A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



The precise occasion of the institution of rural deaneries within the shire cannot be exactly 

 determined, but the first complete list^ is furnished by the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas, which shows 

 that in 1 291 there were ten deaneries in the county of Northampton, then in the diocese of 

 Lincoln, and these comprised according to the Taxatio altogether 250 parishes, viz. : — 



Peterborough, containing the fourteen parishes of Barnack, Castor, CoUyweston, Easton on the 

 Hill, Etton, Helpston, Marholm, Maxey, Paston, Peakirk, Peterborough, Thornhaugh, UfFord, 

 Wittering. 



Northampton, containing the six parishes of All Saints, Northampton, Dallington, Duston, 

 Hardingstone, St. Peter, Northampton, St. Sepulchre, Northampton. 



Bracklcy, containing the forty parishes of Aston le Walls, Aynho, Blakesley, Boddington, 

 Brackley, Bradden, Byfield, Chalcombe, Chipping Warden, Cold Higham, Croughton, Culworth, 

 Edgcote, Evenley, Eydon, Farthinghoe, Gayton, Greatworth, Green's Norton, Helmdon, Hinton in 

 the Hedges, Maidford, Marston St. Lawrence, Middleton Cheney, Moreton Pinkney, Newbottle, 

 Pattishall, Plumpton, Slapton, Steane, Sulgrave, Syresham, Thenford, Thorpe Mandeville, Tiffield, 

 Towcester, Wappenham, Lois Weedon, Whitfield, Woodford cum Membris. 



Oundle, containing the twenty-seven parishes of Aldwinkle All Saints, Aldwinkle St. Peter, 

 Barnwell All Saints, Barnwell St. Andrew, Benefield, Clapton, Cotterstock, Fotheringhay, Hemington, 

 Islip, King's ClifFe, Lilford with Wigsthorpe, Lowick, Luddington, Nassington, Oundle, Pilton, 

 Polebrook, Southwick, Stoke Doyle, Sudborough, Thorpe Achurch, Thrapston, Titchmarsh, Twywell, 

 Wadenhoe, Warmington. 



Higham, containing the twenty-three parishes of Barton Seagrave, Bozeat, Burton Latimer, 

 Cranford St. Andrew, Cranford St. John, Denford, Easton Maudit, Finedon, Grafton, Underwood, 

 Great Addington, Little Addington, Hargrave, Higham Ferrers, Irchester, Irthlingborough, Kettering, 

 Newton, Raunds, Rushden, Stanwick, Warkton, Wollaston, Woodford. 



Daventry, containing the eighteen parishes of Ashby St. Ledgers, Badby cum Newnham, Barby, 

 Braunston, Catesby, Charwelton, Daventry, Dodford, Everdon, Farthingstone, Fawsley, Kilsby, 

 Litchborough, Norton, Preston Capes, Staverton, Stow Nine Churches, Weedon Beck. 



Preston, containing the twenty-five parishes of Blisworth, Brafield on the Green, Castle Ashby, 

 Cogenhoe, Collingtree, Cosgrove, Courteenhall, Easton Neston, Grafton Regis, Grendon, Horton, 

 Great Houghton, Little Houghton, Milton, Passenham, Paulerspury, Potterspury, Preston Deanery, 

 Roade, Rothersthorpe, Stoke Bruerne, Wicken, Whiston, Wootton, Yardley Hastings. 



Weldon, containing the twenty-one parishes of Ashley, Blatherwycke, Brampton Ash, Brig- 

 stock, Bulwick, Corby, Cottingham, Deene, Dingley, East Carlton, Geddington, Gretton, Harring- 

 worth, Laxton, Rockingham, Stoke Albany, Wakerley, Weekley, Great Weldon, Weston by 

 Welland, Wilbarston. 



Roth well, containing the forty parishes of Arthingworth, Little Bowden, Braybrooke, Brix- 

 worth, Broughton, Clipston, Cransley, Desborough, Great Doddington, Draughton, Earls Barton, 

 East Farndon, Ecton, Glendon, Hannington, Hardwick, Harrington, Great Harrowden, Haselbech, 

 Holcot, Isham, Lamport, Loddington, Maidwell, Marston Trussell, Mears Ashby, Old, Orlingbury, 

 Great Oxenden, Pytchley, Rothwell, Rushton All Saints, Rushton St. Peter, Scaldwell, Sibbertoft, 

 Sywell, Thorpe Malsor, Walgrave, Wilby, Wellingborough. 



Haddon, containing the thirty-six parishes of Abington, Great Billing, Little Billing, Broughton, 

 Brington, Brockhall, Bugbrooke, Church Brampton, Claycoton, Cold Ashby, Cottesbrooke, Creaton, 

 Crick, East Haddon, Floore, Harlestone, Harpole, Holdenby, Kislingbury, Lilbourne, Long Buckby, 

 Moulton, Naseby, Overstone, Pitsford, Ravensthorpe, Spratton, Stanford, Thornby, Watford, Welford, 

 West Haddon, Weston Favell, Whilton, Winwick, Yelvertoft. 



In 1535 according to the list in the Valor Ecchilastkus the deaneries were the same, but the 

 divisions in the deaneries had been slightly altered. The deanery of Peterborough then contained 

 thirteen rectories and three vicarages ; the rectory of Northborough is mentioned, and the 

 vicarage of St. Martin, Stamford Baron, transferred from the deanery of Stamford in the county of 

 Lincoln to this deanery. 



In the deanery of Northampton five parishes appear which are not specifically mentioned in the 

 Taxatio, St. Giles' Northampton, St. Michael's Northampton, St. Edmund's Northampton, 

 St. Mary's Northampton, and St. Gregory's Northampton. 



In the deanery of Brackley there was no change. In the deanery of Oundle three new 

 parishes appear : the rectory of Tansor and vicarage of Slipton are mentioned, while the rectory of 

 Lutton and Washingley had been transferred to this deanery from that of Yaxley in the county of 

 Huntingdon. 



In the deanery of Higham the rectory of Strixton appears. 



In the deanery of Daventry the chapel of Welton had become a rectory. 



' For earlier references to rural deans see Wilkins, Concilia, i, 537, Grosseteste,£/w/o/d^ (Rolls Ser.), 146, 

 266, 317. 



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