Northampton

It was here also that the King of Scotland did homage to Henry III., who kept Christmas at Northampton several times during his reign. The last parliament which was held at Northampton was in the reign of Richard II., in 1380, when the poll tax was imposed which provoked the rebellion under Wat Tyler. The Lancastrians were defeated here in 1460 by the Earl of March, afterwards Edward IV., and the "king-maker Warwick," in a great battle at Hardington Fields, soon after the commencement of the contest between the Red and White Roses, in which Henry VI. was taken prisoner, his queen and the Prince of Wales escaping with difficulty. In 1637 the plague raged here with great violence. During the civil war of the reign of Charles I., Northampton was taken by Lord Brooke, and garrisoned for the parliament. In 1675 the town was laid in ashes by a dreadful fire which consumed upwards of 600 houses, besides the parish church of All Saints, property to the value of above £150,000 being destroyed. An Act of Parliament was passed to rebuild the town, and £25,000 subscribed, exclusive of the gift of the king, who contributed a thousand tons of timber towards that object. In the early part of the 18th century a considerable amount of damage was done to the town by a flood. Before the fire the greater part of the houses were built of wood and thatch, but are now chiefly of a reddish-coloured freestone, obtained in the vicinity. The town consists of four principal streets meeting in a large open market-place, and of a number of minor streets of very irregular formation. The principal streets are well paved and lighted with gas, and the town supplied with water by works situated on the Billing-road. Northampton returns two members to parliament. It was first chartered by Henry II., and is a borough by prescription. Under the Municipal Reform Act it is divided into three wards, and is governed by a mayor, who is returning officer, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors, with the style of "mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Northampton." The municipal and parliamentary boundaries are co-extensive. The population in 1851 was 62,658, with 4,886 inhabited houses; which in 1861 had increased to 32,813, with 6,150 inhabited houses. The revenue of the corporation is about £7,000. The chief articles of manufacture are boots and shoes, which employ nearly 3,000 hands, and are exported all over the globe. There is also a steady trade in the currying of leather. Stockings and lace were formerly made to a large extent, but since the introduction of machinery these branches of industry have ceased to exist. There are also several malting establishments, brass and iron foundries, flourmills, coach-works, and a paper-mill. Trade is very much facilitated by the navigation of the river Nen, the communication with the Grand Junction canal, and the opening of the several lines of railway. The public buildings are numerous, and some of them of considerable interest and importance. The townhall is a modern building, and has portraits of Sir T. White, founder of St. John's College, Oxford, and the Right Hon. Spencer Percival. The new corn exchange includes a hall 140 feet by 65 feet, and was erected in 1851. The corn exchange buildings, which are in the Italian style, cost upwards of £10,000, and are now occupied by the mechanics' institution, which boasts of a library of 12,000 volumes, and has nearly 800 members. The county hall is a Grecian building, the ceiling of which is magnificently decorated; and there are portraits of King William IIL and Queen Mary, Queen Anne, George I., and George II. The county gaol was erected at a cost of £25,000, by James Mylne, on the model principle, and is capable of holding 150 prisoners. There is also the borough gaol, which was completed in 1846, and cost about £18,000, including the price of the 24 acres of land. Besides these there are a theatre, union poorhouse, temperance hall, several commercial banks, savings-bank, baths, and gas and water works. The barracks, erected in 1796, are situated at the northern extremity of the town. The infirmary is a stone building, erected in 1793 by subscription; it cost £25,000, and has accommodation for 127 in-door patients. The lunatic asylum was opened in 1838, and is capable of holding 250 patients. The Royal Victoria self-supporting dispensary was founded in 1844, when the Queen passed through the town. The ecclesiastical edifices include seven churches, viz:, All Saints, rebuilt in 1680 after designs by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a large structure, having a central cupola, and Ionic portico of twelve lofty pillars, which contrast strangely with the ancient embattled tower which escaped when the original building was burnt down in the great fire of 1675. Above the portico are a cornice and entablature, in the centre of which is a statue of Charles II. In the interior was a marble statue by Chantrey to the memory of Spencer Percival, who was for a long period member for the borough, but this has recently been removed into the townhall. There is also a carved oak pulpit, and an altar-piece of Moses and Aaron by Sir Godfrey Kneller. The original church is said to have contained glass as old as 1252. St. Giles's church, near the E. end of the town, is partly of Norman architecture, and partly early English. It is in the shape of a cross, and was first built in the early part of the 12th century; but so many alterations have since been made in it, that most of the traces of the old building have disappeared. The embattled tower, containing a peal of eight bells, is supposed to have been erected about 1615, and is a fine specimen of the building of the period. St. Peter's, near the W. end of the town, and close to where the ancient castle originally stood, is said to have been built about the same time, and is an exceedingly good specimen of the enriched Norman style of architecture. It has recently been restored by Mr. Gilbert Scott. Some portions of the interior are most elaborately carved, and there are several very interesting ancient as well as modern monuments. St. Sepulchre's was built in the early part of the 12th century by the Knights Templars, on the model of the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, and is one of the only four round churches remaining in the kingdom. It is supported on eight Norman columns, with plain pointed arches of a later style of architecture, surmounted by a central cupola; and adjoining it is a tower with six bells and a spire. It contains old brasses, and many curious inscriptions. The other churches are St. Katherine's, St. Andrew's, and St. Edmund's, all three district churches, erected within the last thirty years. There are, besides the above, twenty other places of worship, of which the Baptists have five chapels, the Wesleyan' Methodists three, the Independents two, the Calvinists, Primitive Methodists, Unitarians, and Society of Friends, each one, and the Roman Catholics have a collegiate chapel, built in 1845 from Mr. Pugin's designs. The bishop's residence is close by. Among the dissenting chapels the only one that deserves particular notice is that of sue Independents, on Castle Hill, as having been for twenty years the scene of the labours of the celebrated Dr. Doddridge, a mural tablet to whose memory has been inserted in the wall. In Abingdon-street is a modern nunnery, dedicated to St. Felix. The schools and charitable institutions are numerous. Among the former may be mentioned Chipsey's free grammar school, founded about 1543, Dryden's orange-coat school for boys, Becket and Serjeant's blue-coat school for girls, and the corporation or blue-coat school. Bickerstaff's almshouses, founded in 1695, are among the principal charities, with the hospitals of St. Thomas and St. John. The former of these was founded in the middle of the 15th century for eighteen aged persons, and was removed to its present site about 25 years ago; while the latter, originally founded by William St. Clere, is intended for the relief of infirm persons, and has a chapel and spacious hall. There are remains of several ancient religious houses, including those of the Black and Grey Friars, founded about the middle of the 13th century, and the hospital of the Blessed Virgin, founded in 1450. The cemetery contains about 10 acres. There are three bridges in Northampton, one of three arches. But few vestiges are left of the castle, including only the round tower, an arch, and part of the walls. There are also remaining the ditch and S. postern of the town wall, which was dismantled in 1662. Roman coins, pottery, and other relics have been discovered at different times. It publishes the Northampton Herald and Northampton Mercury newspapers, and gives title of marquis to the Compton family. In the immediate vicinity is the Victoria promenade, about 1 mile long, with an avenue of lime-trees. Outside the town are several interesting objects, the chief, perhaps, being Queen Eleanor's cross, where are four figures so arranged that five may be counted at a short distance off, and many bets have been lost and won as to the number of the queens on this monument. Northampton has been the native place of many celebrated men. An ancestor of Washington was twice mayor of the town. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday, for corn, cattle, sheep, and pigs. Fairs are held on the second Tuesday in January, 20th February, third Monday in March, 6th April, 4th May, 19th June, 1st July for wool, 5th and 26th August, 19th September for cheese, first Thursday in November, 28th November, and 19th December. The Pytchley Hunt races are held in March every year. The racecourse is at a short distance N. of the town, and comprises about 120 acres, with a race-stand."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2010]

The last parliament which was held at Northampton was in the reign of Richard II., in 1380, when the poll tax was imposed which provoked the rebellion under Wat Tyler. The Lancastrians were defeated here in 1460 by the Earl of March, afterwards Edward IV., and the "king-maker Warwick," in a great battle at Hardington Fields, soon after the commencement of the contest between the Red and White Roses, in which Henry VI. was taken prisoner, his queen and the Prince of Wales escaping with difficulty. In 1637 the plague raged here with great violence. During the civil war of the reign of Charles I., Northampton was taken by Lord Brooke, and garrisoned for the parliament. In 1675 the town was laid in ashes by a dreadful fire which consumed upwards of 600 houses, besides the parish church of All Saints, property to the value of above £150,000 being destroyed. An Act of Parliament was passed to rebuild the town, and £25,000 subscribed, exclusive of the gift of the king, who contributed a thousand tons of timber towards that object. In the early part of the 18th century a considerable amount of damage was done to the town by a flood. Before the fire the greater part of the houses were built of wood and thatch, but are now chiefly of a reddish-coloured freestone, obtained in the vicinity. The town consists of four principal streets meeting in a large open market-place, and of a number of minor streets of very irregular formation. The principal streets are well paved and lighted with gas, and the town supplied with water by works situated on the Billing-road. Northampton returns two members to parliament. It was first chartered by Henry II., and is a borough by prescription. Under the Municipal Reform Act it is divided into three wards, and is governed by a mayor, who is returning officer, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors, with the style of "mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Northampton." The municipal and parliamentary boundaries are co-extensive. The population in 1851 was 62,658, with 4,886 inhabited houses; which in 1861 had increased to 32,813, with 6,150 inhabited houses. The revenue of the corporation is about £7,000. The chief articles of manufacture are boots and shoes, which employ nearly 3,000 hands, and are exported all over the globe. There is also a steady trade in the currying of leather. Stockings and lace were formerly made to a large extent, but since the introduction of machinery these branches of industry have ceased to exist. There are also several malting establishments, brass and iron foundries, flourmills, coach-works, and a paper-mill. Trade is very much facilitated by the navigation of the river Nen, the communication with the Grand Junction canal, and the opening of the several lines of railway. The public buildings are numerous, and some of them of considerable interest and importance. The townhall is a modern building, and has portraits of Sir T. White, founder of St. John's College, Oxford, and the Right Hon. Spencer Percival. The new corn exchange includes a hall 140 feet by 65 feet, and was erected in 1851. The corn exchange buildings, which are in the Italian style, cost upwards of £10,000, and are now occupied by the mechanics' institution, which boasts of a library of 12,000 volumes, and has nearly 800 members. The county hall is a Grecian building, the ceiling of which is magnificently decorated; and there are portraits of King William IIL and Queen Mary, Queen Anne, George I., and George II. The county gaol was erected at a cost of £25,000, by James Mylne, on the model principle, and is capable of holding 150 prisoners. There is also the borough gaol, which was completed in 1846, and cost about £18,000, including the price of the 24 acres of land. Besides these there are a theatre, union poorhouse, temperance hall, several commercial banks, savings-bank, baths, and gas and water works. The barracks, erected in 1796, are situated at the northern extremity of the town. The infirmary is a stone building, erected in 1793 by subscription; it cost £25,000, and has accommodation for 127 in-door patients. The lunatic asylum was opened in 1838, and is capable of holding 250 patients. The Royal Victoria self-supporting dispensary was founded in 1844, when the Queen passed through the town. The ecclesiastical edifices include seven churches, viz:, All Saints, rebuilt in 1680 after designs by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a large structure, having a central cupola, and Ionic portico of twelve lofty pillars, which contrast strangely with the ancient embattled tower which escaped when the original building was burnt down in the great fire of 1675. Above the portico are a cornice and entablature, in the centre of which is a statue of Charles II. In the interior was a marble statue by Chantrey to the memory of Spencer Percival, who was for a long period member for the borough, but this has recently been removed into the townhall. There is also a carved oak pulpit, and an altar-piece of Moses and Aaron by Sir Godfrey Kneller. The original church is said to have contained glass as old as 1252. St. Giles's church, near the E. end of the town, is partly of Norman architecture, and partly early English. It is in the shape of a cross, and was first built in the early part of the 12th century; but so many alterations have since been made in it, that most of the traces of the old building have disappeared. The embattled tower, containing a peal of eight bells, is supposed to have been erected about 1615, and is a fine specimen of the building of the period. St. Peter's, near the W. end of the town, and close to where the ancient castle originally stood, is said to have been built about the same time, and is an exceedingly good specimen of the enriched Norman style of architecture. It has recently been restored by Mr. Gilbert Scott. Some portions of the interior are most elaborately carved, and there are several very interesting ancient as well as modern monuments. St. Sepulchre's was built in the early part of the 12th century by the Knights Templars, on the model of the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, and is one of the only four round churches remaining in the kingdom. It is supported on eight Norman columns, with plain pointed arches of a later style of architecture, surmounted by a central cupola; and adjoining it is a tower with six bells and a spire. It contains old brasses, and many curious inscriptions. The other churches are St. Katherine's, St. Andrew's, and St. Edmund's, all three district churches, erected within the last thirty years. There are, besides the above, twenty other places of worship, of which the Baptists have five chapels, the Wesleyan' Methodists three, the Independents two, the Calvinists, Primitive Methodists, Unitarians, and Society of Friends, each one, and the Roman Catholics have a collegiate chapel, built in 1845 from Mr. Pugin's designs. The bishop's residence is close by. Among the dissenting chapels the only one that deserves particular notice is that of sue Independents, on Castle Hill, as having been for twenty years the scene of the labours of the celebrated Dr. Doddridge, a mural tablet to whose memory has been inserted in the wall. In Abingdon-street is a modern nunnery, dedicated to St. Felix. The schools and charitable institutions are numerous. Among the former may be mentioned Chipsey's free grammar school, founded about 1543, Dryden's orange-coat school for boys, Becket and Serjeant's blue-coat school for girls, and the corporation or blue-coat school. Bickerstaff's almshouses, founded in 1695, are among the principal charities, with the hospitals of St. Thomas and St. John. The former of these was founded in the middle of the 15th century for eighteen aged persons, and was removed to its present site about 25 years ago; while the latter, originally founded by William St. Clere, is intended for the relief of infirm persons, and has a chapel and spacious hall. There are remains of several ancient religious houses, including those of the Black and Grey Friars, founded about the middle of the 13th century, and the hospital of the Blessed Virgin, founded in 1450. The cemetery contains about 10 acres. There are three bridges in Northampton, one of three arches. But few vestiges are left of the castle, including only the round tower, an arch, and part of the walls. There are also remaining the ditch and S. postern of the town wall, which was dismantled in 1662. Roman coins, pottery, and other relics have been discovered at different times. It publishes the Northampton Herald and Northampton Mercury newspapers, and gives title of marquis to the Compton family. In the immediate vicinity is the Victoria promenade, about 1 mile long, with an avenue of lime-trees. Outside the town are several interesting objects, the chief, perhaps, being Queen Eleanor's cross, where are four figures so arranged that five may be counted at a short distance off, and many bets have been lost and won as to the number of the queens on this monument. Northampton has been the native place of many celebrated men. An ancestor of Washington was twice mayor of the town. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday, for corn, cattle, sheep, and pigs. Fairs are held on the second Tuesday in January, 20th February, third Monday in March, 6th April, 4th May, 19th June, 1st July for wool, 5th and 26th August, 19th September for cheese, first Thursday in November, 28th November, and 19th December. The Pytchley Hunt races are held in March every year. The racecourse is at a short distance N. of the town, and comprises about 120 acres, with a race-stand."