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N0RTHA3IPT0NSHIRE. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



1034 



brick-making, aud rope-making are carried on, and there are some 

 corn-inilla. Dabofough^ population 1350, situated about 6 miles N.W. 

 fi-om Kettering, had formerly a considerable manufacture of silk-plush 

 for the covering of hats, but this branch of industry has somewhat 

 declined. The parish church has a tower surmounted with a spire. 

 There are chapt:l« for Wesleyau Methodists, Colvinists, and Riptists ; 

 also National schools. EarCs Barton, population 1277, about Q miles 

 K.N.K. from Northampton, has a very ancient church. The tower is 

 of Anglo-Saxon architecture, and very rude ; the stmimit of the tower, 

 which is embattled, is of late date. The southern doorway is of 

 highly-enriched Norman workmanship. There are chapels for Wes- 

 leyan Methodists and Baptists, and National schools. Fitiedon, or 

 Tkiiigdon, population 15S8, is about 6 miles S.G. from Kettering, in a 

 retired aituatioo. It posaeeses an elegant church, of the HtU century, 

 with a beautiful tower and spire ; in the parvise over the porch is a 

 valuable library of theological works. There are in the village a 

 chapel for Wesleyan Methodists, a Free Qrammar school, and an 

 Infant school. Malting, shoemaking, and the making of rush-mats 

 give considerable employment GaiUborough, population 982, about 9 

 milea NM.W. from Northampton. The church ia ancient; at the 

 we«t end is a tower in the early English style, surmounted with a 

 spire of decorated character. The Baptists have a chapel. The affiiirs 

 of the Free Grammar schopl, founded in 1668 for 50 children, have 

 been in Chancery for more than 20 years ; the endowment u 80/. a 

 year, but the school is shut up. There is also a Writing school, founded 

 in 1009, of which the endowment is about 731. a year; in it about 30 

 children are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic without charge. 

 At OoUowell, or J/oigieM, a hamlet in Ouilsborough parish, is a neat 

 chapel of ease, erected in 1840, in the early English style, at the 

 expense of the vicar. On the summit of the Burroughs, or Borough 

 Hill, between the sources of the Avon and the Nen, ia the site of an 

 extensive Roman encampment. Iladdon, WeU, population 989, is 

 about 10 milea N.W. from Northamptou, on the road to Rugby. The 

 church is an ancient edifice with a maaaiTe aqoare tower. There are 

 chapels for Wesleyan Hethodiats and Baptists, a National and a British 

 school. HABDiiiasTONB. IrUdmgborowjh, population 1577, ia 2 miles 

 N.W. from Higham Ferrers. The river Nen is here croeaed by a stone 

 bridge. Many of the inhabitants are employed in shoe-making. Brick- 

 making ia carried on. The church was formerly collegiate. There 

 are places of worship for Wesleyan Methodiitta aud Baptists, and an 

 Endowed school. In the centre of the village is the slioft of an ancient 

 erosa. KingMorpe, population 1586, is 2 miles N. by W. from North- 

 ampton. There is a town-hall in the viUage for the meeting of the 

 tniateea of the manor, which ia a royal demesne, held in trust for the 

 benefit of the townsmen. In the vicinity are stone-quarries, lime- 

 woriE% and a brick-kiln. The church, partly Norman in style, is 

 spooioas. The Baptists have a chapel, aud there are National and 

 Inltnt schools. MtddUUm Cheney, population 1330, is 7 miles W.N.W. 

 from Brackley. The church is a handsome gothic building, with a 

 lofty spire. The Baptists have a neat chapel in the village, and there 

 is a National schooL On May 6tb, 1C43, the Earl of Northamptou, 

 at the head of a royalist force, defeated the Parliamentarians at 

 Middleton Cheney. Moulton, population 1511, is a village a mile in 

 length, on the left bonk of the river Nen, 44 miles N. by E. from 

 Northampton. The church is partly of Norman architecture. The 

 Wesleyau Methodists and Baptists have places of worship, and there is 

 a National schooL Moultou Park, which is extro-parochiol, called in 

 some early documents Northampton Park, was at ouo time a feudal 

 oppeodsge to the castle of Northampton. Kiueby, population 848, 

 aboni 12 miles N. by W. Crom Northampton, w.-is formerly a market- 

 town ; the market-cross is still standing near the church. The village 

 stands on very high ground. The houses ore generally constructed of 

 oUy. The parish church, which is ancient, lias a western embattled 

 tower, with a crocketed spire, which being unfinished, the stone-work 

 has been surmounted with a wooden framework 15 feet high, at the 

 top of which is a large copper-ball. The Methodists have a chapel in 

 Naseby, and there is a National schooL On June 14th, 1645, the 

 decisive battle of Naseby, in which Fairfax and Cromwell defeated 

 Charies and his forces, was fought about a mile north from the village. 

 The field of battle, then on open heath, is now inclosed and divided. 

 A pyramidal monument has been placed near the spot. PaiUertpury, 

 population 1102, about 11 miles S. by W. from Northampton, consists 

 of kwo portions, called Church End and Pury End, about a quarter 

 of a mile apart, and extending in all about a mile in length. The 

 parish church is placed between the two portions of the village. 

 There are ehapehi for Independents and Methodists, and a National 

 schooL The population is chiefly ogriculturaL RmuuU, population 

 1870, is a stra^(ling village, 4 miles N. by £. from Higham Ferrers. 

 The church has a remarkiJjy fine and lofty tower and spire. There 

 are chapels for Wesleyau Methodists and Baptists, and a National 

 sebool. The manufacture of shoes is carried on. In the vicinity ore 

 some qnarries of rogstone ; this stone, used for chimney-pieces, window- 

 slabs, ke., has been called Raunds Marble. liuckiitgham, population 

 361, about 10 miles 9.W. from Stamford by railway, had formerly a 

 market; an ancient castle, of which the grand entrance gateway 

 ■Mnoins, was fortified for Charles I., and besieged by Cromwell 

 Jia i Mm , population 1460, a mile and a half from Higham Ferrers, has 

 a large and handsome cruciform church, with a fine tower and spire 



of perpendicular character : the piers aud arches, the transepts and part 

 of the chancel, are of decorated English character. The Baptists and 

 Wesleyan Methodists have chapels. The making of boots aud shoes 

 employs many of the inhabitants. Stamford Baron, population 1778, 

 on the border of the county, forms part of the parliamentary 

 borough of Stauford, in Lincolnshire, the two counties being here 

 separated by the river Wellaud. Weedon-Beck, population 2833 (of 

 whom 837 were iu Weedou barracks), 4 milea S.E. from Daveutry, so 

 named from a religious house established here as a cell to the abbey 

 of Bee in Normandy. It is situated on the Watling-street. Wulfhere, 

 king of Mercia, had a palace here. The church is an ancient building : 

 the body of the church was rebuilt and enlarged in 1825 by the vicar. 

 There are chapels for Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, and Roman 

 Catholics; a Free aud an Infant school. Tlie Grand Junction Canal 

 passes through the village, and near it the line of the North-Westem 

 railway is carried through a tunnel 400 yards long. The royal military 

 depdt at Weedou, which covers about 150 acres, contains extensive 

 barracks ; spacious storehouses for artillery, small-arms, and ammu- 

 nition ; an hospital, and workshops for artisans : it is one of the finest 

 establishments of the kind in Europe. Wdford, population 1153, 

 about 12i miles N.N.W. from Northampton, on the border of the 

 county, is passed ou the west by the Qraud Union Canal, from which 

 there is a short branch to the villago. The church has portions of 

 early English, decorated, and hite perpendicular arohitecture. There 

 are a chapel for Independents, a Free school, and a Qirls schooL The 

 boot aud shoo manufacture employs many of the inhabitants. Yardley 

 liaitingt, popuUition 1210, about 7 miles RS.E. from Northampton, 

 near the border of the county, contains a considerable number of good 

 houses. The church, which is ancient, has an embattled tower. 

 There are chapels for Independents and Methodists, a National and 

 two Infant schools. Lime-burning and brick-making are carried on. 

 Nearly 2 miles S.W. from the village ia Yardley Chase, which abounds 

 with fine timber, and is stocked with deer. Iu this chase are some 

 very large trees, including the Yardley oak, mentioned by the poet 

 Cowper. An avenue three miles long extends from Yardley Hastings 

 to CaatJe Ashby, the seat of the ilarviuis of Northamptou. Caatle 

 Ashby is an extoosive pile iu the form of a square, erected iu 1024. 



Divitioru for EccUtiattical ai\d Legal Purpotet. — The county is 

 almost entirely comprehended in the diocese of Peterborough and 

 archdeaconry of Northampton. Northamptonshire is in the Midland 

 circuit The assizes ore held at Northampton, quarter-sessions at 

 Northampton and Peterborough; and county courts at Brackley, 

 Kettering, Northamptou, Ouudle, Peterborough, Thrapston, Tow- 

 cester, and Wellingborough. The county jail and house of correction is 

 at Northampton. Borough jails are at Northampton and Peterborough. 



Nine members were returned to Parliament from this county before 

 the passing of the Reform Act, namely, two knights of the shire, two 

 members each for the city of Peterborough and the boroughs of 

 Northampton and Brackley, and one member for the borough of 

 Higham Ferrers. The county now returns eight members, Brackley 

 and Higham Ferrers being disfranchised, and the county formed into 

 two divisions, each returning two meml)er3. 



Iliatory, Antiquitiet, etc. — In the Roman division of Britain, North- 

 amptonshire was included in the province of Flavia CiEsarieusis, 

 WatUng-strect crossed it in a north-west direction through or near 

 Towcester and Daveutry ; the Via Devana crossed it near Oundle and 

 Rockingham ; the Ermine-street crossed the north-eastern extremity 

 from Castor, on the Nen, to Stamford. Watling-street may be traced 

 for many miles from the summit of Borough Hill near Uaventry. On 

 the London side of Wecdon it is incorporated with the modern high 

 road. Several Roman stations are usually considered to have boon in 

 the county — Tripontium, Bennavenna, Isanavatia, and Lactodorum of 

 Antoninus; and the Brinavo: and Dumomagus of Richard of Ciren- 

 cester. Bennavenna was probably on Borough HiU, a sliort distance 

 east of Daveutry, on which ia one of the largest ancient camps ciinting 

 in the island. The foundations of the pnctorium were discovered iu 

 1823; and walls, tessellated pavements, and utensils of various kinds 

 were brought to light Lactodorum ia supposed to have stood on 

 Berrymount Hill, an artificial mount ou the north-east side of Tow- 

 cester. The Brinava;, or Briuavia, of Richard of Cirencester may be 

 placed at Black Ground, near Chipping Warden, a village nine miles 

 from Daveutry on the road to Banbury, where Roman coins and a 

 great quantity of pottery have been discovered. A rampart ran nortli 

 and south near this station for some distance; it was probably designed 

 for the defence of a frontier. Some small part of this bank is remain- 

 ing near Warden, and is called Wallow Bank. Arbury Bonk, not far 

 ofl; ia probably a part of it ; and it ia likely that this defence gave 

 name to some neighbouring villages or hamlets, as Walton (Wall-town) 

 near King's Sutton, Aston-in-the- Walla, &o. That a Roman town or 

 station existed at Castor is evident, not only from the name, but from 

 the Roman remains, ruined walls, tessellated pavements, urns and other 

 vessels of pottery, and coins in great number, found there. Similar 

 remains have been found at Chesterton, or rather at Water Newton 

 in Huntingdonshire, just across the river : either Castor or Chesterton 

 was probably the Roman Durobrivio mentioned in the Itinerary of 

 Antoninus, or the Duruom.igus of Richard of Cirencester ; perliaps the 

 two may bo idcnticaL According to Tacitus, Ostorius Scapula, pro- 

 prietor of Britain imdor Claudius, fortified the lino of the Nen by a 



