GRANTHAM, municipal borough, Lincolnshire, England; situated on the river Witham. Pop. (1931) 19,709. It is an im portant junction of the L.N.E. railway, 105 m. N. by W. from London, with branch lines to Nottingham, Lincoln and Boston; while there is communication with Nottingham and the Trent by the Grantham canal. Although there is no authentic evidence of Roman occupation, Grantham (Graham, Granham in Domes day Book) from its situation on the Ermine Street, is supposed to have been a Roman station. It was possibly a borough in the Saxon period, and by the time of the Domesday Survey it was a royal borough with III burgesses. Charters of liberties, existing now only in the confirmation charter of 1377, were granted by various kings. From the first the town was governed by a bailiff appointed by the lord of the manor, but by the end of the 14th century the office of alderman had come into existence. Finally government under a mayor and alderman was granted by Edward IV. in 1463, and Grantham became a corporate town. Among later charters, that of James II., given in 1685, changed the title to that of government by a mayor and six aldermen, but this was afterwards reversed and the old order resumed. Grantham was first represented in parliament in 1467, and returned two mem bers ; but by the Redistribution act of 1885 the number was re duced to one; now it has lost its member. Richard III. in 1483 granted a Wednesday market and two fairs yearly, namely on the feast of St. Nicholas the Bishop, and the two following days, and on Passion Sunday and the day following. At the present day the market is held on Saturday, and fairs are held on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday following the fifth Sunday in Lent ; a cherry fair on July 11 and two stock fairs on Oct. 26 and Dec. 17. The parish church of St. Wulfram exhibits all the Gothic styles, but is mainly Early English and Decorated. The western tower and spire, about 280 ft. in height, are of early Decorated work manship. There is a double Decorated crypt beneath the lady chapel. Two libraries, respectively of the i6th and 17th centuries, are preserved in the church. The King Edward VI. grammar school is a late Perpendicular building. The Angel hotel is a hostelry of the i Sth century, with a gateway of earlier date. A conduit dating from 1S97 stands in the wide market-place. The chief industries are malting and the manufacture of agricul tural implements. It has also iron foundries. The borough falls within the South Kesteven or Stamford division of the county. Grantham was created a suffragan bishopric in the diocese of Lincoln in 1905.