NORTHAMPTON. 
with many faire old ee large flreets, and a very ample 
and faire market-place; it is walled about with a wall of 
e, b ne of owne 
Since Norden 
and furrounded by a lofty wall with baftion towers at irre- 
gular diftances. Thi was encompafied by a deep 
and wide fofs. A broad’ b valliatn, or area for the garrifon, 
extended fome diftance, and was guarded by an outer vallum 
with barbican, &c. The ge sie extent and character of 
the earth-works may ftill be trac 
Northampton is both a one and borough-town ; its 
firft charter of ale a appears to have been obtained 
y II., but fince that reign feveral other 
capite. By a fubfe 
ae were exempted from all « toll, laftage, and murage ; 
alfo from being impleaded out of the town;’’ and were 
invefted with other liberties in as ample a manner as the ci- 
tizens of London. In thefe privileges they were bound to 
pay erere into: the king’s exchequer 120/. In the gift 
IIT. a new charter was obtained, con- 
Thou 
one iffued, 
n alt ered, as it is commonly c 
Paine 
The recorder and town-clerk ufually continue for life, 
h charter ae furrendered in 1683, and anew 
et the former continued in force till 1796, when 
called, a new charter was 
John de Longueville and Robert de Bedford, were members 
for this pla Few boroughs have been more noted in the 
annals of contelied ele€tion than sarge ee as it is com- 
monly confidered an open borough: i.e. every inhabitant 
houfholder, paying {cot and lot, has the liberty of voting. 
This Mr. ian a “a cruel privilege for fuch, who 
have, of late » been ambitious of recommending their 
reprefentatives2” te cruel to the ambitious, it is certainly 
important to the humble part of the public, for though 
erase, intrigue, and bribery, may feduce a ae thefe 
are not fo likely to operate on the many. mber of 
Voters is nearly 1000. A memorable eletion cue for 
this borough occurred in 1768, when the earls of ieee 
Northampton and Spencer were oppofed to each other ; 
rather each exerted his refpeCtive influence to return a mem- 
iS 
aie ‘ven | parifh- churches 
within the walls of Northampton ; Fefpetively dedicated to 
All-Saints, St. Giles, St. Gregor 
St. Peter, and St. Sepulchre. 
Catharine’s, a cha 
t. d’s church, without the eaft gate, and St. Bartho- 
lomew’s, without the north gate ftructures four 
only are remaining at prefent, into which number of parifhe 
and St. Sepulchre’s. 
fituated about the centre of the town, 
by fire in 1675, w un to be reb 
and was completed in the year 1680, and the fir 
preached by the bifhop of Peterborough, Sept. ae 1680. 
The interior of this is very unlike the generality of churches. 
windows and archite&tura t 
Grecian, nor of any regular nds or ftyle. 
one large room or f{pace, with a {quare chancel at the eaft 
end, and a tower at the weft end : near the centre are four 
large columns fupporting a flat roof, from which rifes a 
dome or cupola. Attached to the weft end of the church 
is : Sasi —— the name of John Bailes, who was born 
s town, ved to a very advanced age ; retaining 
sr rape re sa) hearivg., fight, and memory to the laft. 
He ived i in erie centuries, and was buried the 14th of April, 
17 es obferves, that ‘* his age appears to have 
been afigned conjecturally to 126; he was at mof but 114 
ear fter his de ath he was diflefted by Dr. James 
Keill, ois publithed an account of the appearances, &c. 0 
= corpfe, in the Philofophical Tranfaétions, N° 306, 
. 8. 
“Se. Giles’s church is fituated near the sae end of 
n-w is 
man mouldings. 
t. Peter’s church is feated at the weftern extremity of the 
town, in the vicinity of the caftle, and was probably erected 
by one of the firft Norman earls of Northampton. From 
the regifter of St. Andrew’s priory in this town, it appears 
that the reory : ae Peter’s was given to that monaftery 
by Simon de and was confirmed to it with the cha- 
PF Lin of Kings horpe and Upton, by Hugh W 
0 e 
lar heads on ak fide. But the moft decorated and curious 
part of the interior of this fingular ftru€ture, is the great 
archway, 
