The Doomsday Book records a church at North Witham in 1086 on land held by Thomas, the archbishop of York; a third of the church was held by Edward Young. In the 12thc St Mary’s church came into the possession of Robert Grimbald, who owned land in North Witham. Sometime before 1166 Grimbald granted the church to the Augustinian abbey of Owston, which he founded, in Leicestershire.