Documents dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries have been discovered at Lincoln Cathedral, revealing previously unknown historic stories about the iconic building.

Over the last 12 months, a palaeography group at Lincoln Cathedral have studied historical leases and documents relating to the Close – the area surrounding the Cathedral, including Castle Square and James Street – which date back as early as 1851.

The 1851 Census gives details of over 140 tenants, who used to live at the Close over 166 years ago, and the lives that they lived.

Scan of historic plans detailing a tenancy.

Such people include, butchers, paupers, clergy staff, physicians, a distributor of stamps, and a portrait artist.

A member of the Lincoln Cathedral Connected team, Fern Dawson, who leads the research, said “These unearthed documents have allowed us to learn more about the people that once populated the grounds of the Cathedral, which we can now share with the public.”

Scans of the Close area around the Cathedral.

She continued, “Part of the magic of the Cathedral is there is still much we don’t know about it and when we have the opportunity to unlock some of the mystery and add to Lincoln’s vibrant and rich heritage it’s incredibly exciting and important.”

The documents include detailed records from an architect of the period, J. L. Pearson, who described the repair works that were being undertaken at the Cathedral.

They will form a temporary exhibition in the Cathedral’s exhibition gallery in its new visitors centre, which will open in 2020, along with other documents and research that will be discovered over the years.

Fern concluded, saying “These letters demonstrate that the history of Lincoln Cathedral is not just the history of what is but what could have been, and allow us to hear the voices of the people directly involved in the creation and image of the Cathedral as we see it today.”

Lincoln homelessness charity The Nomad Trust is gearing up to open its new shop on Monks Road this weekend.

Staff at the shop say donations for the opening have included a number of high-end branded clothing, as well as a range of other wearables and items for the home.

The new Nomad Trust store will be opening on Saturday, July 1, at 10am at 17 Monks Road, with the help of Lincoln’s Town Crier, Karen Crow.

The store hopes to attract a younger market and families, who can buy their affordable designer brands, enabling them to look good whilst supporting the community at the same time.

As well as this, Nomad is inviting people to donate their old clothes and bric-a-brac to help support young people in their local community.

The store will be reducing all marked stock by 25% on opening day as well, making the opportunity to buy something special much more possible.

Dan Rogers, the Nomad Commercial Manager, said: “We are really excited to be opening a new Nomad shop in Lincoln, particularly as our retail chain started on Monks road and it is a busy family area.

“We would like to invite local people to come in and visit us and we would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who is interested in volunteering or making a donation.”

All funds raised by the shop help The Nomad Trust to support important areas of work, such as giving young people a safe place to stay, creating healthy and active communities, supporting students in school and giving them skills for life.

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