SPOTLIGHT
Militia Records 1757 – 1913
There have been militias or a homeland defence force of one sort or another in England and Wales since Saxon times, this article highlights the information available following the Militia Act of 1757. The idea was that in the event of an invasion or of civil strife...
Where did those red bricks come from?
You know how it is, you’ve probably done it yourself. Wandering around The Mounts area of Northampton, a random thought suddenly came into my head! Where did all the red bricks come from? And simply because all the terraced housing, shoe factories and the places of...
Boddington Parish Collections
The first Boddington parish register has beautifully clear handwriting and starts reasonably early in 1558 and continues until 1707. Apart from the usual entries of christenings, marriages and burials there are about 20 pages of information at the back of the...
Union Workhouse Records
By the early 1830s the existing poor relief system was unable to cope, and the New Poor Law Act came into effect in 1834. Northamptonshire was divided up into 12 poor law unions: Brackley, Brixworth, Daventry, Hardingstone, Kettering, Northampton, Oundle,...
Snippets in the Parish Registers (2)
FORNICATION AT WADENHOEOn the last page of the Wadenhoe parish register can be found the following:Penances: 1 May 1719 William Bunyan and Mary Bales perform’d ye panance before ye congregation, for being guilty of ye filthy sin of fornication before marriage. 13 June...
Snippets in the Parish Registers (1)
Along with the expected births, marriages and burial entries, the Incumbents often added various comments. These could be about their parishioners, the causes of death, parish events or other snippets. Here is a round up on some interesting ones. BULWICKIn the year...
Agricultural Exhibition of 1847
From the London Illustrated News 24 July 1847 The Annual Meeting of this great and truly national society commenced on Tuesday morning at Northampton The newspaper report continues:“The Exhibition has surpassed all preceding ones in extent. The railway companies led...
Records for St Crispin Hospital, Northampton
Northamptonshire Record Office holds the records of the Northampton County Lunatic Asylum, otherwise known as Berrywood, and later called St Crispin Hospital. History Previously, pauper lunatics had been taken in by the Northampton General Lunatic Asylum, close to...
Marriage Licences
When a couple wish to marry then can do so by banns or licence. Banns are called in the church in which a couple are to marry on the three Sundays before the wedding takes place. If one of the partners is from a different parish then banns should also have been called...
The Daventry Collection
THE DAVENTRY COLLECTION If you’ve ancestors from Daventry and the surrounding area, then this collection at Northamptonshire Archives is worth investigating! The collection is formed of documents rescued from a solicitor’s office and comprises over 14,000 items. There...