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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



ion 



Laain, • faadw of the Avon, riaea in tbe hills west of DaTentiy. The 

 OuM riiM near Brackley, and haa part of ita oourae on tho aouthem 

 border. The Tow riuea in tho neighbourhood of Stilgmre, and flowa 

 northH-aat to Towocater, whence ita coana ia firat eait, and then south- 

 Bouth-eost, to ita juncUon with the Ouao, below Stony Stratford. Tho 

 Cherwell, or Charwell, riaea at Charwellton, 5 miles .S.W. from 

 Darentry, and, after crossing an angle of Oxfonlshire, niD» for some 

 milea along tho soiith-woatem boundary of the county past Banbury, 

 on ita way to join the Thames at Oxford. 



The Grand Junction Canal enters the county near Stony Stratford, 

 and runs north-west, passing between Northampton and Daveutry, 

 until it joina the Oxford Canal, near Braunston, just within the 

 western boundary of the county. There is a navigablo cut from near 

 Stony Stratford to Buckingham, the greater piirt of which is within this 

 county. The Union Canal unites with tho GrauJ Junction Canal, not far 

 from the Braimston tunnel ; and with the Leicester Canal at Foxton. 



The principal roads that traTerse tho county are the road through 

 Newport Fagnell, Northampton, and Market Harborough; the road 

 through Higham Ferrers, Kettering, and Rockingham ; the Great 

 North road, which crosses the northern part of the county to Stamford 

 in Lincolnshire ; and the road which branches off from it at Norman 

 Cross in Huntingdonshire, to Peterborough and Deeping. The London 

 and North-Westem railway crosses this county between Wolverton 

 and Rugby. From the Blisworth station another line nuis tlirough 

 Northampton, down the valley of the Nen, to Peterborough, where it 

 laeetB the Great Northern, the Eastern Counties, and other lines. 

 The Rugby and Stamford line joins the county on the north-west, 

 near Market Harborough, and passing Rockingham, skirts the Welland 

 aa fiir as Stamford, where a branch of the Midland Counties connects 

 it with Peterborough and Leicester. The sonthcm part of tbe county 

 ia crossed by the Buckinghamshire railway, which, connecting Banbury 

 and Buckingham, posses through Brackley. 



ClimaU, Soil, Jcc. — The county of Northampton has many advant-igcs 

 in point of climate and soil, and has for a long time been comparatively 

 well cultivated and productive. The soil is generally adapted to pro- 

 duce both com and pasture of a superior quality. The climate 

 ia mild and healthy. Owing to its inland situation, and tho absence 

 of lofty hills, this county is not so subject to heavy and continued 

 rains as the counties wluch lie farther west. The surface is pleasingly 

 diversified by gentle swells and depressions, interspersed with woods 

 and plantations. 



The bLick mould of the fens, and the brown crumbling loam of the 

 uplands, produce abundant crops of wheat, beans, barley, and oats; 

 the upland soil is peculiarly adapted to turnips and green crops. The 

 pastnies are rich, and great numbers of cattle are fatted for the London 

 maricet. The fattening of cattle is a principal object of the Nortliamp- 

 tonahire fanners, some of whom are great cattle-breeders. But the 

 migority of the farmers buy Scotch and Welsh cattle in autumn, turn 

 them into the pastures to eat the coarse grass remaining after the fat 

 beasts are sent to market during the winter, and finish them on grass 

 in tlie following summer. Many Hereford long-horns and Durham 

 short-horns are bought in spring, carried on at grass till near winter, 

 and then finished with turnips, oil-cake, and chopped straw. Tho 

 short-homed breed is a favourite stock. The breed of sheep most 

 common in Northamptonshire is the improved Leicester. Some very 

 fine flocks of breeding ewes are kept in the county. 



Besides the natural wooda, many plantations have been made in the 

 neighbourhood of the numerous residences of the nobility and gentry. 

 Rockingham Forest, formerly one of the largest in the kingdom, is 

 now inclosed. 



Diviiiont, Tomu, i-c — Tho county of Northampton is divided, for 

 parliamentary purposes, into two divisions— North and South. At 

 the time of the Domesday surrey it contained 30 hundreds. There 

 are now only 20 hundreds, 10 in each division of the county. The 

 hundreds in the Northern division, with their relative positions in 

 the division, are as follows :— Corby, west ; Hamfordshoe, south ; 

 Higham Ferrers, sonth-cast ; linxloo, east ; Navisford, central ; Nassa- 

 burgh, or Peterborough Liberty, north-east ; Orlingbury, south, and 

 oeotral; Polebrook, e-nst; Rothwell, south-west; Willybrook, north- 

 west. The hundreds in tho Southern division are— Chipping Ward, 

 wast; Cleley, aouth-eost; Fawsli-y, west; Greens Norton, central; 

 Ouilaborough, west ; King's Sutton, south ; Nobottlo Grove, central ; 

 Spelhoe, north-eoH ; Towcester, central, and south ; and Wymcrsloy, 

 east. There are in tho county, tho county and market-town and 

 borough of NonTiUHrTOK ; the city of PrrEnuonouaB ; the borough 

 and market-towns of Brackley and Higham Ferrers; and the market- 

 towns of Davihtiiy, Kettekino, Oundle, Thbapstos, Towcestkb, 

 and WKLLiKOBOROLon. Kingscliffe and Rothwell formerly had 

 maiketa. Those printod in small capitals are described under their 



reneetire tiUes ; tho others we notice here : 



Higham Ptrrtn, population 1140 in 1861, stands on a rocky 

 •minence half a mile from the right bank of the Nen, 16 miles KN.E. 

 ftom Northampton. It has a large and curious church, partly of the 

 deeontad, and partly of the pcrjioudicular style. Tho western 

 entrance ia much enriched with sculpture. The tower is surmounted 

 with a crooketed octagonal spire. Tho M'c-loyan Methodists and 

 Baptists have places of worship. Near the church are a Orammar- 

 ■ohool (a fine stone building), and an old bcde-house or almshonse. 



The town-hall is a neat building of modem erection. The shaft of 

 the ancient market-cross, composed of one stone 1 li feet high, stands 

 in front of the towu-halL The principal buaiueaa of the pUco is shoe- 

 making. There are several yearly cattle fairs. The corporation oon- 

 sista of a mayor, 7 aldermen, and IS bui^geases. 



Kingsclife, popuhition 1407 in 1851, is 12 miles W. by S. from 

 Peterborough. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is built partly in 

 the transition decorated stylo, and partly in the perpendicular style. 

 There are National, British, and Endowed achoola. The Independents, 

 and Wealeyan and Calviuistic Methodists have chapela. Tho only 

 industrial product of the town is wooden turnery. There is a yearly 

 fair (October 29th) for cheese, linen, and turnery ware, 



Eothtedl, population 2278 in 1851, about 11 miles N. by E. fix>m 

 Northampton, is situated on the southern slope of a hilL The ruin 

 of the market-house, begun by Sir Thomas Tresham in 1677, but 

 never finished, consists of a square area surrounded by largo pointed 

 arches, designed for the market, and a suito of rooms above with wide 

 square-headed windows ; the whole is ornamented with Doric jiilasters, 

 shields with arms, &.C. The building was repaired in 1827. The 

 church, which is of great length, has an embattled tower and a fins 

 doorway. The Wesleyan Methodists and Independents have places of 

 worship, and there are National, British, .-md Free schools. An 

 institution called Jesus Hosjiitol, founded in 1690, provides rooms for 

 1 3 poor men, who have also a weekly allowance and other perquisites. 

 There is a large yearly fair for live-stock, pedlery, and leather. 



The following are some of the more important villages : the popu- 

 lations given are those of the parishes in 1861 : — 



Bamack, 8 miles N.W. from Peterborough, population DOS, an 

 ancient village, with a church, tho tower of which is in part of Anglo- 

 Saxon character. The neighbourhood suffered from the Danes in ttio 

 beginning of the 11th century. Extensive quarries were formerly 

 worked here. With the stone were built Peterborough, Crowland, 

 Thorney, and Ramsey monasteries, and other ecclesiastical structures. 

 Blakedcy, popiUation 798, is 4 miles W. by N. from Towcester, in tlio 

 midst of a thickly-wooded district. The church is of late per|ieudiculai- 

 chiu-acter. The Free Grammar school, founded in 1669, has an 

 endowment of about 80/. a year, and had 36 scholars in 1853. There 

 are several parochial charities. Near the village is Blakesley House, 

 which in the 14th century belonged to the Knights of tit. John. 

 SlkaoHh, population 961, about 4i miles S.W. from Northampton. 

 The North-Westeru railway has a station about a mile from the 

 village. The Grand Junction Canal here passes through a tunnel 

 one mile and three quarters long. The parish church is a handsome 

 building, with nave, aisles, and an embattled tower. There is a chapel 

 for Baptists. Braunston, ]>opulation 1263, is 8ituated near the union 

 of the Grand Junction and Oxford canals, and about 3 miles N.W. 

 from Daventry. The church is alaif;e and handsome structure, in the 

 decorated style, recently erected by subscription, at a cost of upwards of 

 6000/. The Wesleyan Methodists and Baptists have places of worship, 

 and there is a National schooL On the canal banks are extensive 

 warehouses and wharfs. Brigatoch, population 1231, about 20 miles 

 N.N.E. from Northampton, had formerly a market. Throe amiual 

 fairs are still held. An ancient market-cross is in the centre of the 

 village. Besides the parish church, there are chapels for Inde- 

 pendents and Primitive Methodists, and two charity schools. Buckbif, 

 Long, population 2341, distant 9 miles N.W. from Northampton. 

 Tho church has undergone frequent repairs and alterations ; the tower 

 is early English. There are chapels for ludejxindents and Baptists, 

 a National school, and a branch of tho Northampton savings bank. 

 Bugbrook, population 860, about 6 miles W.ti.W. from Northampton. 

 The North-Westem railway and the Grand Junction Canal pass to 

 the west of the village. Besides the parish church, there are chapels 

 for Wesloyan Methodists, Calvinistic Baptists, and Quakers. There 

 u a National school. Soap-works, limekilns, and brick- and tile- 

 works are in the neighbourhood. Burton Latimer, population 1007, 

 pleasantly situated about 4 miles S.E. from Kettering, has a hand- 

 some church, with an embattled tower, surmounted with a spire; 

 chai>e1s for WesWan Methodists and Baptists ; a Free school ; au 

 Infant school ; and a Girls school. A large carpet-mill gives consider- 

 able employment Ctutor, population 1396, near the left bank of the 

 river Nen, consists chiefly of houses scattered along the high road, 

 about S Dules W. from Peterborough. The church has a largo central 

 tower, of tsarly English style, surmounted with a pyramidal spire, 

 resting apon four circular arolies. There are a chapel for Inde- 

 pendents, a National school, and a school with a small endowment. 

 Fragments of pavements, baths, pottery, and other Roman remains 

 have been found here. Castor is supposed to occupy the site of the 

 Roman station Dumomagus. The ancient Ermine-street passed 

 through tho village. A convent existed here in tho Saxon times. 

 Milton Abbey, the magnificent seat of liju-l Fitzwilliam, which stands 

 in an extensive park to the north-east of Castor, was built in 

 Henry VIIL'e reign. Orick, population 994, about 12 miles N.W. 

 from Northampton, is situated near the Derby and Leicester Grand 

 Union CanaL The church, originally early EngUsh, but considerably 

 altered, has a tower surmounted with an octagonal spire of great 

 beauty. There are chapels for Wesleyan Methodists and Inde- 

 pendents ; a National school ; a Qurls and Infant school, chiefly sup- 

 ported by the rector; and some minor charities. Baskot-niaking, 



