•

" +----

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE is an inland shire, inthe , near Kettering is a branch of this line to Thrapston, Huntingdon the centre of , and is of a long but irregular shape, and Cambridge, and another to Manum (Rutland), there bounded on the north by the river Welland, dividing it from joining the line from to Stamford in Lincolnshire, , Rutland and Lincolnshire, on the east byCam- and thence through Helpstone and Walton to Peterborough; bridgeshire, on the south-eastby Huntingdonshire and Bed- from this city is a branch belonging to this CQmpany to fordshire, on the south by Buckinghamshire and - Wisbech and Lynn. The Great Western, from Oxford to shire, and on the west by Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. Banbury, passes through the extreme south-west of the Itslength from north-east to south-westis about 70 miles;its county. The Great Eastern railway branch line from Ely width varies from 7 or 8 miles to 25 miles. Its area is 629, terminates at Peterborough, which, will be seen, is a great 912 acres, and its population in 1841 was 199,208; in 1851, railway centre. The and Banbury junction 213,844 ; in 1861, 227,704; in 1871, 243,891; and in 1881, railway passes from Blisworth through Towcester and the 272,555, viz. : males, 135,662; females, 136,893. The soil Ea.!t and West Junction railway comes from Stratford-on­ and climate are good. None of the hills are very high, Avon to Towcester, thus connecting the Great Western and though near they reach 800 feet. A range of NorthWesternsystems,andbythelinetoOIneygivesaccess tolerable height begins at Wakerley, towards the north, and to Bedford and the Eastern counties. runs south-west towards Braybrook : another range proceeds belongs to the lower oolite formation, by Great Oxenden to Cold Ashby, and thence by Welford and is well 8uppliedwith limestone and lime, and freestone westward to West HOOdon and Barby and thence to Daven- forsbuilding: it has also some workable slate. Iron ore 00­ try: there are other smaller ranges branching from this. curs throughout a large portion of the county; it appears to Between West Haddon and Barby. The London and North have been largely worked in ancient times, certainly in many Western railway and Union pass through tunnels of parts during the Roman period, and we read that William considerable length. the Norman erected a castle at Rockingham for the pro- The chief rivers are those which flow into the North Sea, tection of the extensive iron works; from the destruction of being the Nene and the Welland. The Nene has two heads, forests, or some othercause, the manufacturefell into disuse, the streams from which join at Northampton, and thence buthasrecentlybeenresumedinmanyplacesonsveryexten­ form a river navigable to the sea, and which, passing to sive scale. Brown ironstone was raised in 1888 to the extent 1;'eterborough, runs along the southern border of the shire of 1,066,746 tons. In the same year 236,841 tons of pig iron near Daventry. The Welland, which rises at Sibbertoft, were made, 14 blast furnaces being in work. Glass is made forms the northern boundary of the county, flowing easterly at Little Harrowden from iron slag for bottles and otherlike to Stamford, Crowland and the sea. The Bedfordshire Ouse purposes. Sand of a peculiarly fine quality, which is used for rises in this county and flows through Bucks, Beds and pottery, is found at Cogenhoe. The produce is chiefly grass Cambs, and passes into the Wash through the Eaubrink cut and corn. There are very large grazing establishments for at Lynn, Norfolk. The Tove rises at Sulgrave aud flows fattening cattle, and many dairies. There are the remains of through Towcester to the Ouse. The Warwickshire Avon' Salcey, Whittlebury and Rockingham fOFests, which produce also rises in Northamptonshire, but is not navigable within oak, ash, beech and elm, and various sorts of underwood. its bounds. The Warwickshire Learn also rises in this Between Peterborough and Crowland is some low land belong. county at Helidon. The Cherwell rises at Charwelton near ing to the Bedford Level, and which is very rich. Daventry, and flows south through Banbury on the borders I Thb principal manufacture of the county is that of hoots of the county. The Grand Junction canal passes through and shoes, which is carried on at Northampton, Kettering, the shire, in the west, for about 25 miles, and joins the Ox- Daventry, Towcester, Higham Ferrers, Wellingborough, ford canal having a branch to Stoney Stratford and a branch Rushden, Raunds and IrtWingborough. The warehouses also to Northampton, and 801 by the Nene to the sea at Wis- are in these towns, but much of the WOl'k is done in the bech. The Grand Unioll canal begins in the <,lrandJunction surrounding villages. The making of closed boots and shoe canal, near Daventry, and runs north to the Leicester canal, I uppers for the London market is an additional industry. having s branch to Market Harborough. Lace was formerly made largely, and is still so to some The railways traversing this county are the London and I'extent, but is giving way under the influence of the cheap North Western, Great Northern and Midland. The main machine-made lace. At s village called King's Cliffe, hne of the London and the North Western passesthrough the I near Wansford, wood carving is the local industry, and county parallel with the Grand Junction canal, through butter prints are manufactured. There are some paper Blisworth, Weedon and WeIton, to Rugby; a great branch mills in the county, besides a good deal of malting, many proceeds from Blisworth through Northampton, Welling- corn mills and breweries; there are also a few iron foun­ borough, Higham Ferrers, Thrapston and Oundle to Peter- dries for agricultural implements. borough; from No.rthampton is a line to Crick and Rugby, Northamptonshire contains 344 civil parishes and parts of also a branch to ~at'ke, Harborough, and from Wansford four others, and is in the diocese of Peterborough, compri­ is a short line to Stamford, and another to Seaton and Up- sing the archdeaconries of Northampton and Oakham. North­ pingham (Rutland); the Rugby and Stamford branch be- ampton archdeaconry is sub-divided into the rural deaneries longing to this company skirts the northern boundary of the I of Brackley, first, second and third portions, DaveI).lry, Had­ county; the , Brackley and Banbury junction don, first and second portions, Northampton, Preston, first passes through the southernextremity of thecounty; on the I a.nd second portions, Rothwell, first, second and third por­ main line aro the Blisworth and Kilsby tunnels; Wolver- tions and Weedon; Oakham archdeaconry into the rural ton and Blisworth are first-class stations. From Peterborough deaneries of Higham Ferrers, first and second portions, Oun­ is the Eastern and Midland line to Lyun and Norfolk. The dIe, first and second portions, Peterborough, first and second Great Northern main line passes through Peterborough, I portions, and Weldon, first andsecond portions. 'l;he county whence it has a branchto Stamford and another to Spalding is in the Midbnd circuit and there are two courts of quarter and Boston, andthence to Great Grimsby. TheMidland Com- sessions, one for the county and the other for the liberty or pany's main line from St. Pancras through Bedford enters soke of Peterborough, which has a commission of the peace, the county at Wellingborough, and passes thence to Ketter- and a treasurer, aUd makes its own levy in the nature of a ing, Market Harborough, Leicester and the north; from I county rate. There ara 9 pettysessional divisions, exclusive B. H. & N. 21-