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Northamptonshire

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"Northamptonshire, (or Northampton), south-midland county of England, bounded N. by Leicestershire, Rutland, and Lincolnshire, E. by Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, and Bedfordshire, S. by Bucks and Oxfordshire, and W. by Warwickshire; greatest length, NE. to SW., about 70 miles; greatest breadth, E. to W., about 26 miles; area, 629,912 acres, population 272,555. Although the surface appearance of the county is generally hilly there are no elevations of considerable altitude, the highest being near Daventry, where Arbury Hill reaches 804 ft. The NE. part of the county belongs to the Fen district. In some localities, particularly the W. and SW., the scenery is especially attractive; while here and there throughout the county rich woods and well-watered vales afford pleasing aspects. The chief rivers are the Nen and the Welland; the Avon forms a part of the N. boundary of the Co., the Cherwell of the SW. boundary, and the Leam of the W. boundary; the Ouse has its rise near Brackley in the S. . . Throughout the whole county, farming is successfully prosecuted, all kinds of cereal and green crops being raised; while upon the splendid pastures large numbers of cattle are reared, principally for the London market. Northampton is celebrated for its ash trees, old oaks, and elm avenues. . . Iron is largely found, and although worked as early as the time of the Roman occupation, its modern manufacture dates only from 1850. . . Apart from ironworkng, the great industry of the county is centred in the manufacture of boots and shoes in the town of Northampton and the towns of the middle of the county." [Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1887]

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Archives & Libraries

Northamptonshire Archives
Wootton Hall Park
NORTHAMPTON
NN4 8BQ

Telephone:- U.K. 01604 762129 Overseas +44 1604 762129
Fax:- U.K. 01604 767562, Overseas +44 1604 767562

Northampton Central Library
Abington Street
NORTHAMPTON
NN1 2BA

Telephone:- U.K. 01604 26771, Overseas +44 1604 26771
Fax:- U.K. 01604 230790, Overseas +44 1604 230790

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Cemeteries

Memorial Inscriptions; Northamptonshire Family History Society has an ongoing programme to record and publish the memorials from churchyards around the county.

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Civil Registration

Registration Districts in Northamptonshire

Certificates of birth, death and marriage can be obtained from the Superintendent Registrars at the Local Register Offices

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ACHURCH, (or Thorpe Achurch) a parish in the hundred of Navisford, county Northampton, 4 miles N.E. of Thrapston, its post town, and 3 S.W. of Oundle. It is a station on the Peterborough and Northampton railway. The living is a rectory* with the vicarage of Lilford annexed, in the diocese of Peterborough, value £420. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, contains monuments of the Elmes, Powys, and other families. The parochial charities produce about £15 per annum.

"ALDWINKLE ALL SAINTS, a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, in the county of Northampton, 2 miles to the N.E. of Thrapston. It is watered by the river Nen, and the Northampton and Peterborough railway passes through the parish. It is an ancient place, and its Saxon name was Aldewingle. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £311, in the patronage of the Rev. R. Roberts, D.D., the rector. The church is in the later English style, and has a fine tower, decorated windows, and a beautiful chapel adjoining the chancel. It contains a brass of an Aldwinkle of the year 1463. The father of the poet Dryden held this rectory, and the parsonage-house was the birthplace of the poet (1631). There is a free school for the benefit of this and the adjoining parish of St. Peter, founded and endowed in 1671 by Richard Thorpe."

"ALDWINKLE ST. PETER'S, a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, in the county of Northampton, 4 miles NE. of Thrapston. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £230, in the patronage of Lord Lilford, of Lilford Hall. This parish has a share in the charities of Aldwinkle All Saints. The river Nen, on which the village is situated, communicates with the Northampton canal, and is navigable to the ocean. Thomas Fuller, author of the "Church History," and "History of the Worthies of England," was born here in 1608, his father, the Rev. T. Fuller, at that time holding the rectory. Aldwinkle House is the seat of the Hon. and Rev. F. Powys. Here are ruins of a structure called Liveden, built by the Treshams which is in the form of a cross, and has some interesting sculpture."

"ASHBY-MEARS, a parish in the hundred of Hansfordshoe, in the county of Northampton, 3 miles to the S.W. of Wellingborough. Northampton is its post town. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough, value £235, in the patronage of Mrs. M. Newby's Trustees. The church is dedicated to All Saints. Ashby-Mears House is the principal residence."

"BANBURY, a parish, market town, and municipal and parliamentary borough, chiefly in the hundred of Banbury and county of Oxford, but partly also in the hundred of King's Sutton, in the county of Northampton, 23 miles to the N. of Oxford, and 73 miles to the N.W. of London, or 77 miles by the London and North-Western railway, with which it is connected by a branch line from Bletchley. It is also a station on the Oxford and Birmingham section of the Great Western railway. The town stands in a pleasant valley on the banks of the river Cherwell, and includes the hamlets of Neithrop, Grimsbury, Nethercote, Wickham, and Hardwick. It is a place of great antiquity, and was called by the Saxons Banesbyrig. Roman relics have frequently been found in the town and neighbourhood. In the first half of the 12th century, a fortress was founded here by Alexander de Blois, Bishop of Lincoln, then lord of the manor of Banbury. It continued to be the occasional residence of the bishops till the reign of Edward VI. Danesmore, a level tract 3 miles from Banbury, was the scene of the battle of Banbury in 1469, when the Yorkists, led by the Earl of Pembroke, were totally defeated by the great Earl of Warwick, the kingmaker, and last of the Barons. Pembroke and his brother, and several other gentlemen, were captured the day after, and beheaded. The manor came into the possession of the crown in the reign of Edward VI., and the castle was granted by Queen Elizabeth to the Saye and Soles of Broughton. During the Civil War of the 17th century the castle was first garrisoned for the parliament, but was surrendered to the royalists in 1642, after the battle of Edgehill. It stood a siege of thirteen weeks in 1644, and another of ten weeks in 1646, when it was given up to the parliament, and was a short time afterwards dismantled. Scarcely any traces of it are visible.

"BARNWELL ALL SAINTS, (or King's), a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, in the county of Northampton, near Barnwell St. Andrew's. The rectory is united with that of Barnwell St. Andrew's, in the diocese of Peterborough.

"BARNWELL ST. ANDREW'S, a parish in the hundred of Polebrook, in the county of Northampton, 3 miles to the S.E. of Oundle, its post town. It is a station on the Northampton and Peterborough railway, 16 miles from Peterborough, and 94 from London. The name of this place is said to be equivalent to Bairn's Well, and to refer to an ancient practice in connection with a holy well here. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value with that of Barnwell All Saints, of £303, in the gift of the Duke of Buccleuch. The church is chiefly in the early English style, with a tower and spire. The charitable institutions are: Latham's almshouses for 14 persons, with an income, from endowment, of £316; a free school, with an endowment, and several other charities, the annual value of the whole amounting to above £509. The chief residence is Barnwell Castle, the seat of the Oddies. The grounds contain extensive ruins of a castle built here by Reginald le Moine, in the reign of Henry I."

"BRAFIELD, (or Brayfield On The Green), a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, in the county of Northampton, 5 miles to the E. of Northampton. The Northampton and Peterborough branch of the London and North-Western railway passes near it. The living is a vicarage united with that of Little Houghton, in the diocese of Peterborough. The church is dedicated to St. Lawrence. There are some charitable endowments for the benefit of the poor, amounting to £16 a year.

"BRAMPTON, a parish in the hundred of Corby, in the county of Northampton, 6 miles to the S.W. of Rockingham. Market Harborough is its post town. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £400, in the patronage of Earl Spencer. The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, contains two monumental brasses. The parochial charities amount to £6 a year. The rectory of this parish was once held by Bishop Cumberland."

"BRAMPTON-CHAPEL, a parish in the hundred of Nobottle-Grove, in the county of Northampton, 4 miles to the N. of Northampton, its post town. It is a station on the Northampton, Market Harborough, and Stamford branch of the London and North-Western railway. There is no church."

"BRAMPTON-CHURCH, a parish in the hundred of Nobottle-Grove, in the county of Northampton, close to Brampton-Chapel. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £346, in the patronage of the President and Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. The church, which is partly in the perpendicular and partly in the decorated style, is dedicated to St. Botolph. It contains a round font, and had formerly a rood-loft. The parochial charities are worth £6 a year. The chief residence is Brampton Lodge."

"CHALCOMBE, (or Chacombe), a parish in the hundred of King's Sutton, in the county of Northampton, 3 miles N.E. of Banbury, its post town and railway station. It is situated near the river Cherwell, which bounds the parish on the W. There are considerable remains of a priory, which was founded by Hugh de Chacombe in the time of Henry II., and at the Dissolution the site was purchased by the Foxe family, now represented by Charles Wykeham Martin, Esq., its present owner. The inhabitants are engaged in agriculture and the manufacture of hosiery. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £250, in the patronage of Charles Wykeham Martin, Esq. The church, dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, is a stone edifice, partly in the decorated and partly in the perpendicular style, and contains an ancient brass. The Primitive Methodists and Wesleyans have chapels, and there is a school with a small endowment. The charities amount to £4 per annum. Charles Wykeham Martin, Esq., is lord of the manor.

"CLAPTON, a parish in the hundred of Navisford, in the county of Northampton, 4 miles E. of Thrapston, its post town, and 3 E. of Titmarsh. The village is very small, and the inhabitants wholly engaged in agriculture. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £154, in the patronage of G. and W. G. Shedden, Esqrs. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a neat building, in good repair, and formerly possessed a beautiful tower, which was destroyed by lightning. There are monuments in the church to the memory of the Dudley, Breton, and Williams families. The charities amount to £11 per annum. Liveden House, now in ruins, was erected by the Treshams."

"COLLEYWESTON, a parish in the hundred of Willybrook, in the county of Northampton, 4 miles S.W. of Stamford, its post town, and 6½ from Wansford. It is situated near the river Welland. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £252, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, was built in the 14th century of barnack stone, and is in good repair. Here are several slate-quarries. The Marquis of Exeter is lord of the manor."

"COTTESBROOK, a parish in the hundred of Guilsborough, in the county of Northampton, 7 miles S. E. of Welford, and 9 N. of Northampton. It was formerly a cell to Sulby Abbey, founded in the 12th century by William de Widvile for monks of the Premonstratensian order. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £400, the patronage of Sir J. Langham, who is lord of the manor. The church is dedicated to All Saints. Here is a hospital for two widowers and six widows, which was founded and endowed with 53 acres of land in 1651. There is a parochial school."

"CRANFORD ST. ANDREW (and Cranford St. John) parishes in the hundred of Huxloe, in the county of Northampton. 3½ miles S.E. of Kettering station on the Midland railway, and 70 from London. The village is small, and entirely agricultural. The two parishes are united for ecclesiastical purposes. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £150, held together with the rectory* of St. John, value £198, in the patronage of Sir G. Robinson, Bart. The churches are small, and one of them contains a fine stained-glass window. The tithes of St. Andrew were commuted in 1775, and of St. John in 1805. The charities amount to £6 per annum. The Duke of Buccleuch is lord of the manor. Cranford Hall, the seat of the Robinsons, is a modern mansion, surrounded by a spacious lawn and pleasure-grounds. The founder of this family, Alderman Sir John Robinson, was Lord Mayor of London in 1660, and was created a baronet by Charles II. for his efforts in promoting the Restoration.

"DODDINGTON, a parish in the hundred of Willybrook, in the county of Northampton, 5 miles S.W. of Stamford, its railway station and post-town. It is situated on the river Welland, which separates it from the county of Rutland. The county is hilly and well wooded, chiefly oak and ash. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £115, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient stone structure, and has a square tower with small spire. The charities amount to £18 per annum, £10 of which goes to Jackson's free-school. The Independents have a chapel here, and there is a free school with a small endowment. George Monekton, Esq., is lord of the manor."

"EASTON, a parish in the hundred of Willybrook, county Northampton, 2½ miles S.W. of Stamford, its post town and railway station. It is situated on high ground near the river Welland, and contains several quarries of building stone and slate. The tithes were commuted for land and a corn-rent under an Enclosure Act in 1817. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £440, in the patronage of the Marquis of Exeter, who is lord of the manor. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient stone structure, with tower and four bells. The Wesleyan Methodists have a chapel, and there is an endowed school for fourteen boys and six girls. The parochial charities produce about £150 per annum, of which £82 belong to Gonford's school. The principal residence is Easton Hall."

"EASTON NESTON, a parish in the hundred of Cleley, county Northampton, 12 mile N. E. of Towcester, its post, town, and 3½ miles S. of the Blisworth station. It contains the townships of Hulcote and Showsley, and is situated on the river Tove. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough, value £151, in the patronage of the Earl of Pomfret, who is also lord of the manor, and has a noble mansion here. The church, dedicated-to St. Mary, is an ancient structure, with tower containing six bells and a clock; and contains monuments of the Fermor family. The charities, principally derived from the Hulcote Estate, produce about £150 a year, applied chiefly to the support of the free school for boys and girls. The chief seat is Easton Neaten House, built by Wren and Hawksmoor, in which the collection of marbles, afterwards presented by the Countess of Pomfret to the University of Oxford, was originally formed."

"HULCOTE, a hamlet in the parish of Easton-Neston, hundred of Cleley, county Northampton, 1½ mile N.E. of Towcester."

"SHOWSLEY, a hamlet in the parish of Easton Neston, county Northampton, 2 miles N.E. of Towcester."

"EDGCOTT, a parish in the hundred of Chipping-Warden, county Northampton, 7 miles N.E. of Banbury, its post town, and 9 N.W. of Brackley. The river Cherwell passes through the parish, the greater part of which is in pasture. In a vale, called Danesmoor, a little to the S. of the village, a battle was fought between the Saxons and Danes. In the reign of Edward IV. a conflict took place in this neighbourhood, in the year 1469, between the houses of York and Lancaster, in which the former being defeated, the Earl of Pembroke and his two brothers were taken prisoners and executed at Banbury. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £300. The church is an ancient stone edifice, partly covered with ivy, and has a handsome E. window, It is dedicated to St. James. Mrs. Cartwright is lady of the manor. Edgcott House is the principal residence, and in it is preserved the bed in which Charles I. slept the night after the battle of Edgehill."

"EVENLY, a parish in the hundred of King's Sutton, county Northampton, 1 mile S. of Brackley, its post town. It is situated near the river Ouse. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £182, in the patronage of Magdalen College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. George, is an ancient structure in the form of a cross, and partly covered with ivy. There is a school for both sexes. The Hon. Philip Sydney Pierrepont is lord of the manor."

"ALTHORPE, (or Althorpe Park), an extra-parochial district, in the hundred of Nobottle Grove, in the county of Northampton, 7 miles N. W. of Northampton. It now contains only the noble mansion of Earl Spencer, situated on the road to Ruby.

"BARFORD, an extra-parochial liberty in the hundred of Rothwell, in the county of Northampton, adjoining the parish of Glendon."

"BOROUGH FEN, (or Borough Fen Ville), an extra-parochial district in the liberty of Peterborough, in the county of Northampton, 5 miles to the N. of Peterborough. It comprises an area of about 3,130 acres of very valuable grass and arable land, the property of Sir Culling E. Eardley, Bart., and lies on the north side of the parish of Newborough.

"CROSSWAYHAND LODGE, an extra-parochial place in the parish of Southwick, in the county of Northampton, 2½ miles N.W. of Oundle."

"FINESHADE VILLE, an extra parochial place in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 7 miles S.E. of Uppingham, and 8 N.W. of Oundle, its post town. It is situated in the vicinity of the river Welland. A monastery of Austin friars once stood here, which, at the Dissolution, was given to the Russell family. Here is a church, the living of which is a donative curacy in the diocese of Peterborough, value £342. Fineshade Abbey,' a seat built on the site of the ancient priory, is the principal residence."

"HARTWELL LODGE, an extra parochial place in the hundred of Cleley, county Northampton."

"HIGHAM PARK, an extra parochial place, in the hundred of Higham Ferrers, county Northampton, 3 miles S.E. of Higham Ferrers."

"MAWSLEY, an extra parochial place adjoining the chapelry of Faxton, county Northampton, 3 miles S. of Rothwell."

"MINSTER-CLOSE-PRECINCTS, an extra parochial place in the city of Peterborough, county Northampton. See Peterborough."

"FLOORE, a parish in the hundred of Nobottle Grove, county Northampton, 5 miles S.E. of Daventry, and 1 mile E. of Weedon, its post town and railway station on the London and North-Western line. It is situated on the turnpike road between Northampton and Daventry, a short distance from the Grand Junction canal. The river Nen flows through the parish, which includes the hamlet of Glassthorpe. This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the name of Flora. The surface is generally flat, and the soil a deep rich loam resting on gravel alternating with clay. Two-thirds of the land is arable, the rest pasture. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough, value £467, in the patronage of Christ Church, Oxford. The church is a structure of the 11th century, with later additions. It is dedicated to All Saints, and has one brass of 1450. The charities, including a small school endowment, produce about £36 per annum. The Independents have a chapel, and there are two schools. Floore House is the principal residence."

"GREAT ADDINGTON, a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, in the county of Northampton, 4 miles to the S.W. of Thrapston, and 1 from Woodford, near a railway station. It is situated on the river Nen, and the Northampton and Peterborough railway passes through it. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £420, in the patronage of Mrs. Clay. The church is dedicated to All Saints. Addington House is the principal residence.

"GREAT BILLING, a parish in the hundred of Spelhoe, in the county of Northampton, 4 miles to the E. of Northampton, its post town. The Peterborough and Northampton branch of the London and North-Western railway passes near it, and there is a station at Billing Road. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £495, in the patronage of the Principal and Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford. The church is dedicated to St. Andrew, and contains a monument to Henry, Earl of Thomond, to whom the manor belonged, and who died in 1691. A tablet to the memory of Caroline Elwes, who died in 1812, is adorned with a bas-relief by Flaxman. A hospital was founded here by John Freeman in the 17th century, which has an income from endowment of £33 a year. There are other small charities. This village was the birthplace of Sir J. Wake, a scholar and diplomatist of the reign of James I., the rectory being at that time held by his father. Billing Paddock is the seat of the Elwes family, to whom the manor now belongs.

"GREAT CREATON, a parish in the hundred of Guilsborough, in the county of Northampton, 8 miles N.W. of Northampton, its post town and railway station. Here are the remains of Holmby House, in which Charles I. was confined. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £270, in the patronage of the Rev. E. T. Beynon. The church is dedicated to St. Michael. The charities produce £60 per annum. The tithes were commuted in 1782. The Independents have a place of worship.

"GREAT DODDINGTON, a parish in the hundred of Hamfordshoe, in the county of Northampton, 8 miles E. of Northampton, and 22 S.W. of Wellingborough, its post town. It is pleasantly situated near the river Nen, and the Peterborough branch of the London and North-Western railway passes through it. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in agriculture, and in the manufacture of boots and shoes. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough, value £165, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church, dedicated to St. Luke, is a commodious stone structure, with an ancient Gothic belfry, doorway, and square tower with five bells. The charities are worth £5 per annum. There, is a chapel for Independents, and a large building used as a Sunday school. The Marquis of Northampton is lord of the manor.

"GREAT HARROWDEN, a parish in the hundred of Orlingbury, county Northampton, 2 miles N. of Wellingborough, and 5 from Kettering. This was formerly the seat of the Vaux and Knolles families. The village, which is small, is wholly agricultural. The living is a vicarage,* value with that of Little Harrowden, £475. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is a small stone and brick building, with a square tower containing a clock and three bells. There are almshouses and a free school, supposed to have been founded by the Wentworth family, earls Fitzwilliam.

"GREAT HOUGHTON, a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county Northampton, 2 miles S.E. of Northampton. The village, which is small and wholly agricultural, is situated near the river Nen. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £538, in the patronage of Magdalen College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a modern structure with a spire. The charities produce about £5 per annum.

"GREAT OAKLEY, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 4 miles N. of Kettering. It anciently formed part of Rockingham Forest. The village, which is inconsiderable, is situated on the road from Kettering to Rockingham, near a branch of the river Nen. It is a meet for the Warwick hounds. The principal residence is Oakley House, the seat of Sir W. de Capell Brooke, Bart. The living is a donative curacy in the diocese of Peterborough, value £50. The church is dedicated to St. Michael, and has a tower built about 1600 with materials supposed to have been brought from Pipewell Abbey, about 3 miles distant. There is a chapel for Dissenters.

"GREAT OXENDON, a parish in the hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 14 miles N.W. of Northampton, its post town, and 2½ S.E. of Market Harborough. There is a joint station for Clipstone and Oxendon on the Stamford and Blisworth branch of the London and North-Western railway. The village, which is small and wholly agricultural, is situated on the main road from London to Manchester. It consists almost wholly of good grazing land. The soil is clayey. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1767. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £410. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is an ancient edifice, with a tower. The living was once held by Morton, the author of the "Natural History of Northamptonshire." The interior of the church contains effigies of Lady Gorges. There is a Sunday-school, also a place of worship for the Independents.

"GREAT WELDON, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 8 miles N.W. of Oundle, and 4 E. of Rockingham. The parish includes the hamlet of Little Weldon. The village was formerly a market town, but the market-house, erected by Viscount Hatton, over which were the sessions chambers, was pulled down at the beginning of the present century. On a hill, at a little distance from a branch of the river Nene, are the remains of an ancient town. There are some freestone quarries. Weldon gives name to a deanery. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £209. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The Independents have a chapel. There are National schools. The parochial charities produce about £8 per annum. In an enclosure called Chapel-Field were found in 1738 the pavements of a Roman villa, forming a double square, measuring 100 feet by 50, with the foundations of a stone wall and numerous coins of the lower empire. A fair is held on the Thursday following the second Sunday in July. The Earl of Winchelsea is lord of the manor.

"HASELBEECH, (or Hazlebeech), a parish in the hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 5 miles S.E. of Welford, and 7 S. of Market Harborough. The village, which is small and wholly agricultural, is situated near Isle Brook. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £296. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is an ancient structure, with a square embattled tower containing four bells. It was entirely renovated in 1854. There is a Sunday-school for boys and girls.

"HELPSTONE, a parish in the Peterborough liberty, county Northampton, 4 miles S.W. of Market Deeping, its post town, and 7 N.W. of Peterborough. It is a station on the Midland line of railway. It is situated on the river Welland, and is a station on the Great Northern railway. The land is chiefly arable. The village is neatly built, and in the centre is an ancient cross. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1774. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough, value £99. The church, dedicated to St. Botolph, has been re-roofed and thoroughly restored. It is an ancient stone structure, with a tower surmounted by an octagonal spire. The parochial charities produce about £40 per annum. There is a Sunday-school, chiefly supported by Earl Fitzwilliam and the Rev. Charles Mossop. The Wesleyans have a small place of worship. The Marquis of Exeter and Sir John Trollope, Bart., are lords of the manor. On occasion of the enclosure of the parish in 1774, 20 acres of land were allotted to the poor, which is let out in small portions for garden ground."

"HINTON-IN-THE-HEDGES, a parish in the hundred of King's Sutton, county Northampton, 2 miles W. of Brackley. The surface, which is undulating, is well wooded, chiefly with oak and beech. The land is divided between arable, pasture, and meadow. The village consists of a few farmhouses. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act obtained in 1766. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value, with Stean annexed, £343. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is an ancient structure, containing a monument, with the recumbent effigies of a knight and his lady. The parochial charities produce about £40 per annum, chiefly the endowment of Lord Crewe's almshouses. Near the village are the remains of the family mansion of the Lovells."

"LITTLE ADDINGTON, a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, in the county of Northampton, 1 mile to the S. of Great Addington. It formed part of the possessions of she monastery of Sulby. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £245, in the patronage of J. Boodle, Esq. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The river Nen and the Northampton canal pass through the parish. There is a small free school, and a Wesleyan chapel. The land is chiefly arable.

"LITTLE BILLING, a parish in the hundred of Spelhoe, in the county of Northampton, a little to the S. of Great Billing. It is situated on the banks of the river Nen, near the Billing Road station of the Peterborough and Northampton railway. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £349, in the patronage of Earl Brownlow. The church is dedicated to All Saints, and contains a curious old font. A farm-house in the village was formerly the seat of the Longuevilles, who held the manor.

"LITTLE BOWDEN, a parish in the hundred of Rothwell, in the county of Northampton, close to Market Harborough. The south-east branch of the Midland railway passes through it. The parish contains the hamlet of Little Oxenden. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £293, in the patronage of the Rev. T. Barlow, rector. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas. The parochial charities, consisting of the town estate, worth £72 per annum, and an endowment for a school, amount to about £76. In the vicinity is Bowden Lodge.

"LITTLE OXENDON, a hamlet in the parish of Little Bowden, hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 1 mile from Great Oxendon, and 2 miles S. by W. of Market Harborough. There was formerly a chapel-of-ease, but no traces of it now remain.

"LITTLE HARROWDEN, a parish in the hundred of Orlingbury, county Northampton, 1 mile N.W. of Great Harrowden, and 3 miles N.W. of Wellingborough. This village is much more considerable than that of Great Harrowden. The living is a vicarage annexed to Great Harrowden. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a small structure of stone and brick, overgrown with ivy, and having a Norman doorway on the S. side. It has a square tower containing four bells and a modern clock. The interior has been recently renovated. The Wesleyans have a chapel and there is a free grammar school. The charities produce £83 per annum, including Aylworth's bequest for the school.

"LITTLE HOUGHTON, a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county Northampton, 3½ miles S.E. of Northampton. The village is considerable, but the inhabitants chiefly engaged in agriculture. The living is a vicarage,* with that of Brafield-on-the-Green annexed, value £285. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. There are National schools with a small endowment.

"LITTLE OAKLEY, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 2 miles E. of Great Oakley, and 5 N. by E. of Kettering. The village, which is small and wholly-agricultural, is situated in a vale on the road from Kettering to Stamford. The land is divided between arable and pasture, with about 119 acres of woodland. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act, and the glebe comprises 106 acres. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £81. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a spacious structure, with a square embattled tower of great antiquity. There are two schools partly supported by subscription.

"LUDDINGTON-IN-THE-BROOK, a parish partly in the hundred of Polebrook, county Northampton, and partly in that of Leightonstone, county Huntingdon, 5 miles S.E. of Oundle, its post town, and 8 N.E. of Thrapston. It is a small rustic place. The tithes, with certain exceptions, were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1807. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £150. The church is dedicated to St. Margaret. The charities are shared with the parish of Hemington."

"MARTIN-STAMFORD-BARON, a parish in the borough of Stamford, soke of Peterborough, county Northampton, half a mile S.E. of Stamford. It is situated on the navigable river Welland, and may be considered a suburb of Stamford. A Benedictine nunnery was founded here in the reign of Henry II. by the Abbot of Peterborough. The surface is varied and well wooded. Freestone is quarried- The old Elizabethan mansion, once the seat of the great Lord Burleigh, and still known as Burleigh House, is now the residence of the Marquis of Westminster. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1795. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £225. The church, dedicated to St. Martin, is of the 15th century, and contains monuments to several of the Cecil family, including the great Lord-Treasurer Burleigh. There is a hospital for a warden and 12 poor brethren, founded by William Lord Burleigh in 1597, who endowed it with a rent-charge of £100, subsequently augmented by various gifts. The charities produce about £150 per annum, which is appropriated to the support of the schools and in assisting the poor."

"MIDDLETON-MALZOR, (or Milton), a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county Northampton, 3½ miles S.W. of Northampton, its post town. The parish, which is small, is situated on the canal, and near the line of the Northampton railway. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £340. The church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, is a neat structure with a spired tower containing five bells. The parochial charities produce about £52 per annum. There is an infant school, also a place of worship for the Baptists. Blake, Esq., is lord of the manor.

"MILTON-MAZOR, (or Middleton Malsor), a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county Northampton, 3½ miles S.W. of Northampton, its post town, and half a mile from the Blisworth station of the Birmingham and London railway. The parish, which is of small extent, is situated on the Northampton and Oxford road, and on the Northampton section of the Grand Junction canal. It is wholly agricultural, except a few persons employed in the shoe trade. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1780. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £340. The church, dedicated' to the Holy Cross, has a spired tower containing five bells. The parochial charities produce about £52 per annum. There is an infant school and a chapel for the Baptists. Blake, Esq., is lord of the manor.

"BEDFORD LEVEL, an extensive tract of flat marshy ground, also called the Fens, on the eastern coast of England, comprising parts of the six counties of Lincoln, Northampton, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Norfolk, and Suffolk. It is situated to the south of the Wash, extending from the river Welland, in the south-east part of Lincolnshire, to Milton, in Cambridgeshire; and from Peterborough, on the river Nen, in Northamptonshire, to Brandon, on the little Ouse, in Suffolk. It is about 40 miles in length from N. to S., and the same in its greatest breadth. The Level is divided into three parts, the North, Middle, and South Levels. The first is the district lying between the rivers Welland and Nen; the second, that between the Nen and the old Bedford river; and the third, that which lies to the south-east of the old Bedford river. The area of the Level is estimated at about 400,000 acres. Above half of that area is comprised in the Isle of Ely. When the Romans invaded Britain, the whole of this district, it is believed, was a great marsh, and its surface was considerably lower than at present. Roman ways were formed across its site, one of which is still to be seen. Writers of the 12th century describe the Fens as being at that time a most fruitful and agreeable country, with lakes and many rivers, woods, and orchards. But in the following century it was all changed; for in the year 1236, on occasion of a fierce storm which lasted above a week, the sea broke in and spread destruction over the country. Similar calamities occurred several times in subsequent years; the natural drainage was stopped, and the whole district again became a morass. In some parts it was covered with stagnant water above ten feet deep, and boats were necessary for communication between the towns and villages. In the 15th century, the first attempts were made to drain the Fens.

"MORTON-PINKNEY, a parish in the hundred of Greens-Norton, county Northampton, 10 miles N. of Brackley, and 8 W. of Towcester. Banbury is its post town. The parish, which is of large extent, is chiefly agricultural. There is a mineral spring in the neighbourhood. The manufacture of lace is carried on extensively. The soil is chiefly clay on a substratum of iron and sandstone. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1761. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Peterborough, value £167, in the patronage of Oriel College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a stone structure with a low embattled tower containing a clock and five bells. The church was restored and the chancel rebuilt in 1845. The parochial charities produce about £22 10s. per annum. There is a National school supported by subscription. The Baptists have a place of worship. Edward Candler, Esq., is lord of the manor."

"NASSINGTON WITH YARWELL, a parish in the hundred of Willybrook, county Northampton, 2; miles S.W. of Wansford, its post town, and 5½ N. of Oundle. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the Peterborough railway and the river Nen. It is chiefly agricultural. The appropriation belongs to the Prebendary of Nassington, in the cathedral of Lincoln. The living is a vicarage* with the curacy of Yarwell annexed, in the diocese of Peterborough, value £400, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is a neat structure, dedicated to St. Mary. The parochial charities produce about £31 per annum. There is a National school. The Wesleyans and Independents have each a place of worship. The Earl of Westmoreland is lord of the manor."

"NEWBOROUGH AND BOROUGH FEN, a parish of the liberty of Peterborough, county Northampton, 5 miles from Market-Deeping, its post town, and the same distance N.E. of Peterborough. This place, formerly a tract called Borough Fen Common, was about the commencement of the present century elevated into a parish. It is bounded on the S. and S.W. by the Carr Dyke. The parish is very extensive, and the chief part of the land improved by drainage, A great portion of it is used in grazing cattle. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. In the neighbourhood is an interesting structure called the Decoy Farm, belonging to the Williams family, so named from the former occupant's success in the capture of wild fowl. The village, which is small, lies midway between Peterborough and Crowland. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Peterborough, value £250, in the patronage of the crown. The church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, is a white brick structure, with a small square tower containing two bells. The church was erected in 1830, upon the creation of the parish. There are a National school for both sexes, and a Sunday-school. The Earl Fitzwilliam and the Marquis of Exeter are lords of the manor."

"NEWTON-BROMSHOLD, a parish in the hundred of Higham-Ferrers, county Northampton, 3 miles S.E. of Higham-Ferrers, its post town, and 8 from Wellingborough. The parish, which is inconsiderable, is wholly agricultural. It is situated on the confines of the county of Bedford, and was anciently called Bromswold. The tithes have been commuted under an Enclosure Act for 170 acres of glebe and a money payment. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £180, in the patronage of All Souls' College, Oxford. The church is a small ancient structure dedicated to St. Peter."

"NEWTON-IN-THE-WILLOWS, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 1 mile from Geddington, and 3½ miles N. by E. of Kettering, its post town. The village is wholly agricultural, and of small extent. The parish is traversed by the roads from Stamford and Uppingham to Kettering. Limestone is quarried. This place anciently belonged to Pipewell Abbey, and formed part of the parish of Geddington. The living is a donative curacy in the diocese of Peterborough, value £40. The church, dedicated to St. Faith, is a very ancient edifice, with a spired tower of more recent date. The Duke of Buccleuch is lord of the manor."

"NEWTON-WOOD, a parish in the hundred of Willybrook, county Northampton, 4 miles N. of Oundle, and 5 S.W. of Wansford, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on a branch of the river Nen, and on the road from King's Cleft to Oundle. The houses are in general built of stone, which gives the place a substantial appearance. The soil is rich and fertile, on a substratum of oolite rock, which is quarried for building purposes. Part of the land is in market gardens, for the supply of the Leicester markets with vegetables. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Peterborough, value £80, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists."

"PISFORD, (or Pitsford), a parish in the hundred of Spelhoe, county Northampton, 5 miles N. of Northampton, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the brow of a hill, near Pisford Bridge. The surface is gently undulating, and the soil a strong red mould. A peculiar kind of white sand and limestone abounds. The parish is watered by numerous springs, and includes the hamlet of Moulton Grange. The road from Northampton to Harborough intersects the parish. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The tithes have been commuted for 200 acres of glebe, valued at £300 per annum. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £379. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, has a rich Norman doorway. It contains a font of great antiquity. The living was formerly held by the father of Bishop Skinner, who was born here. The parochial charities produce about £5 per annum. There is a National school. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. There is a tumulus near the London road, called Longman's or Lyman's Hill; also a small ancient encampment, called Borough Dykes. Captain Richard Howard Vyse is lord of the manor.

"PITCHLEY, (or Pytchley), a parish in the hundred of Orlingbury, county Northampton, 3 miles S.W. of Kettering, its post town, and 5 N.W. of Wellingborough. The village, which is of small extent, is chiefly agricultural, but some of the inhabitants are employed in the manufacture of shoes, and others in that of lace. The surface is watered by several brooks, which fall into a branch of the river Nene. The soil is fertile, resting upon a substratum of limestone, which is quarried for building and burning into lime. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £99, in the patronage of the Bishop of Lichfield. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient edifice, with an embattled tower containing a clock and five bells. The parochial charities produce about £27 per annum, of which £23 goes to Aylworth's free school, A Sunday-school is held at the church. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. There are two agricultural societies, distinguished as the Horticultural and the Provident Benefit Societies. Pitchley Hall, now a ruin, was formerly the seat of the Knightleys, and was held by the Pytchley Hunt, which has removed to Brixworth. Lewis Lloyd, Esq., of Overstone, in Northamptonshire, is lord of the manor.

"PRESTON-CAPES, a parish in the hundred of Fawsley, county Northampton, 5½ miles S. of Daventry, its post town, and 6 from the Weedon station on the London and North-Western railway. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. The parish includes the hamlet of Little Preston. A portion of the land is in pasture. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £426. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is an ancient, ivy-covered structure, with an embattled tower containing a clock and five bells. The church was thoroughly restored in 1853. There are schools for both sexes; the boys' school has an endowment for the education of 20 pupils, and the girls' school is supported by Lady Knightley and the Rev. N. Knightley, M.A., by whom a Sunday-school is also supported. Preston Capes had formerly a Cluniac priory, founded by Hugh de Leycester in 1090, but which was subsequently removed to Daventry. Sir Rainald Knightley, Bart., of Fawsley Park, is lord of the manor."

"QUINTIN, a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county Northampton, 4½ miles S.E. of Northampton, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. Land was assigned in lieu of tithes under an Enclosure Act in 1814. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £295. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, has a tower containing two bells. The Rev. Sir H. J. Gunning is lord of the manor."

"RUSHTON ALL SAINTS AND ST. PETER, a parish in the hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 2 miles N.E. of Rothwell, and 4 miles N.W. of Kettering, its post town. It is a station on the Midland railway. The parish comprises the hamlet of Pipewell. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the Ise, a branch of the river Nen. It anciently formed two separate parishes. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £674. The church is dedicated to All Saints. The parochial charities produce about £4 per annum. W. W. Hope, Esq., is lord of the manor."

"STAMFORD BARON ST. MARTIN, a parish in the liberty of Nassaburgh, county Northampton , half a mile S.E. of Stamford in Lincolnshire, within which borough it is included. It is a station on the Midland Counties railway. The parish is situated on the bank of the navigable river Welland, here crossed by a bridge of five arches connecting the counties of Lincoln and Northampton. It includes, besides the large village of its own name, which may be considered a suburb of Stamford, the hamlet of Walthorpe. It appears to have been a place of considerable importance in the Saxon times, having been walled round by Edward the Elder, and made a mint town by Athelstane. It subsequently became a barony to Peterborough Abbey, and in the reign of Henry II. Abbot William de Waterville founded a nunnery as a cell to Peterborough, which at one period had 40 nuns, but at the Dissolution possessed a revenue of only £72 18s. led. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £215. The church of St. Martin, which stands in the High-street, was built in the 15th century by Bishop Russel, of Lincoln, and contains monuments to the Cecil family, including the great Lord Treasurer Burleigh, whose ancient mansion, called Burleigh House, is now the seat of the Marquis of Exeter. In the churchyard is the grave of Daniel Lambert, who died in 1809, at the age of 39, when he measured 9 feet 4 inches in girth, and 3 feet 1 inch round the leg, and weighed 739 lbs. The charities produce about £510 per annum, of which £240 belong to the hospital founded in 1597 by Lord Burleigh for a warden and 12 poor brethren, and £234 to Fryer's almshouses, founded in 1722, for six poor widows. There are also two charity schools founded by Dorothy, Countess of Exeter, in 1596, one for the education of ten poor girls, and the other for a like number of boys.

"STANION, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 4¾ miles S.E. of Rockingham, and 6 N.E. of Kettering. Thrapstone is its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Nen, and is wholly agricultural. The living is a curacy, annexed to the vicarage of Brigstock, in the diocese of Peterborough. The church is dedicated to St. Peter. There is a free school. The Earl of Cardigan is lord of the manor."

"STEAN, (or Stene), a parish in the hundred of King's-Sutton, county Northampton, 2½ miles N.W. of Brackley, its post town. The village is situated near the river Ouse, and is wholly agricultural. The road from Brackley to Banbury passes through the parish. The living is a rectory annexed to the vicarage of Hinton-in-the-Hedges, in the diocese of Peterborough. The church is dedicated to St. Peter, and contains effigies, &c., of the Crewe family from 1619. The church was erected by T. Crewe, Esq., in 1620. Divine service commences on the first Sunday in April, and is performed but six times during the year. Earl Spencer is lord of the manor.

"ST. MARY-IN-ARDEN, a parish partly in the hundred of Gartree, county Leicester, and partly in the hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 1 mile E. of Market Harborough. It is situated on the Union canal, near the bridge on the river Welland, and may be considered a suburb of Market Harborough. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of the Dean and Canons of Christ Church) Oxford. In 1613 the rites of baptism, marriage, &c., were transferred from the ancient church of St. Mary-in-Arden to the church of St. Dionysius, at Market Harborough, but the burial-ground is still used.

"STOWE-NINE-CHURCHES, a parish in the hundred of Fawsley, county Northampton, 2½ miles S.E. of Weedon, its post town, and 6 N.W. of Towcester. The village is on the river Nen, and close to the line of the ancient Watling Street, the North-Western railway, and the Grand Junction canal. The Pytchley hounds meet in this parish. It was for some time in the possession of Sir John Danvers, one of those who signed the warrant for the execution of Charles I. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £705. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, contains effigies of Lady Danvers, by Stone, and a monument of Dr. Turner, President of Corpus Christi, Oxon. The parochial charities produce about £24 per annum. There is an infant school."

"STUTCHBURY, (or Stutsbury), a parish in the hundred of King's-Sutton, county Northampton, 5 miles N.W. of Brackley, its post town. The parish is situated on the river Tove. There is no village. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £5. The church is in ruins.

"SYRESHAM-WITH-CROWFIELD, a parish in the hundred of King's-Sutton, county Northampton, 4½ miles N.E. of Brackley, its post town. The village is situated on a branch of the river Ouse, and on the road from Brackley to Towcester. There are stone quarries. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £152. The church is dedicated to St. James. The parochial charities produce about £28 per annum. There is a village school for both sexes, endowed with an annuity of £16. The Wesleyans have a chapel. Nicholas Parry, Esq., is lord of the manor."

"THEDDINGWORTH, a parish chiefly in the hundred of Gartree, county Leicester, but partly in the hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 4 miles N.E. of Welford, its post town, and 5 S.W. of Harborough. It is a station on the Rugby and Stamford branch of the London and North-Western railway. The village is situated on the river Welland, near the Grand Union canal. The parish includes the hundred of Hothorpe. The living is a vicarage* in the dioc, of Peterborough, value £137. The church, dedicated to All Saints, contains monuments to the Clark and Bathurst families. The parochial charities produce about £15 per annum, £5 of which go towards apprenticing poor children. Earl Spencer is lord of the manor."

"HOTHORPE, a hamlet in the parish of Theddingworth, hundred of Rothwell, county Northampton, 4 miles S.W. of Market-Harborough."

"THINGDON, a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, county Northampton. See Finedon."

"THORPE-MANDEVILLE, a parish in the hundred of King's-Sutton, county Northampton, 6 miles N.E. of Banbury, its post town, and 7 N.W. of Brackley. Petty sessions are held here. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £350. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, contains monuments to the Pargiter and Humfrey families. There is a Sunday-school. W. Peareth, Esq., is lord of the manor."

"THURNING, a parish partly in the hundred of Polebrook, county Northampton, and partly in Leightonstone, county Huntingdon, 5 miles S.E. of Oundle, its post town, and 13 N.W. of Huntingdon. The village is situated on a branch of the river Ouse. The land is partly in common, interspersed with wood. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £181, in the patronage of Emanuel College, Cambridge. The church is dedicated to St. James. The parochial charities produce about £1 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes. The Earl of Sandwich is lord of the manor."

"UPPER BENEFIELD, (and Lower Benefield) a parish in the hundred of Polebrook, in the county of Northampton, 3 miles to the W. of Oundle, its Union and post town. It lies on the confines of Rockingham Forest. Near the village are a number of singular cavities in the ground, called locally the "Swallows," through which the landfloods pass entirely away. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £531, in the patronage of J. W. Russell, Esq. The church is dedicated to St. George. There is a school with a small endowment, and other charities, amounting altogether to £43 per annum. The principal residence is Benefield Lodge, the seat of J. W. Russell, Esq., to whom the manor belongs.

"UPPER BODDINGTON, (and Lower Boddington) a parish in the hundred of Chipping Warden, in the county of Northampton, 9 miles to the S. W. of Daventry. It is situated on the borders of Warwickshire. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, of the value of £757, in the patronage of the Master and Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. There is a free school, endowed by R. Lamprey in 1758 and some other charities, the annual value of which is about £47.

"UPTON, a parish in the hundred of Nobottle-Grove, county Northampton, 2 miles W. of Northampton, its post town, and 10 from Daventry. The village is near the North-Western railway and the river Nene. There are some traces of a castle built by Simon de St. Liz. The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to the rectory of St. Peter, in the diocese of Peterborough. The church is dedicated to St. Michael. Upton Hall, the seat of the Tramwells since the reign of Henry VII., contains a hall painted by Artan, and several eminent portraits. Captain L. S. Vernon is lord of the manor."

"WAKERLY, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 7½ miles S.W. of Stamford, its post town, and 6 E. from Uppingham. The village is situated near the river Welland, which divides this county from that of Rutlandshire. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £100. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The parochial charities produce about £3 per annum. The Marquis of Exeter is lord of the manor and sole landowner."

"WEEDON-BECK, (or Weedon-on-thestreet), a parish and post town in the hundred of Fawsley, county Northampton, 4 miles S.E. from Daventry, and 8 from Northampton. It is a station on the North-Western railway, which here passes through a tunnel of 418 yards. The village is situated in a valley on the Grand Junction canal and the ancient way Watling Street, and near the source of the river Nene. It is divided into Upper and Lower Weedon, of which the latter is intersected by the Holyhead road, here joined by the Northampton and Daventry road. A nunnery was founded here by Werburgh, daughter of Wulfhere, King of Mercia, in 680, which, being burnt by the Danes in the 9th century, was refounded by William the Conqueror as a cell to Bec Abbey. The parish contains the Royal Military Depot, having accommodation for 200,000 stand of arms, besides a great quantity of military stores. The building, which is situated above the village, consists of a centre with two detached wings, and on an eminence adjoining are barracks for 500 men. Between the two ranges of building is a cut communicating with the Grand Junction canal, and affording facility of conveyance to any part of the kingdom. Many of the inhabitants are engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and in lace-making. Near Dodford Mill is "Gallows Furlong," where criminals were anciently executed. Courts leet are held occasionally, and a court baron annually. The population in 1861 was 2,189. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £300. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, was originally built before the Conquest, but was rebuilt in 1825. The parochial charities produce about £231 per annum, of which £101 go to Billing's free school. There are National and infant schools. The Independents and Wesleyans have chapels and Sunday-schools. The Provost and Fellows of Eton College are lords of the manor.

"WEEDON LOYS, a parish in the hundred of Greens-Norton, county Northampton, 6¼ miles S.W. of Towcester, its post town, and 8 from Brackley. It contains the hamlets of Milthorpe and Weston. St. Loy's mineral spring is in this parish. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £462, in the patronage of King's College, Cambridge. The church is dedicated to SS. Peter and Mary. The parochial charities produce about £15 per annum. There is a Church of England school at Milthorpe. The Baptists have a chapel. The Warden and Fellows of All Souls' College, Oxford, are lords of the manor."

"MILTHORPE, a hamlet in the parish of Weedon Loys, hundred of Greens Norton, county Northampton, 6 miles N.W. of Towcester. There is a Church school."

"WESTON, a hamlet in the parish of Weedon Loys, hundred of Green's-Norton, county Northampton, 6½ miles S.W. of Towcester. There is a chalybeate spring, formerly much esteemed."

"WESTON-BY-WELLAND, a parish in the hundred of Corby, county Northampton, 3½ miles N.E. of Market Harborough. The village is situated near the river Welland, and contains a small cotton factory. Stone is quarried. The living is a vicarage,* with that of Sutton-Basset united, in the diocese of Peterborough, joint value £270. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. There is also a church in the adjoining village of Sutton. Bassett."

"WHITTERING, a parish in the liberty of Peterborough, county Northampton, 3 miles S.E. of Stamford, and 2 N.W. of Wansford. The land is principally arable, and belongs to the Marquis of Exeter, who is lord of the manor. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value £112. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is of the 12th century."

"WINWICK IN GUILSBOROUGH, a parish in the hundred of Guilsborough, county Northampton, 9 miles N.E. of Daventry. The village is situated on the Grand Union canal, which passes through the parish. The land is divided between arable and pasture. At Winwick common is a meet for the Pytchley hounds. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Peterborough, value £500, in the patronage of the bishop. The church is dedicated to St. Michael. There are parochial and Sunday schools for both sexes. The charities produce about £20 per annum. Sir James Langham is lord of the manor."

"WOODFORD IN HUXLOE, a parish in the hundred of Huxloe, county Northampton, 2½ miles S.W. of Thrapstone, and 7 from Higham Ferrers. The village is situated on the road from Thrapston to Wellingborough, on the northern bank of the river Nene. The land is chiefly arable. In the neighbourhood are three tumuli, near which have been found Roman tiles, fragments of tesselated pavement, an urn, and two coins of the lower Empire inscribed Constantinopolis. The living is a rectory in two united medieties in the diocese of Peterborough, value £500. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is supposed to have been built about the 13th or 14th century. W. Bruce Stopford, Esq., of Drayton House, is lord of the manor."

"WYKE HAMON, formerly a parish, now a hamlet in the parish of Wicken, hundred of Cleley, county Northampton. The living is consolidated with that of Wicken."

"YARDLEY HASTINGS, a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county Northampton, 8 miles S.E. of Northampton. It has remains of the old seat of the family of Hastings, Earls of Pembroke. The rectory was once held by Edward Lye, the Saxon scholar, who died here in 1769. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough, value with a portion of the rectory of Denton annexed, £356. The church is dedicated to St. Andrew. The Independents have a chapel and school. There is also a National school. A fair is held on Whit-Monday. The Marquis of Northampton is lord of the manor."

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Genealogy

Pete Brown has established a discussion group on Rootsweb for the sharing of information relating to the surname BROWN and its variations (BROWNE, BRAWN, BRAUN etc.) in the county of Northamptonshire. To subscribe to the list send the word "subscribe" (and nothing else) in the message text to brown-eng-nth-l-request[at]rootsweb[dot]com (mail mode) or brown-eng-nth-d-request[at]rootsweb[dot]com (digest mode). Any queries about this list should be sent to the listowner Pete Brown.

Alan Hobbs has traced the Hobbs family in the Daventry area back to 1583. He would be pleased to reply to enquiries by post to his home address: "Amberley", 11 Barnby Lane, Claypole, Newark, Notts., NG23 5BD, UK.

Transcripts of Gretton Parish Records are held by Elisabeth Jordan, of the Gretton Local History Society.

A look-up facility, provided by Carole Eales, covers a number of Northamptonshire parishes from the 16th. century.

A look-up facility, provided by Mary Taylor, covers Towcester Church and Census records.

A CULPIN Family History, compiled by Dave and Lynda Boston, traces the history of the family in the north of Northamptonshire. With extracts from baptism, marriage and burial records, the site studies the occurrences of the name across the whole county, developing into a full one-name study.

ESSAM Family Genealogy on the wikitree site

The late John Fuller has provided full details of NORTHANTS, the Genealogy Mailing List covering this county.

C.R. Chapman. Tracing Ancestors in Northamptonshire: Guidance in local, social and family history, Dursley, Lochin Publishing, 1994.

"The reader is directed to material not only in the County Record Office but also in the Public Record Office and to items held in libraries, museums and local councils in the vicinity, whose addresses and telephone numbers are provided. There is a complete list of Northamptonshire parishes indicating which rural deanery, hundred and registration district they were situated in, and a list of the campaigns in which the Northamptonshire Regiment was involved."
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Societies

        Northamptonshire Local History Directory

        Northamptonshire Family History Society

        Gretton Local History Society