History is all around us, the past leaves footprints everywhere. The Elementary Education Act of 1870 set up elected School Boards in towns and cities. These boards… Read more “The Board Schools of Old Kettering”
Category: KetteringSort
The Schools of School Lane, Kettering
Street names often come from notable buildings, landmarks, or residents. So it will come as no surprise that Kettering’s School Lane was once home to two schools.… Read more “The Schools of School Lane, Kettering”
The Woman Behind Modern Libraries – Kate Edith Pierce of Kettering
Kate Edith Pierce of Kettering revolutionised libraries with open-access shelves and inter-library loans in Britain.
The Forgotten History of Kettering Grammar School
The story of Kettering Grammar School, as it is usually told, starts in 1577. This is when Queen Elizabeth I granted the lands for the use of… Read more “The Forgotten History of Kettering Grammar School”
The Petrifying Spring of Boughton
During his travels across Britain, writer Daniel Defoe stopped by Boughton House. His hosts showed him a spring which they insisted would “petrify” anything left within its… Read more “The Petrifying Spring of Boughton”
Kettering’s Shoemaking Revolution
Kettering in the early Nineteenth Century was a centre of the shoemaking trade; not yet with the great factories of later years, but a growing trade that… Read more “Kettering’s Shoemaking Revolution”
Bonfire Night – Sparked in Northamptonshire ?
The Origin of Bonfire Night
The Kettering Conjuror – and Northamptonshire’s Secret Bibles
Long before Voldemort or Sauron, there was Thomas Fysh of Kettering, dragged before the dreaded Star Chamber for possessing what sounds like a wizard’s notebook, which the… Read more “The Kettering Conjuror – and Northamptonshire’s Secret Bibles”
Triangular Lodge – An Act of Rebellion
Wander just outside Rushton, and you’ll find yourself facing one of the strangest, most intriguing buildings in England. It isn’t grand like a country house, nor fortified… Read more “Triangular Lodge – An Act of Rebellion”
Kettering’s Wool Industry
Kettering’s worsted wool industry flourished from local resources in the 17th and 18th centuries, becoming a vital part of community life, before declining in the 19th century due to industrialization and global market changes.
