Everything about History Of Northamptonshire totally explained
At some time in the
7th century the district which is now
Northamptonshire suffered a simultaneous invasion by the
West Saxons from the south and the
Anglian tribes from the north, and relics discovered in the county testify to a mingling of races, at the same time showing that West Saxon influence never spread farther north than a line from
Daventry to
Warwick, and with the extension of the
Mercian kingdom under
Penda and the conversion of the midland districts ceased altogether.
Abbeys at Medehamstede (now
Peterborough) and
Pipewell was begun by
Peada in
655, and about the same time foundations were established at
Peakirk,
Weedon Beck,
Castor and
Oundle. In
870 the district was overrun by the
Danes, and
Northampton was a Danish fort, until in
921 it was recovered by
Edward the Elder, who fortified
Towcester in that year.
Geography
In the
11th century Northamptonshire was included in
Tostig's northern
earldom; but in
1065, together with
Huntingdonshire, it was detached from
Northumbria and bestowed on
Waltheof. The only
monastic foundation which survived the
Conquest was Peterborough. Norman castles existed at
Rockingham,
Barnwell,
Lilbourne, Northampton & Wellingborough. Detectorist Steve Robinson from the local Antiquity section unveiled a great find being which a hoard of late Saxon coinage estimated value being Five figures. He has studied his home town with great enthusiasm & has rewarded the chamber with many pieces, including which more than Two hundred stand unique. One particular find included a small Green ISENG glass Emerald, moulded for obvious setting, probably in a sword grip of dagger chape, a most beautiful piece of antiquity yet to be duplicated. Unfortunately no housing element has been recovered in order to sustain this but reference through other schemes have delivered similar antiquasions to settle & finalise the theory.
As a
shire Northamptonshire was probably of Danish origin, representing in the
10th century the area which owed allegiance to Northampton as a political and administrative centre. In
921 this area extended to the
Welland, the present northern limit of the county, and at the time of the
Domesday Survey the boundaries were approximately those of the present day. Northamptonshire is first mentioned by name in the
Historia Eliensis, in connection with events which occurred at the close of the 10th century.
The Geld roll of the time of
William I and the Domesday Survey of
1086 mention 28
hundreds in Northamptonshire, and part of
Rutland is assessed under this county. By
1316 the divisions had undergone considerable changes, both in name and in extent, and had been reduced to their present number, 20, since which date they've remained practically unaltered. The names of the hundreds point to primitive meeting-places gradually superseded by villages and towns, and the court for
Fawsley hundred met under a large
beech tree in Fawsley Park until the beginning of the
18th century, when it was transferred to
Everdon. The shire-court originally met at Northampton.
Politics
Northamptonshire was originally included in the
Diocese of Lincoln. The
archdeaconry of Northampton is mentioned in the
12th century, and in
1291 included the deaneries of Peterborough, Northampton,
Brackley,
Oundle,
Higham,
Daventry,
Preston,
Weldon,
Rothwell and
Haddon.
The
Diocese of Peterborough was created in
1541, and in
1875 the archdeaconry of
Oakham was formed and included in this county the first and second deaneries of Peterborough and the deaneries of Oundle, Weldon and
Higham Ferrers. Northampton archdeaconry now includes the first, second and third deaneries of Brackwell and Rothwell; the first and second deaneries of Haddon and Preston, and the deaneries of Daventry, Northampton and Weldon.
At the time of the Domesday Survey the chief lay-tenant in Northamptonshire was
Robert, earl of Mortain, whose
fief escheated to the crown in
1106. The estates of William Peverel founder of the abbey of St James at Northampton, also escheated to the crown in the 12th century.
Holdenby House was built by Sir
Christopher Hatton, privy councillor to
Queen Elizabeth, and
Yardley Hastings was named from the Hastings, formerly
earls of Pembroke. Higham Ferrers was the seat of the Ferrers family;
Braybrook Castle was built by Robert de Braybrook, a favorite of King John; and Burghley House gave the title of
baron to
William Cecil.
Northampton was a favorite meeting-place of the councils and
parliaments of the Norman and Plantagenet kings. In
1215 John was besieged in
Northampton Castle by the barons, and in
1264,
Henry III captured the castle from the younger
Simon de Montfort.
During the
Wars of the Roses Henry VI was defeated at Northampton in
1460. In the
Civil War of the
17th century the county declared almost unanimously for the parliament. Although a
royalist garrison was placed at
Towcester by
Prince Rupert in
1644, it was almost immediately withdrawn.
In
1290 Northamptonshire returned two members to parliament, and in
1295 Northampton also returned two members.
In
1547 Brackley and Peterborough returned each two members, and in
1557 Higham Ferrers returned one member. Following the
Reform act of 1832 the county returned four members in two divisions, both Brackley and Higham Ferrers were disfranchised.
Economy
The
iron-mines and
stone-quarries of Northamptonshire were worked in Roman times, but the former were entirely neglected from the Plantagenet period until their rediscovery in
1850, while the two most famous quarries, those of
Barnack and
Stanion, were exhausted about the
16th century. The
wool and
leather industries flourished in Norman times. In the I7th century the weaving industry declined in the Northampton district, but became very flourishing about Kettering. Other early industries were
charcoal-burning,
brick and tile manufacture and
brewing. The industries of
whip-making, pipe-making,
silk-weaving and
paper-making were introduced in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Relics
Although Northamptonshire was rich in monastic foundations, remains, except of the abbey-church of Peterborough, afterwards the cathedral, are of small importance. At
Geddington, and also at Hardingstone, near Northampton, there's an
Eleanor cross, erected by
Edward I to the memory of
his queen, in good preservation.
For the
architecture of its
churches Northampton holds a place scarcely inferior to any other English county. To the Saxon period belong the tower of
Earls Barton church, which stands probably the mound of an old English strong-house; the tower and other portions at
Brigstock; the ground plan and other portions at
Wittering; the remarkable tower at
Barnack; and
Brixworth church, constructed in part of Roman materials, and by some believed to include part of a
Roman basilica.
Of Norman, besides the cathedral of Peterborough, the finest examples are St Peters and St Sepulchres, Northampton, and the tower of
Castor church. St Marys church, Higham Ferrers, formerly collegiate, Early English and Decorated, is one of the finest churches in the county, and, as specially noteworthy among many beautiful buildings, there may be mentioned the churches at
Irthlingborough and
Lowick, with their lantern towers,
Warmington, a very fine specimen of Early English work,
Rushden,
Finedon,
Raunds and
Fotheringhay.
Of the church at
Easton Maudit, Philip porter
Thomas Percy, author of the
Percy's Reliques, and afterwards
Bishop of Dromore, was
rector.
A gateway at Rockingham, and earth-works at Higham Ferrers and Brackley are worthy of mention. Some castellated ruins remain of the castle at Fotheringhay, famous as the scene of the imprisonment, trial and execution of
Mary, Queen of Scots.
Barnwell Castle, founded by
William the Conqueror, an interesting example of the defensive construction of the period, is still a fine ruin, which includes four of the round towers and an imposing gateway.
Holdenby Manor House, where Sir Christopher Hatton (1540-1591) was born, and where
Charles I was staying when he was carried away by Cornet Joyce, is largely restored.
Among ancient mansions are
Castle Ashby, the seat of the
Comptons, the oldest portion belonging to the reign of
Henry VIII;
Althorp, the seat of the
Spencers, of various dates;
Drayton House, of the time of Henry VI; the vast pile of
Burghley House, Stamford, founded by Lord Burleigh (
1553), but more than once altered and enlarged; and
Kirby Hall, a beautiful Elizabethan building once the residence of Sir Christopher Hatton.
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