128-593: The Northamptonshire witch trials mainly refer to five executions carried out on 22 July 1612 at Abington Gallows, Northampton . In 1612 at the Lent Assizes held in Northampton Castle a number of women and a man were tried for witchcraft of various kinds, from murder to bewitching of pigs. There are two main accounts of these witches being tried. However they differ on how many witches were tried, who they were and exactly what they were supposed to have done. This
256-656: A Danish invasion, the central area of the town was turned into a stronghold called a burh probably by the Anglo-Saxons. By the time of the Peace of Wedmore in 878 the Burgh was in possession of the Danes and became the base for one of the Danish armies. A ditch was dug around the settlement and it was fortified with earth ramparts . Having conquered Mercia , the Danes turned the settlement into
384-461: A water wheel , on the River Nene. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Gibraltar Barracks in 1797. By the end of the 18th century, Northampton had become a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture. In 1801, the population was 7,020; it more than doubled to 15,351 in 1831, attributed to the fact that there was great demand for footwear caused by
512-662: A bridge of the A605 road . At grid reference TL116976 , the Romans bridged the river with Ermine Street in the first century. Between Oundle marina and Peterborough the Nene falls, with navigation passing through 11 locks on the way. Having passed among the gentle hills of Northamptonshire the river enters the rural part of the City of Peterborough , passing the Nene Valley Railway and through
640-701: A centre for military and administrative purposes, which was part of the Danelaw . The Danish army of Northampton however submitted to Edward the Elder , Saxon King of Wessex (who controlled the southern and western part of the English Kingdom of Mercia) in 921 In the 9th century Regenhere of Northampton , an East Anglian Saint with localised veneration , was buried in Northampton. By 918, Northampton had an earl and an army dependent upon it, whose territory extended to
768-518: A closed body until 1835. In 1261, the medieval University of Northampton was established by royal charter from King Henry III . Had it survived, it would be the third oldest university founded in England after Oxford and Cambridge . However, after members of the university sided with supporters of Simon de Montfort (who was rebelling against the King ) and advisors to The Crown said that Northampton
896-730: A connection to the Middle Levels, the drainage system of the Fens through which access is possible to the River Great Ouse. Below Peterborough, the river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about 3.7 miles (6.0 km). Continuing downstream leads to the 'Embankment' area and after the cathedral city itself, passing through Whittlesey the landscape changes to the Nene Washes in The Fens and their vast horizons. Beyond Flag Fen
1024-676: A direct connection is purely speculative. According to the British toponymist and medieval scholar Victor Watts , "The name is certainly pre-English, possibly pre-Celtic'. The same name appears in the Neen, the former name of the River Rea in Shropshire, which is retained in the hamlet of Neen Savage . The pronunciation of the river's name varies by locality. In Northampton it is usually pronounced / ˈ n ɛ n / ( NEN ), and around Peterborough it
1152-477: A distance of 2 miles (3.2 km), and a new quay was built. A new concrete bridge was built at Wisbech, at the time it was the largest portal bridge in the country, the span being 92.5 feet. The benefits of the new works were proved in the floods of 1947, when land bordering the Nene was not inundated. The new locks resulted in some commercial traffic returning to the river. The Port of Wisbech can handle ships up to 260 by 40 feet (79 by 12 m) long and with
1280-455: A draught of 17 feet (5.2 m), and remains a commercial port in 2021. It also caters for smaller boats, with a major expansion of the facilities at the yacht harbour completed in May 2000. In a lecture at Wisbech & Fenland Museum John Gardiner recalled seeing the rush of the tide below, and an 'eagre' or ' tidal bore ', which was a great wave that came rolling up on the tide from the mouth of
1408-416: A funfair, which is based around the river and various mature gravel pits. The park is popular with fishermen and water skiers alike. The river's landscape is now dominated by mature gravel pit lakes. Some gravel extraction still takes place along the valley's basin. At Cogenhoe (pronounced / ˈ k ʊ k n oʊ / locally ) the river passes through a watermill . The mill is a red-brick building built in
SECTION 10
#17331146421191536-513: A large part of the town. When the forces of King Henry III overran the supporters of Simon de Montfort , the Second Barons' War broke out. The First Battle of Northampton took place in 1264 at the site of Northampton Castle where King Henry III and his son Prince Edward attacked with a large army, pillaged the town and took prisoners. In 1349, the Black Death pandemic killed more than half
1664-572: A new Council headquarters, the restoration of Delapré Abbey, the expansion of Northampton Museum , the resiting and rebuilding of the university on one new campus in town centre and the renovation of both the Grosvenor Shopping Centre and Weston Favell Centre. In 2015, St Giles Street in the town centre was named the "Best British High Street" in a national competition run by the Department for Communities and Local Government . Northampton
1792-501: A precursor to the Pendle witch trials , which began some weeks later and ended with executions in August of the same year. Those executed at Northampton were: The trials may also refer to two women: Elinor Shaw and Mary Philips, who were burned at Northampton in 1705 for witchcraft . They reputedly made a jailor dance naked in the courtyard for a full hour. Although the above were recorded in
1920-480: A series of regeneration schemes across the town. Some have been completed, including the opening of the Radlands Plaza Skatepark and the development of Becket's Park Marina just south of Northampton's town centre, as well as the improvement of the town's Market Square, the building of the new North Gate bus station, the rebuilding of the railway station, the designation of a Cultural Quarter, the building of
2048-544: A sluice, this prevented salt water from entering the Thorney River, and the Duke of Bedford had obtained an injunction in 1865 to prevent interference with it. An appeal to have the injunction removed in 1880 failed. A dock covering 13 acres (5.3 ha) was built at Sutton Bridge at this time, but the outer wall collapsed on 9 June 1881, a few days before it was officially opened, and the estimated repair costs of £160,000 resulted in
2176-511: A woodland, river banks and areas of grass and scrub in which some ponds have been dug. The reserve is operated by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire . At Aldwincle another tributary, called Harpers Brook , joins the Nene from the north-west. Harpers Brook flows between gravel pit lagoons before converging with the river. The river flows south of Oundle passing Barnwell Country Park and Oundle Marina under
2304-421: Is 130 by 20 feet (39.6 by 6.1 m) (a measured width of 7.937 metres (26.04 ft)) with 6.7 feet (2.0 m) draught, while below Wisbech, small ships can be accommodated. All but a handful of the locks have conventional mitre gates at the upstream end and a single vertically lifting guillotine gate at the downstream end. This arrangement permits the use of the locks as additional weirs in time of flood, when
2432-521: Is a town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire , England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the unitary authority of West Northamptonshire . The town is situated on the River Nene , 60 miles (97 km) north-west of London and 50 miles (80 km) south-east of Birmingham . Northampton is one of
2560-578: Is also thought to have built the medieval town walls, which enclosed about 245 acres (99 ha) and had four main gates . Though demolished now, the circular pattern of the main roads surrounding the town centre marks the original position of the walls. de Senlis founded the Cluniac Priory of St Andrew's in the area of Semilong, and built The Church of the Holy Sepulchre – one of four remaining round churches in England – and All Hallows' Church on
2688-563: Is joined by small streams on either bank. A little past Bugbrooke Mill, the Nene passes under the M1 motorway and falls over a weir towards Kislingbury . Another tributary merges from the south at Kislingbury. The Nene's course is closely followed by the Grand Union Canal's Northampton arm at Upton Mill. At Upton Mill, another tributary, called Wootton Brook , joins the river from the south. The River Nene now approaches Northampton town from
SECTION 20
#17331146421192816-414: Is subdivided into suburbs, council wards , constituencies , ecclesiastical parishes , and other less formal areas. Suburbs and districts of Northampton include: Concurrent with the abolition of the borough of Northampton in 2021, the unparished area of Northampton became parished with three new parish councils being established: A new Town Council covering the majority of the urban area of Northampton
2944-446: Is the largest parish level authority in England. In addition, two smaller parishes were created for the suburbs of Far Cotton & Delapre and Kingsthorpe . Policing in the town remains the responsibility of Northamptonshire Police ; and firefighting , the responsibility of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service . The Royal Anglian Regiment serves as the county regiment for Northamptonshire, with former county regiments being
3072-488: Is thought to have been built by Simon de Senlis , who became the first Earl of Northampton , circa 1084. It was originally an earth and timber stockaded construction which was later rebuilt in stone. The castle became an occasional royal residence from the reign of King Henry I in 1130 until that of King Richard II . King John regularly stayed at the castle and moved The Treasury there in 1205. Some 32 Parliaments were held there. The last Parliament at Northampton
3200-466: Is used for navigation. The channels approach the town of Thrapston , passing under two adjacent viaducts. One carries the busy A14 trunk road; the other carries the disused railway track bed. Between the town of Thrapston and the village of Islip , the Nene is spanned by a low nine-arched bridge. Just north of Thrapston the river forms part of the 180 acres (73 ha) of Titchmarsh Nature Reserve . The reserve, designated in 1989, consists of two lakes,
3328-480: Is usually pronounced / ˈ n iː n / ( NEEN ). The point at which the pronunciation of the Nene changes has been moving further inland for many years; the current edition of the nautical publisher Imray's "Map Of The River Nene" suggests that it now begins at Thrapston . The River Nene is the tenth-longest river in the United Kingdom. From one of its sources, that near Arbury Hill , to Northampton ,
3456-521: The 2024 general election . Northampton is currently represented by two Labour MPs: The town existed as an ancient borough in the medieval period before being one of the 178 boroughs to be reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835, with a democratically elected council replacing the corporation before it. Town government alternated between the Liberals and Conservatives, and
3584-556: The British Iron Age , people typically lived in protected hill forts . Present-day Hunsbury Hill is an example of this settlement; a circular ditch and a bank faced with a wall of timber and enclosing an area of 160 acres (65 ha) which dates to around 400 BC. In the Roman period , a small rural settlement is thought to have existed in the present-day district of Duston ; remains of Roman pottery were found there. Following
3712-583: The Domesday Book records Northantone as possessing 316 houses with a population of 2000 people, ranking between Warwick and Leicester in size. With the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the town rose to national significance: its geographical location in the centre of England made Northampton a valuable strategical point for government and as a convenient meeting place for political, social, ecclesiastical and military events. Northampton Castle
3840-554: The Domesday Book , ground wheat into flour for almost 1000 years. Thomas Becket , Archbishop of Canterbury , used the mill as a hiding place after escaping from Northampton Castle in 1164 and fleeing down the Nene to be sheltered by the miller before fleeing to France. The watermill ceased grinding flour after the Second World War . The present buildings date from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and have been converted into dwellings. The river's course turns to
3968-526: The M1 motorway was opened to the south-west of the town; in 1968, Northampton was designated a New Town . Both these events and the rail link helped Northampton's growth as a commuter town for London. The Northampton Development Corporation (NDC) was set up in 1968 to substantially redevelop the town in partnership with the local council, spending £205 million to build new housing and industrial estates, initially in Lumbertubs, Moulton Park and Round Spinney to
Northamptonshire witch trials - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-509: The Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A third of the adult males alone were shoemakers at the time. Northampton grew beyond the old town walls and industry grew rapidly with the mechanisation of factories by the middle of the 19th century. The Nene Navigation Company had previously made the River Nene navigable from King's Lynn as far up as Northampton in 1762, allowing cheap transportation of coal and other goods to
4224-689: The Nene Park . 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) upstream of the city centre is Woodston Wharf—the site of the old sea lock—originally the extent of the tidal River Nene until the Dog-in-a-Doublet lock at Whittlesey was opened in 1937. To the east of Peterborough city centre a branch of the river passes under the former Great Eastern Railway, now connected to the main East Coast main line and running through to Cambridge via Whittlesey and Ely. The branch terminates, for navigation, at Stanground Lock,
4352-627: The Northamptonshire Regiment and the Northamptonshire Yeomanry The Northampton urban area is covered by 13 civil parishes . The parish councils of these form a local tier of government below West Northamptonshire Council. The largest by far of these is the area covered by Northampton Town Council , which was created in 2020, ten more, covering several outer suburbs were pre-existing, and two (Kingsthorpe and Far Cotton and Delapre) were created concurrently with
4480-524: The Port of Wisbech . The first recorded attempts to improve the upper river for navigation occurred in 1567 and 1606, when the people of Northampton commissioned surveys. In 1653, a printed pamphlet suggested that 33 locks to bypass the mills could be built for £8,000, to make the river navigable. Eventually, an act of Parliament , the River Nene (Northampton to Peterborough) Navigation Act 1713 ( 13 Ann. c. 19)
4608-459: The River Ise , Wootton Brook , Willow Brook , and Harper's Brook . At 105 miles (169 km) long, it is the tenth-longest in the United Kingdom , and is tidal for 45 kilometres (28 mi) up to Dog-in-a-Doublet sluice, near Peterborough. The river forms the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, and is navigable for 88 miles (142 km), from Northampton to The Wash. Spelling of
4736-606: The River Welland . Edward the Elder turned Northampton into the centre of one of the new shires, and it prospered as a river port and trading centre. In 940, it resisted the invading forces of Danish opposition in Northumbria when the Mercians successfully defended the town in a siege by King Olaf of York , but was burnt in 1010 by a Danish army, and again in 1065 by the rebellious northern earls Edwin and Morcar . Despite this,
4864-596: The University of Northampton , all enclosed by the town walls. It was granted a town charter by Richard I in 1189 and a mayor was appointed by King John in 1215. The town was also the site of two medieval battles, in 1264 and 1460 . The town largely supported the Parliamentary Roundheads during the English Civil War , which prompted Charles II to order the destruction of the town walls and most of
4992-433: The goods shed . Bridge Street Station closed in 1964 and St John's Street closed in 1939, leaving only Castle station serving the town. It is now known simply as Northampton railway station . Tram lines were also laid down in the town in 1881 and electrified in 1903. An early omnibus service ran to Wellingborough, and since 1919 motor omnibus services ran to villages around the town which brought buyers and sellers to
5120-434: The restoration of King Charles II in 1660, he took revenge on the town by ordering the destruction of its walls and partial demolition of its castle in 1662, since it did not support his father Charles I and his cavaliers. From then on, the castle was used as a court and a jail, but its physical condition worsened. The new council of the town had to pay £200 to have its charter renewed and also required all officials to swear
5248-716: The 13th century, Northampton had a large Jewish population centred on Gold Street. In 1277 – two years after Edward I passed the Statute of the Jewry – some Jewish residents were executed while the remainder were driven out of town. Archaeological sites include a medieval Jewish cemetery and the Northampton Medieval Synagogue . The First Barons' War caused significant destruction to Northampton. The barons besieged Northampton Castle in protest at King John's oppression of his subjects. In retaliation, royalist forces destroyed
Northamptonshire witch trials - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-522: The 1998 Easter floods. In 2002, a siren warning system was installed in Northampton to warn residents in the event of further flooding, and embankments and flood walls were bolstered to protect the town. In Kislingbury village, a flood alleviation scheme was completed in 2004. In 2007, the Government announced it would spend £6 million on flood defences at Upton Mill in the west of Northampton; wetland areas and embankments were to be constructed along
5504-884: The Berrywood Asylum (later the Northampton County Lunatic Asylum, then St Crispin Hospital in 1948, and since 2010 Berrywood Hospital) opened in 1876. Northampton is formally in the East Midlands region but is also referred to in Government planning as being part of the South Midlands "growth area". The town is 30 miles (48 km) south-southeast of Leicester , 16 miles (26 km) north-northwest of Milton Keynes , 43 miles (69 km) west of Cambridge , 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Oxford and 37 miles (60 km) southwest of Peterborough . Northampton
5632-520: The Brampton Nene. At Cotton End, the Nene passes under South Bridge, then through Beckett's Park and past the University of Northampton 's Waterside Campus, which is on the site of the former Northampton Power Station , on the south bank of the river opposite Midsummer Meadow on the north bank. Northampton Sea Cadets is based in Nunn Mills, and uses the river for the training of boating skills, following
5760-710: The Commissioners to court in 1859 for obstructing the river, and when an initial judgement was made in their favour, gangs of men destroyed most of the Waldersea dam overnight. An appeal to the Court of Chancery by the Commissioners also failed, and the dams were removed, as was the Wisbech weir, after an accident involving a train of lighters. Navigation was always hampered by the Northey Gravel shoal near Dog-in-a-Doublet. Together with
5888-582: The House of Commons lobby in 1812. By the late 19th century, Northampton had acquired a reputation for political vanguardism . In 1880, radical non-conformist Charles Bradlaugh was elected as one of the MPs. During one of his election cross-candidate hustings a riot broke out in the Market Square. Local figures of authority called military to disperse it. For some decades following the 1918 general election , representation
6016-498: The Nene now flows past the demolished Nene Park , one of the former grounds of Kettering Town F.C. Further on, the river is crossed by the disused track bed of the Northampton and Peterborough Railway which was constructed in 1845. The river is now characterised by large curving meanders as it passes the villages of Little Addington, Great Addington , Woodford and Denford. At Denford the river divides into two channels, one of which
6144-427: The Nene, one to four feet high in height. This ceased after the opening of a new cut. There are canal locks at fairly regular intervals which will accommodate boats up to 78 by 13 feet (23.8 by 4.0 m), with a draught of 4 feet (1.2 m), although most of the boats on the upper river are canal-type narrowboats and river cruisers. Below Peterborough, boats are restricted by the size of Dog-in-a-Doublet lock, which
6272-558: The Nene. The river gave its name to a boat Nene of Wisbech, one of whose crew was drowned in the river in 1830, the former football team Wisbech Nene Rovers, the former Nene College of Higher Education in Northampton, now the University of Northampton , the Nene derby , and also to the Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine, Rolls-Royce 's practice being to name their gas turbine designs after British rivers. The river may also be linked to
6400-526: The Parliamentary armies were manufactured in Northampton during the Civil War, and a further 2,000 for Cromwell's New Model Army in 1648. Until well into the 19th century, the shoe industry boomed in and around the town with small manufacturing workshops set up in the surrounding areas. The War ended with a Parliamentary victory, resulting in England becoming a Commonwealth , which lasted a decade. Following
6528-589: The canal company constructed the entire link as a railway, which opened in 1805. In a bid to get a navigable link, the Commissioners opposed the bill to build a link between the Grand Junction Canal and the Old Union Canal, but relented when they had a firm agreement that a navigable link to Northampton would be built. The link cost £35,000, was supervised by Benjamin Bevan , and was built between 1812 and 1815. It
SECTION 50
#17331146421196656-526: The castle. The Great Fire of Northampton in 1675 also destroyed much of the historic town. Northampton was soon rebuilt and grew rapidly with the industrial development of the 18th century. The town continued to expand with the arrival of the Grand Union Canal and the railways in the 19th century, becoming a centre for footwear and leather manufacture. Growth was limited following the World Wars until it
6784-413: The commissioners wide powers to manage the river, but created an administrative structure that was too complex to be workable. With the river in a poor state, James Rendel was appointed as engineer, and began dredging the channel and raising the banks, which cost £124,000. Another Act of Parliament was obtained in 1854, to allow the Commissioners to borrow £325,000 to pay for the work. A new iron swing bridge
6912-412: The confluence. From Dodford, the river passes through the village of Weedon where it flows under the main west coast railway line , the Grand Union Canal , and Watling Street . A little west of Weedon, the river converges with a further northerly tributary arising at Nenmoor Spring to the northwest of West Haddon . The river then flows towards Northampton, passing Flore and Nether Heyford , where it
7040-653: The counties of Northamptonshire , Cambridgeshire , Lincolnshire , and Norfolk in Eastern England from its sources in Arbury Hill in Northamptonshire. Flowing Northeast through East England to its mouth at Lutton Marsh into The Wash in the North Sea , the Nene and its tributaries drain an area of about 2,270 square kilometres (880 sq mi), with a population of 750,000. The Nene's main tributaries include
7168-548: The county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county. These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts of Daventry , Northampton and South Northamptonshire were merged to form a new unitary authority called West Northamptonshire , whilst the second unitary authority North Northamptonshire consists of Corby , East Northamptonshire , Kettering and Wellingborough districts. These new authorities came into being on 1 April 2021. Elections for
7296-411: The course of the river are known as the "Nene Navigation". The Nene is navigable from just above its junction with the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal to the sea. Most leisure use is between Northampton and Peterborough, where it makes a junction with the Middle Level Navigations at Stanground Sluice, which give access to the River Ouse. There is no longer any significant commercial traffic above
7424-414: The current site of All Saints' Church . His son, Simon II de Senlis , built St Peter's Church on a site between a former Anglo-Saxon palace and Northampton Castle. Simon II de Senlis also founded Delapré Abbey – another Cluniac priory – which still stands today. Other priories in medieval Northampton include St James' Abbey , Graye Friers, Blackfriars and Whitefriars. St. John's, a medieval hospital,
7552-434: The east, followed by Briar Hill, Camp Hill and East and West Hunsbury in the south of the town, mainly to accommodate the overflow population of new residents from the London area. In the town centre, older buildings were demolished and replaced or redeveloped for other buildings, including the former Greyfriars bus station , the Grosvenor Centre , Peacock Place (now Market Walk), shops, flats and hotels. Although growth
7680-447: The existing eight Northamptonshire councils be scrapped for new unitary authorities. In March 2018, following suspension of the County Council arising from its becoming insolvent , due to financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers, the then Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid , sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all district and borough councils in
7808-530: The fire, apart from buildings made of stone, like the Welsh House on Market Square, built in 1595, and Hazelrigg House in Mare Fair, built in 1662. The devastation led to an Act of Parliament for the rebuilding the town. Local people and businesses helped to raise around £25,000 towards the rebuilding of the town centre based around the Market Square. Streets were widened and buildings made of brick and stone and tiled to prevent such devastation again. In an act of reconciliation, King Charles II donated timber from
SECTION 60
#17331146421197936-416: The former borough boundaries but inside the designated New Town. The town tried for unitary status during the 1990s UK local government reform , but failed and it remained a non-metropolitan district until its abolition in 2021. On Good Friday 1998, Northampton suffered severe flooding, particularly in the areas of Far Cotton and St James; two people were killed and thousands of homes were affected. Since
8064-473: The largest towns in England; the population of its overall urban area was recorded as 249,093 in the 2021 census . Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates to the Bronze Age , Romans and Anglo-Saxons . In the Middle Ages , the town rose to national significance with the establishment of Northampton Castle , an occasional royal residence which regularly hosted the Parliament of England . Medieval Northampton had many churches, monasteries and
8192-406: The late nineteenth century, with a slate roof, from which all the machinery has been removed. Adjacent is a Mill House, built of coursed limestone rubble, and dated 1725. At Earls Barton the river again passes an area of mature gravel pit lakes, and lock gates numbers 9 and 10. Further on, the river passes through Doddington Lock No 11 and the nearby Hardwater Watermill. This watermill, mentioned in
8320-437: The local community for more than 200 years. The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust is responsible for the provision of statutory emergency medical services in Northampton. St Andrew's Hospital , the flagship mental health facility of the private company St Andrew's Healthcare, is also based in Northampton. Originally opened in 1838 to serve Northampton, St Andrew's became a charity and private healthcare provider when
8448-450: The longest and closed last were at Hunsbury which began working in 1877 and closed in 1920. There are remains of some of these quarries at Hunsbury Hill. There was an iron works by the river to the west of the town next to the railway that then operated between Northampton and Blisworth. This was called the Hunsbury Ironworks and operated between about 1874 and January 1921 using ore from these quarries and elsewhere. Following World War I ,
8576-563: The manuscript has been reproduced. The second source comes from a pamphlet of 1612 titled The Witches of Northamptonshire (London, 1612) also an unknown author reproduced here. Who details the immoral lives of the witches and the godliness of their victims and misses out a few facts of the Belcher/Avery story and recants gossip rather than having a personal acquaintance with the trial. The pamphlet focuses on Agnes Browne and her daughter Joan Browne(or Vaughan), Arthur Bill, Helen Jenkenson and Mary Barber. Bill, Jenkenson and Barber were unconnected to
8704-421: The market. There were iron ore quarries in the countryside around the town during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which have left their mark on the landscape. Some of the quarries were in what is now the town area in an arc from Kingsthorpe through Duston and Hunsbury round to Hardingstone beginning in about 1860. Some have now been built over and not all lasted very long. The town area quarries that lasted
8832-432: The mills. A little further on, the river is joined from the north by the River Ise . On the opposite bank are the remains of the Roman town of Irchester . The river now passes under a viaduct that carries the Midland Main Line , which links London St Pancras to Sheffield in northern England via Luton , Bedford , Kettering , Leicester , Derby and Chesterfield . Passing Irthlingborough on its north-western bank,
8960-422: The mitre gates are chained open and the guillotines lifted to allow the water to flow straight through. This precludes navigation at these times. Traditionally the guillotines were manually operated by turning a large wheel some 150 times to raise or lower the gate; since the locks have to be left empty this operation will always have to be done twice to pass through. In recent years the Environment Agency, who are
9088-581: The murder case of Belcher/Avery and came from a different part of Northamptonshire. It is possible that the witches were arraigned on different days, by different juries, and that each writer was only present at some of the trials. The Belcher/Avery cases was quite sensational at the time with its well-born but strangely afflicted victims, whilst other witch trials being secondary. This was because their cases were everyday or because they were less directly involved. Some witches may have been acquitted and so less important to reporters and readers. They may have been
9216-437: The navigable section towards Northampton. It took the Commissioners two years to agree who should carry out the work, but on 22 June 1758, John Smith jnr from Attercliffe, Yorkshire was contracted to construct 20 pound locks, 20 horse haling bridges and various other works at a cost of £14,070. The river opened to navigation in stages over the next three years, with a great celebration being held at Northampton on 7 August 1761 when
9344-419: The navigation authority for the river, have been installing electric operation of the guillotines and in some cases replacing them altogether with mitre gates. On 11 and 12 January, the 1978 North Sea storm surge caused extensive coastal flooding . Higher water levels were reached than during the devastating North Sea flood of 1953 . Flooding affected both banks of the river at Wisbech . A 70-year-old woman
9472-452: The new authorities were due to be held on 7 May 2020, but these were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and took place in May 2021. A year prior to these changes, three new civil parishes were created in Northampton's urban area: a large parish covering the majority of the Northampton urban area was created, allowing Northampton to have a Town (parish) Council . Northampton Town Council
9600-402: The non-metropolitan district of Northampton was administered by both Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council . Propositions for the borough to become a unitary authority failed during the 1990s local government reform and again, in 2011, when the motion was voted down by the council. However, in 2016, the borough council and all seven Northamptonshire MPs called for
9728-479: The north-east, passing the town of Wellingborough on its north bank and the village of Little Irchester to the south. At Wellingborough, the river passes through Victoria Mills. Founded in 1886 by the Whitworth family, they are still run by the firm today, producing fine flours for the bakery trade. In front of the mill, there remains a jetty from the days when the river was used for transportation of goods to and from
9856-615: The oath of allegiance and some confirmed by the Crown. The town centre was further destroyed by the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675, caused by sparks from an open fire in a thatched cottage by the castle. The fire spread eastwards by strong westerly winds and consumed three-quarters of the town centre in 24 hours. Matters were worsened because most buildings were chiefly made of wood and covered with thatch. An estimated 600 buildings were destroyed, amounting to £150,000 lost. Very little survived
9984-408: The original tracts of the time, subsequent tracts have also mentioned the following women as accused in 1612, but without evidence that they were never executed: In addition, Arthur Bill's mother and father are also said to have been dunked and both floated, condemning them as witches. Ewen explains that the tracts suggest they both committed suicide in prison, although there is an alternative story in
10112-665: The population of Northampton. In 1377, the population was 2,200. The town was rapidly losing its wealth and its importance as a national centre. In 1460, the Second Battle of Northampton took place during the War of the Roses in the meadows between the River Nene and Delapré Abbey. The Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians and King Henry VI was taken prisoner. In 1484, the Mayor declared that Northampton
10240-537: The project failing. Sporadic traffic managed to use the river, but its condition continued to deteriorate. In 1893, a boating tragedy occurred near Sutton Bridge, in which 9 people died. By the time the Nene Catchment Board took control of the river, as a result of the passing of the Land Drainage Act 1930 , the river was "in unparalleled decay and dilapidation". They rebuilt all of the locks, and replaced
10368-479: The remaining staunches with locks. A new lock and sluice were built at Dog-in-a-Doublet, to prevent salt water passing up the river, and to maintain water levels to Peterborough. The Thorney River was closed for navigation, arrangements were made for the supply of fresh water to the Thorney Estate, and the Northey Gravel shoal was blown up with dynamite. The banks of the river at Wisbech were protected with piling for
10496-456: The river falls a total of 300 feet (91 m) in 17 miles (27 km). For the remainder of its course, the Nene falls less than 200 feet (61 m). It has a catchment area of 631 square miles (1,630 km ) and a mean flow of 328 cubic feet per second (9.3 m /s). The final 88 miles (142 km) from Northampton to the Wash is navigable. The river's most westerly source can be found near
10624-488: The river flows along a broad valley, formed by the enormous amount of water released by the melting ice during the Ice Age , towards the east coast. The Nene now meanders through this wide, flat valley with flood plains, lakes, pools and mature gravel pits on either bank, a byproduct of the large glacial deposits in the valley. At Great Billing is Billing Aquadrome , a popular caravan and camping park with leisure facilities and
10752-668: The river flows under the A47 bridge at Guyhirn , through the port of Wisbech , then Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire , and it finally enters The Wash between two towers known as "the lighthouses". The Nene links the Grand Union Canal to the River Great Ouse , via the Middle Level Navigations . Much of its route has been upgraded to a wide canal with locks at regular intervals. Some sections where artificial cuts run adjacent to
10880-479: The river to be improved in stages, the work to be carried out at the contractor's expense, with the cost to be recouped from tolls. Robert Wright and Thomas Squire agreed to these terms for the section from Peterborough to the bridge at Oundle North in September 1726, and completed the work by 1730. Squire then agreed to the same terms for the next section to Thrapston in 1736, and completed it by late 1737. This part of
11008-612: The river was then designated as the Eastern Division. A failure to find anyone prepared to work on the Western Division from Thrapston to Northampton resulted in a third act, the River Nene Navigation Act 1756 ( 29 Geo. 2 . c. 69) being obtained, which allowed the Commissioners to borrow money to finance the work. Lenders would become proprietors of the navigation, and the work was to begin at Thrapston and extend
11136-493: The river's name has altered over time; it was called the "Nenn" or "Nyn" in an 1810 engraving by draughtsmen George Cole and John Roper, while the Ordnance Survey of 1885 used what has since become standard spelling, "Nene". The origin and meaning of the River Nene's name is unknown. The earliest known examples, which date back to the 10th century AD, have been linked to Indo-European root words for snow, rain, or washing, but
11264-458: The river. In December 2013, the 2010 £12 million project to protect 10,590 residents and 1,200 businesses with an improved flood defence regime prevented another major incursion of water. The water came within inches of reaching the top of the flood walls and water poured across the roads near flood gates, bringing traffic on North End Road, Wisbech to a standstill. In 2016, composer, Benjamin Till
11392-457: The royal forests of Salcey and Whittlebury to help with the rebuild. In 1678, the Sessions House and what is now County Hall were amongst the first buildings to be completed. A Georgian town with new houses, shops and workshops eventually grew out of the old medieval town destroyed by the fire. In 1742 Edward Cave opened Marvel's Mill , the world's first cotton mill to be driven by
11520-538: The same book which says that the father renounced his family to save his own neck after which the mother slit her throat rather than stand trial. This was the first recorded use of water-ordeal in England to test witches. Finally, there is mention of one Mother Rhodes who lived just outside Ravensthorpe , the next village up from Guilsborough. There is further reference to her in the folklore of Guilsborough . Northampton Northampton ( / n ɔːr ˈ θ æ m p t ə n / nor- THAMP -tən )
11648-450: The shoe industry was increasingly in decline, despite the town's factories supplying over 23 million pairs of boots to the armed forces. A total of 1,700 men from the town were lost of the 6,000 killed from the Northamptonshire Regiment . The town expanded further during the 1920s and saw the erection of Northampton Power Station , which supplied electricity to areas as far away as Wolverton , until its closure in 1975. Much council housing
11776-438: The town achieved independence from Northamptonshire in 1888 when it became a county borough . It had 6 electoral wards from 1898, 9 wards from 1900 and 12 wards from 1911. Northampton was granted modern borough status in 1974, when it was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district, a subdivision of its non-metropolitan county (Northamptonshire). From 1974 until 2021, the town had a two-tier structure of local government:
11904-579: The town as Northantone , which evolved into Norhamptone by the 13th century and later Northampton by the 17th century. Present-day Northampton is the latest in a series of settlements that began in the Bronze Age . Remains found in the Briar Hill district show evidence of a Neolithic encampment within a large circular earthwork where local farmers assembled for tribal ceremonies and seasonal events from approximately 3500 BC to 2000 BC. During
12032-486: The town council, these are: NHS Northampton guides primary care services (general practitioners, dentists, opticians and pharmacists) in the town, directly provides adult social care and services in the community such as health visiting and physiotherapy and also funds hospital care and other specialist treatments. Northampton General Hospital is an NHS trust hospital which founded in 1744 and moved to its present site in 1793, and has continued to provide healthcare to
12160-603: The town willingly became the main Parliamentarian garrison for the south-east Midlands area with the former royal castle as its headquarters. In 1643, Prince Rupert attacked Northampton with approximately 2,000 men, but was beaten back at the North Gate of the town. Oliver Cromwell visited in 1645 and General Fairfax marched from the town to Naseby , where Charles I's Royalist army was decisively defeated. Over 4,000 pairs of leather shoes and 600 pairs of cavalry jack-boots for
12288-521: The town's first railway station, Bridge Street station . This was followed by the opening of Castle station in 1859 on the site of part of the historic Northampton Castle, and later St. John's Street station in 1872. The Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line was built in the late 1870s. Castle station was rebuilt and expanded over the site of Northampton Castle, the remains of which were purchased and demolished in 1880 to make way for
12416-530: The town, but in 1815, the Grand Union Canal reached the town, joining the River Nene, giving the town a direct link to the Midlands coalfields and to Birmingham , Manchester and London. The first railway to be built into Northampton was the Northampton and Peterborough Railway , a branch from the main London and Birmingham Railway from Blisworth to Peterborough through Northampton which opened in 1845 along with
12544-493: The townspeople certain rights and independence in legal and administrative matters. In 1215, King John authorised the appointment of William Tilly as the town's first Mayor and ordered that "twelve of the better and more discreet [residents] of your town" join him as a council to assist him. The importance of Northampton at this time is underlined by the fact that only London, York and King's Lynn had mayors by this date. The mayor later ruled with 24 councillors and 48 freemen in
12672-623: The training schemes of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the British Canoe Union (BCU). A short way downstream, a weir can divert some of the Nene's flow to supply the Nene Whitewater Centre . The River Nene at Northampton was the location of England's first water-powered cotton spinning mill. It was installed on the site of a former corn mill, to the south-west of the town centre, in 1742. From Northampton,
12800-683: The turn of the Millennium, the town has continued to expand. Northampton applied for city status in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, in 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II and most recently in 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II , but failed on all three occasions and remains a town. In 2006, Northampton became a government expansion zone with new growth promoted by West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), an unelected quango , which has provoked
12928-457: The two witches' victims, Mistress Elizabeth Belcher and her brother Master William Avery. It names Agnes Browne and daughter Joan Browne (or Vaughan), Jane Lucas, Alce Harrys, Catherine Gardiner, and Alce Abbott and states they were jointly indicted for harming Belcher and Avery. Arthur Bill, Helen Jenkenson and Mary Barber are not mentioned, but does mention three women of the Wilson family. The text of
13056-469: The village of Badby , near Daventry . On the eastern slopes of Arbury Hill , and in pools between Arbury Hill and Sharmans Hill, are two tributaries that converge at Dodford Mill to form the upper reaches of the Daventry Nene. The northern stream flows by the villages of Badby and Newnham to the confluence, whilst the southerly stream runs through Fawsley Park and past the village of Everdon before
13184-555: The west, passing between the suburbs of St James (locally known as Jimmy's End), Cotton End and Far Cotton . The Nene's third northern source, the Naseby Source or Brampton Nene, converges at the Carlsberg Brewery. This tributary flows through the north of Northampton where several streams join. Three of these streams supply water for reservoirs at Pitsford , Hollowell and Ravensthorpe , north of Northampton, before joining
13312-442: The work was completed. The proprietors had the right to use tolls as they saw fit, and the Commissioners found that they had no powers to ensure the navigation was maintained in good order. They obtained another act of Parliament, the River Nene Navigation Act 1794 ( 34 Geo. 3 . c. 85), which aimed to rectify the situation, but it was not until 1801 that Thomas Wright replied to their requests, and some repairs were made. There
13440-506: Was "in great desolation and ruin". The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538 led to further destruction of what remained of the medieval town. Northampton was severely affected by Plague between March and September 1638 when 665 people died. The royal connection to Northampton Castle became less significant, and by the time of the English Civil War , Northampton was decidedly pro-Parliament. Though Spencer Compton , Earl of Northampton,
13568-560: Was a royalist ( Cavalier ) and backed King Charles I , the people of Northampton supported Parliament and Oliver Cromwell 's republican Roundhead army. The town had a long history of religious dissent from the Lollards and Puritanism gained a strong hold on the town. The corporation of the town, having already refused to provide troops to the King in 1632 or to pay the notorious ship money tax in 1636, petitioned Parliament in 1642 against papists and bishops . When war broke out in 1642,
13696-474: Was a significant event, not because of the accusations themselves, but because it was one of the earlier documented cases in which the "dunking" method was used in Britain. It was also a case in which more than one person was singled out; rather, an entire group was accused. One account is a manuscript of unknown authorship referenced as B.L. (British Library) Sloane 972 (f. 7) in which the writer shows an interest in
13824-564: Was a threat to Oxford's scholastic hegemony, Henry III dissolved the university in 1265. Markets and fairs were a key element in the town's economy in medieval times. The Market Square came to prominence in 1235 when Henry III ordered that the selling of goods in the churchyard of All Saints should be relocated to the Market Square. Street names in the town give an indication of trades and market centres; Corn Hill, Malt Hill, Mercer Row, Gold Street, Sheep Street and Horse Market. Cloth and wool were very important but these industries declined. In
13952-511: Was also a problem, but the Commissioners had no powers to act as Commissioners of Sewers, to address the problems of drainage. With serious flooding in December 1848, a public meeting was held, and a committee was elected to consider Nene drainage. The main problem was a restriction at Wisbech, and the engineer James Rendel estimated that £120,000 was required to reconstruct the river below Peterborough. The Nene Valley Drainage and Improvement Act 1852
14080-447: Was also built largely to the east, north and south of the town, including Abington , Far Cotton , Kingsley, Kingsthorpe and Dallington – areas which had been incorporated within the borough's boundaries in 1901. However, the population growth slowed down as people moved beyond its boundaries. In 1901, the population had expanded to 90,923; in 1931, the population was 92,341. After World War II , Northampton vastly changed. In 1959,
14208-515: Was badly affected, flooding low-lying parts of Northampton, Wellingborough, Earls Barton and other settlements on its banks. The town centre of Northampton lies on the northern slope of the Nene Valley and escaped the river's flooding. However, the Cotton End, Far Cotton and St James End areas of the town occupy the flood plain and have borne the brunt of severe flooding over the years, culminating in
14336-402: Was built in Wisbech, to replace a narrow stone bridge which restricted the flow of the river, and although it was tested on installation, it was not operated subsequently. In 1856 a very high tide came within two feet of the newly installed pilings. Dams across the river were built at Waldersea and Guyhirn, and an underwater weir was constructed below the bridge at Wisbech. Wisbech Corporation took
14464-527: Was commissioned by NMPAT (Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust) to create a major orchestral and choral work about the Nene. The composition was scored for 800 musicians and premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017, before being performed at Northampton's Derngate Theatre and Peterborough Cathedral . The piece quotes tradition folk melodies from towns and villages along the river, and explores ghost stories, myths and legends associated with
14592-451: Was designated a New Town in 1968, accelerating development which has continued into the 21st century. Northampton unsuccessfully applied for city status four times; in 1992, 2000, 2002 and 2022. The earliest reference to Northampton in writing occurred in 914 under the name Ham tune . The prefix "North" was added later to distinguish it from other towns called Hampton, most prominently Southampton . The Domesday Book (1086) records
14720-465: Was established, whilst the areas of Kingsthorpe, and Far Cotton and Delapré also gained parish councils. In addition, there are nine registered parish councils which predate the abolition of the borough of Northampton. These are Billing, Collingtree, Duston, Great Houghton, Hardingstone, Hunsbury Meadow, Upton, West Hunsbury and Wootton & East Hunsbury. River Nene The River Nene ( / ˈ n ɛ n / or / ˈ n iː n / ) flows through
14848-513: Was held in 1380. Significant events in the castle's history include the trial of Thomas Becket in 1164, the publication of the Assize of Northampton in 1176, the declaration of peace with Scotland in the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton , the passage of the Statute of Northampton in 1328 and the imposition of poll tax in 1380. Royal tournaments and feasts were also held at the castle. Simon de Senlis
14976-506: Was improved in 1570 and 1631. In 1631 a sluice was built at Wisbech by Vermuyden . Morton's Leam was largely superseded by Smith's Leam, a straight cut from Peterborough to Guyhirn made by the Bedford Level Corporation in 1728. In order to improve the mouth of the river, which followed a tortuous route through salt marshes, the construction of a new channel was proposed by Nathaniel Kinderley, and work started on it in 1721. It
15104-493: Was inaugurated as a constituency in 1295; for many centuries it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons . Spencer Perceval was elected as one of these in 1796 and became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1809, the only Solicitor General and only Attorney General to have done so, but also the only Prime Minister to be assassinated. The murder was by a highly disgruntled business owner John Bellingham in
15232-479: Was little traffic and income from tolls was low, at just £488 per year between 1801 and 1804. The commissioners were also keen to see a link constructed from Northampton to the Grand Junction Canal , but the canal company argued that there was an insufficient supply of water. It was agreed that a link would be built in two halves, but that there would be 1 mile (1.6 km) of railway in the middle. When built,
15360-508: Was nearly 5 miles (8.0 km) long, and dropped 107 feet (33 m) through 17 locks. Tolls rose to a little over £1,000 per year, but the Commissioners decided that the canal boats damaged the locks, and all traffic had to be transferred to river barges. This order was withdrawn in 1827, but the condition of the river gradually deteriorated, and the arrival of the Blisworth to Peterborough Railway in 1845 further reduced profitability. Flooding
15488-507: Was nearly completed when Wisbech Corporation's support turned to opposition, and they destroyed the work. The cut was eventually completed in 1773, but was not long enough to be a complete success. The Wisbech Canal , opened in 1797, joined the river at Wisbech, the canal was filled in during the 1960s. Various proposals for improvements near Wisbech were made, notably in 1814 by John Rennie and again in 1821 by Thomas Telford , but all were opposed by Wisbech Corporation. An act of Parliament
15616-641: Was obtained in 1827 to enable the works and Wisbech contributed £30,000 to the project. The contractors for the new cut below Wisbech were Jolliffe and Banks, who charged £149,259 for the channel. Once the old channel was dammed up, the tidal scour in the new channel was sufficient to remove silt deposits, and large volumes of stone were needed to stabilise the banks. The effects on the Port of Wisbech were immediate, with tonnage rising from 63,180 long tons (64,190 t) in 1830 to 159,678 long tons (162,240 t) in 1845. The Nene Valley Drainage and Navigation Improvement Act 1852 ( 15 & 16 Vict. c. cxxviii) gave
15744-414: Was obtained to allow this work to be completed. Below Peterborough, the river meandered to Tydd Gote , where it shared an outfall to the Wash with the River Great Ouse . Once the latter was diverted to Bishop's Lynn in 1236, the Nene outfall deteriorated. Navigation was improved in the 1470s when Morton's Leam , a straight channel between Peterborough and Wisbech, was constructed by Bishop Morton . It
15872-561: Was obtained, which appointed large numbers of Commissioners, but stated that work could only proceed if any nine of them could find someone to make the entire river navigable. No-one was prepared to take on the task, although it appears from the Act that the river was navigable from Peterborough to Alwalton at the time. The act was superseded by a second act of Parliament, the River Nene (Norfolk) Navigation Act 1724 ( 11 Geo. 1 . c. 19), which allowed
16000-459: Was reduced to one MP. In 1974, the original Northampton seat was replaced by the new constituencies of Northampton North and Northampton South , which both elected one MP each, beginning in the February 1974 general election . For the 2010 general election , the new South Northamptonshire constituency took a southern sector of the borough. The southern sectors transferred to Northampton South for
16128-472: Was reported drowned in her flooded home in Wisbech after the Nene burst its banks forcing 1000 people to evacuate their homes. Clarkson Geriatric Day Hospital was closed for weeks as repairs were made. On 8 and 9 April 1998, constant torrential rain caused flooding across large parts of the English Midlands . On Good Friday , 10 April 1998, the floods peaked and many rivers burst their banks. The Nene
16256-485: Was situated east of Bridge Street. A network of medieval tunnels remains under the centre of Northampton around All Saints' Church and the Market Square but their purpose, extent and significance have been disputed. The town was originally controlled by officials acting for the King who collected taxes and upheld the law. This changed on 18 November 1189 when King Richard I granted the town its first charter in exchange for money to fund his crusades. The charter allowed
16384-406: Was slower than planned, the population grew from 105,421 in 1961 to 157,217 by 1981, with 15,655 new homes added to the town between 1970 and 1985. The borough boundaries also changed following a split of the Northampton parliamentary constituency into Northampton North and Northampton South in 1974. Northampton was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district which also covered areas outside
#118881