Barford Construction Equipment, it makes [[dumper]]s for construction sites, being owned by Wordsworth Holdings [[Public limited company|PLC]], owned in turn by the entrepreneur Duncan Wordsworth until it went into administration in March 2010. A restructuring package resulted in ownership transferring to Bowdon Investment Group in May 2010. It is now known as Invictas Engineering.

A trailer company, Crane-Fruehauf, moved into part of the factory from its former home at [[Dereham]], when it went into receivership in early 2005.

====BMARC====
British Manufacture and Research Company (British Marc Ltd or [[BMARC]]), in Springfield Road, made munitions, notably the [[Hispano-Suiza HS.404|Hispano cannon]] for the [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]] and [[Hawker Hurricane|Hurricane]] from 1937 onwards. It was owned by the Swiss [[Oerlikon Contraves|Oerlikon]] from 1971 until 1988, becoming part of Astra Holdings plc. The firm was bought by [[British Aerospace]] in 1992, which then closed the site. It has now been developed as a housing estate. The site's former offices are now business units for the Springfield Business Centre. Grantham's [[register office]] moved there in 2007.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

===Former developments===
In 1968 Reads of Liverpool built a canning factory in Springfield Road to serve Melton Mowbray, becoming [[American Can Company|American Can]], then [[Pechiney]] (French) in 1988, then [[Impress Coöperatieve|Impress]] (Dutch). It closed in 2006 and was demolished in 2007 to make way for a housing estate. [[Ransome & Marles]] Bearing had a [[ball bearing]] factory in the town until 1957, when production was moved to Newark.

Mowbray and Co Ltd, a brewery, was bought by J. W. Green of Luton. It was founded in September 1828 and became a public company in 1880. It closed in 1967.