John Clare Centenary Special Articles PAST & PRESENT

COUNTY ELECTIONS: 1830 STYLE

Published by THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE RECORD SOCIETY DELAPRE ABBEY, , 1964

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CONTENTS PAGE Particulars of the Society ii Institutional Members of the Society ii Notes and News ... 173 The Development of Corby, n. · Sir Frederick Scopes 175 John Clare: the Northampton Years. Sir Gyles Isham 185 John Clare: Some Unpublished Documents of the Asylum Period I. M. F. Hooker and N. Dermott Hunt ... 190 Some Clare MSS. at Stratfield Saye. Sir Gyles Isham 199 John Clare's 'Paradise Lost' - and Regained. Robert Shaw 201 The Coming of Railways to Northamptonshire. Norman Marlow ... 203 The Northamptonshire Crop Returns for 1801. David M. Clark ... 213 Cob Cottages in Northamptonshire. M. V.J. Seaborne 215 The Sulgrave Washingtons and their Villiers Connexions. George Washington 231 Northamptonshire in Southern Rhodesia. Joan Wake 233 Obituary: Charles Darby Linnell. Joan Wake 237 Book Reviews: Great Oakley Cricket, by Harold and Edward Bagshaw 238 Bowden to Harborough, by J. C. Davies 238 The Letter Books of Sir Samuel Luke 1644-45, edited by H. G. Tibbutt 238

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE PAGE Corby Works and part of the Housing Estate Fig. 4. Cottages at Braybrooke, Cold -April 1938 176 Ashby and 225 Miss Elspeth_ Macdiarmid lighting No. 1 Plate 1. Nether Heyford ... 220 Blast Furnace, 8th May, 1934 180 Plate II. 220 Sir Allan Macdiarmid .. . 181 Plate Ill. Hollowell ... 221 Plate IV. 221 John Clare in the Portico of All Saints' Plate V. Great 222 Church 186 Plate VI. Braybrooke 222 Joseph Stenson as Mr. Knight and John Elizabeth Washington ... 231 Clare knew him 190 Anne (Villiers), Lady Washington and her The first page of John Clare's Letter to Mr. daughter Elizabeth 232 Knight, 8th July, 1850 190 Col. Henry Washington as a boy 232 Cob Cottages in Northamptonshire- Major Godwin Wake (1879-1949) ... 233 Fig. 1. Sketch Map showing distribution Mr. Eric Linnell . . . 234 of Cob Villages 216 Vigila in 1947 '" 235 Fig. 2. House at Ravensthorpe ... 223 The Parlour at Vigila, inspired by the Library Fig. 3. Row of Cottages at Braybrooke 224 at Courteenhall ... 235

All Communications regarding articles in Northamptonshire Past and Present should be addressed to the Editor, Sir Gyles Isham, Lamport Hall, Northampton

Published by the Northamptonshire Record Society 1964 VOL. In No. 5

PRINTBD IN BNGLAND BY DALKBITH PlUlSS LlMITBD, KBTTERING, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE RECORD SOCIETY (FOUNDED IN 1920) DELAPRE ABBEY, NORTHAMPTON

President: Sir George Clark, D.LITT., F.B.A. Chairman of Council: Hon. Secretary: S. L. Elborne, Esq., M.A. Hon. j!reasurer: P. A. J. Pettit, Esq,. M.A. D.PHIL. Water Newton C. E. G. Mumby, Esq., M.A. De1apre Ab bey, Wansford, Peterborough 3 Spencer Parade, Northampton Northampton AIMS AND OBJECTS The objects of the Society are the furtherance of the science of history and of historical literature by the publication of historical records relating to Northamptonshire, and the stimulation of interest in historical studies by exhibitions, lectures, etc. MEMBERSHIP THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, which has not been raised in over forty years, is ONE GUINEA only. This entitles members to free copies of publications issued for the period in respect of which they have subscribed and the right to attend meetings and lectures. Forms of membership will be gladly sent on application.

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY EUROPE Corby Secondary Modern School for Boys The Courtauld Institute of Art ENGLAND Dagenham Borough Council AlIen, A. H., & Co. (Engineers) Ltd., Dalkeith Press Ltd., Kettering Northampton. East Anglia University Library Allen-Lyman Bureau, Northampton Frames Tours Ltd. All Souls' College, Oxford Society of Genealogists Society of Antiquaries of London Gotch, Saunders & Surridge, Kettering Ashby, E. J. & R. S., F.V.I., Northampton Guildhall Library, London Ashby Estates, Ltd. Hammersmith Public Libraries Banbury Public Library Hertfordshire County Council Records Com- Bedford Public Library mittee Berry Bros. & Bagshaw, Kettering Hull University Library Billingham & Son, Northampton Huntingdonshire County Library Birkbeck College, University of London Inner Temple Library, London Birmingham Public Libraries Institute of Historical Research (University of Birmingham University Library London) Boughton Estates Ltd., Weekley, Kettering John Lea Secondary School, Welling borough Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society John Rylands Library, Manchester Bristol University Library Kettering Grammar School Buckinghamshire County Library Kettering High School Burnham Son & Lewin, Wellingborough Kettering Public Library Carlyle, F" & Son, Corby King's School, Peterborough Cooper, Henry & Son, Northampton Lamb and Ho]mes, Kettering Corby Grammar School Leeds University Library Corby Natural History and Archaeological Leicester City Libraries Society Leicester County Archives Department

ii Institutional Members-continued Leicester University College Library Soroptomist Club of Northampton Leicestershire County Library Stamford High School Lincoln City Public Library Stamford Public Library Lincolnshire Archives Committee Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd., London, W.l Liverpool City Public Libraries - Temple Reading Room, Rugby School Liverpool University Library Timsons Ltd., Kettering The London Library Towcester Grammar School London School of Economics & Political Science University College Library, London Library of the University of London Wallis's Garage Ltd., Kettering Magdalen College Library, Oxford Wellingborough Grammar School Magdalen College School, Brackley Wellingborough County High School Manchester Public Libraries Wellingborough Public Library Manchester University City of Westminster Public Libraries Marshman& Warren, A. / A.R.I.B.A., Northampton The Historical Society, Whittlebury Merchant Venturers, The Society of School, Towcester . New College, Oxford Charles H. Wicksteed & Co., Kettering Ltd. Northampton Business & Professional Women's Wilson & Wilson, Kettering Club . History Society Northampton Central Townswomen's Guild York University Library Northampton Grammar School for Girls SCOTLAND Northampton Grammar School Northampton High School Aberdeen University Library Northampton Photo Engraving Company St. Andrews University Library Northampton Public Library . Edinburgh University Library Northampton Technical High School Glasgow University Library Northamptonshire County Council WALES Northamptonshire County Library Swansea College, University of Wales Northamptonshire Newspapers Ltd. Aberystwyth College, University of Wales Notre Dame High School, Northampton Nottingham Central Public Library DENMARK Nottingham University Library Royal Library of Copenhagen Oundle School Oundle Secondary School SWEDEN Overstone School Lund University Library, Sweden Oxford City Libraries Oxfordshire County Library AFRICA Paten & Co. (Peterborough), Ltd. Dean and Chapter of Peterborough The Government Archives' of the Republica of Peterborough Museum Society South Mrica, Pretoria Peterborough Public Library City of Johannesburg Public Library Peterborough Technical College Public Record Office, London AMERICA Raunds History Society Reading University Library CANADA Roborough Library, Exeter University Bibliotheque de la Legislature, Quebec ' Royal Historical Society Legislative Library, Regina, Saskatchewan Rugby Public Library Manitoba University Library, Winnipeg Rushden Secondary School for Boys Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Rushden Secondary School for Girls Toronto University Library Rushden (Newton Road) Junior School Rushden Public Library UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Samuel Lloyd County Modem School, Boston Public Library Corby Brown University Library Sheffield Central Library Cache County Public Library, Logan, Utah Sheffield University Library Cache Genealogical Society, Utah

ill Institutional Members-continued California University General Library, Los Northampton County Historical , and Genea- Angeles logical Society California University Library, Berkeley Notre Dame University Library, Indiana California University Library, Davis Pennsylvania Historical Society Chicago University Library . Pennsylvania University Library Cleveland Public Library Princeton University Library Columbia University Library Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Rutgers University Library, New Brunswick. Connecticut University (Wilbur Cross Library) St. Edward's University Library, Austin, Tex:as Cornell University Library St. Vincent College Library, Latrobe, University of Delaware Memorial Library Pennsylvania Duke University Library Santa Clara University (Varsi Library) Emory University Library, Georgia Smith College, Northampton, Mass. St. Edwards University Library, Texas Stanford University Library Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C. Tennessee State Archives and Library Geisel Library, St. Anselm's College, Texas University Library Manchester, New Hampshire Utah University Library Genealogical Society of Utah Virginia Historical Society, Richmond General Theological Seminary, New York Virginia State Library Harvard University Law School Library Virginia University (Alderman Library) Library of Harvard College Washington University Library Haverford College Library Wayne State University, General Library, Library of Johns Hopkins University Detroit Henry E. Huntington Library Wisconsin University Library Indiana University Yale University Library Illinois University Library State University of Iowa Kansas State University Library ASIA Public Library of the City of Los Angeles The University, Hong Kong Massachusetts State Library Michigan State Library AUSTRALASIA Library of the University of Michigan Library of the University of Minnesota, AUSTRALIA Minneapolis Commonwealth of Australia National Library Missouri University Library Sydney University Law School Library,N.S.W. Newberry Library, Chicago State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria New England Historical and GenealogicaJ Society NEW ZEALAND New York Public Library Alexander-Tumbull Library, Wellington

The illustration on our cover is peculiarly appropriate in the year of a General Election. I tshows the triumphal car used by Lord (John Charles Spencer) in 1830, when he was re-elected one of the two M.P.s for Northamptonshire, on being made Chancellor of. the Exchequer. He steered t~e Reform Bill of 1832 through the House of Com"!ons. He. succeeded hzs father as 3rd ~arl Spencer m 1834. It is feared that less colourful equzpages wzll be used by the new M.P.s m 1964

Thanks are also due to the following for supplying photographs for blocks and giving permission to reproduce material in their poss.ession: The Gover'!ors of St. An1rew's Hospital, Lord Dartmouth, Miss I. M. F. Hooker, the Propnetors of Country Life, S1.r Fredenck Scopes, Mr. M. V.J. Seaborne, Lord Spencer, MissJoan Wake and Mr. George Washington.

iv 173

NOTES AND NEWS

THIS year has emphasised that the face of enriched by further gifts from members during Northamptonshire will be changed ever more the year. At the A.G.~., ~. V. Hatley.was rapidly. and Wellingborough .have appointed Honorary LIbranan to the SOCIety, . made 'overspill' agreements; Corby contmues and he would welcome further gifts. its rapid development; and it is proposed that the size of Northampton be doubled. Yet, As an experiment last year the Society sponsored a Young Historians' Competition. precisely when traditional ~o~unities a~d industries are being revolutIOnISed, the dIS­ Our judge, Mr. M. V. Seab?~e of the ~niver­ sity of Leicester, awarded Jomt first pnzes to covery of Northamptonshire history i~ exciting a growing number of Northamptonshire people L. R. Baldwin of Northampton Grammar and also those whom we now welcome to make School and to Susan Eldridge of Northampton Grammar School for Girls. Miss Eldridge a new home in this County. The Northampton­ wrote: "As I am taking up History as a career shire Village History Committee, the Leices,ter University Department of Adult EducatIOn I found the Competition a stimulating and interesting p];eliminary to my College course". (with its research class in our Library at This year we have widened the appeal of the Delapre), the Workers' Education~l Association and similar organisations are helpmg to awaken Competition to pupils in all types of secondary this interest. Certainly Northamptonshire schools and we are expecting a pleasing res­ History merits study both for its own sake ponse; a young person's appreciati?n, of hist,ory and in illustration of national history. often begins with an awareness of his ImmedIate environment. This Society is proud of the leadership it It is wholesome news that the Upper Nene has given in publishing texts and in stimulating Archaeological Society has taken the initiative an awareness of our heritage generally. We are in proposing the fo!,mation of a Northa~p­ pleased that further volumes in ou~ ~ain Seri~s tonshire Federation of Archaeological will shortly be ready for publicanon. This ·Societies. No complete archaeological survey journal again takes scholarly artic~es on North­ of the County has been made since the begin­ amptonshire throughout the whole world) and ning of the century and there has not always we are grateful to our Editor, Sir Gyles Isham, been sufficient correlation of the work by local to our contributors, and particularly to our archaeological societies and individual enthus­ advertisers, who together have made its publi­ iasts. Little but good can issue from a Co~nty cation possible. Federation and, if it is established, this SOCIety Over one hundred members attended the wishes it every success. Society's Annual General Meeting at Delapre We are pleased to record that the No~th­ Abbey on May 23rd. Dr. W. G. Hoskins then amptonshire Record, Offic~ has receIved delivered a most incisive lecture on "New several important depOSIts. Ent1rely as a result Approaches to Local History", when he opened of Dr. Joan Wake's contacts with Mrs. Cecil our eyes to the value of the study of vernacular Dryden, originals or photostat copies of most of_ architecture and topography to the local the Dryden () records have been historian. Our Autumn Lecture was of imme­ sent to Delapre from Southern Rhodesia. These diate topical relevance. Mr. E. G. Forrester include seventeenth and eighteenth century lectured to the Society on the history of account books, correspondence, three day books electioneering in Northamptonshire. His talk of a local builder and carrier, 1758-67, and was widely appreciated. architectural drawings by Sir Henry Dryden. The Society has a valuable Library of books Another valuable accession is a series of about on local and national history, as well as series forty draft inclosure and draft tithe maps for of sundry local journals. This Library has been parishes south of Northampton, 1798-1856. 174 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE PAST AND PRESENT

The original of a roll containing a description known to the wider public. We hope you and valuation of goods in Northamptonshire enjoy it. chantries in 1548 was recently sold by auction We regret to report the death of Mr. Laurence and is going out of the country, but through Gotch on 27th January, 1964. As mentioned in the Board of Trade the Northamptonshire our last issue, Mr. Gotch, a member of the Record Office has been able to secure a photo­ well known Kettering family, had recently stat copy of the roll. completed a series of articles on the Kettering One of our members was vigilant enough to of his early days in The Kettering Leader. inform us of the intended destruction of several With the death of Mr. Douglas Montagu Wood tons of documents by a long-established firm at Seaford on April 19th 1964, the of local solicitors; the papers included the Estate passes to two Trustees for the benefit of eighteenth century records of a boys' charity great-nieces and nephews, none of whom bear school and others of similar interest. If any the name of Wood. The Woods acquired the member learns of the intention to destroy other estate from the Raynsfords about 1800. They historical documents, he is asked to inform the were a N orthamptonshire family, stemming County Archivist or the Hon. Secretary of this from farmers at who appear to Society immediately. have been Quakers. They married into the Many of our members have been led by Sprigge family of Scaldwell, one time Lords of their interest in genealogy to examine local the Manor there, and were connected with the wills. Mr. P. I. King has recently written a family of Thomas Roes, benefactor both of Guide to the Northamptonshire and Rut­ Scaldwell and Brixworth. The Woods were land Probate Records. In his' Introduction also connected with the ancient armigerous Mr. King shows the value of wills and inven­ family, the Waytes of Brixworth. Mr. Douglas tories to social, agricultural and religious Wood was the youngest son of the late Mr. historians and he defines some of the technical Thomas Dixie Wood, and inherited the estate terms used. He then gives a succinct guide to from his brother Vere, who died in 1949. Mr. the probate records, together with their indexes Vere Wood was High Sheriff in 1936/7, and and calendars, of the Archdeaconry of North­ took a prominent part in County affairs. Mr. ampton, the Consistory Court of Peterborough, Douglas Wood occasionally resided at the other ecclesiastical authorities, and of the Manor at Brixworth, but spent most of his district probate courts. We commend this time at his house at Seaford, especially after Guide to our members. It may be qbtained his wife's death in 1956. He was at one time a from the Northamptonshire Record Office, member of the Council of the Record Society. Delapre Abbey, price 1/-, postage 6d. Mr. Vere Wood had deposited a good many deeds at the Record Office, and it is hoped that Members of the Record Society will be de­ the whole collection will now go to Delapre, lighted to learn of the recovery of Mr. Patrick and be available to students. King the County Archivist whose serious illness The Council of the Society sends greetings was reported in last year's issue. He is now to members and friends throughout the world. back at work at Delapre and as helpful as ever New members to the Society are always wel­ to the students there. come. If you or a friend would like to share in 1964 has been the centenary of the death of our endeavours to preserve Northamptonshire the Northamptonshire poet, John Clare. This History, please return the enclosed form of Society makes its contribution to the celebra­ application for membership to the Honorary tions held throughout the county by devoting Secretary. part of this issue of Northamptonshire Past and Present to articles on Clare. It is really WE must apologise to our readers for a slip on remarkable that, in a year also devoted to p. 80 of No. 3 of the current Volume Ill. The Shakespeare and Marlowe, John Clare has special services for November 5th, January 30th attracted so much attention, and so many books and May 29th were omitted from the Book of have been written about him. Professor and Common Prayer quite constitutionally in Mrs. Tibble's edition of the poems is being 1859. For this mistake, blame attaches to the published later on in the Everyman Edition, Editor, and not the writer of the article, Miss which will make Clare's poetry even better Joan Wake.