Category: Local History

When Medieval Monarchs Spent Christmas in Northamptonshire

1164, Northampton Castle During the Autumn and Winter of 1164, Northampton stood at the centre of royal drama. King Henry II was at Northampton Castle for one of the most explosive political confrontations of the Middle Ages: the trial of his archbishop, Thomas Becket. With Becket in exile, tempers high, and royal authority under scrutiny,… Continue reading When Medieval Monarchs Spent Christmas in Northamptonshire

The World’s First Gas Cooked Dinner Party

In the early 1830s, while most households still relied on smoky coal ranges and temperamental open fires, something remarkable was happening in Northampton. Inside a lecture room belonging to the town’s Mechanics’ Institute, a crowd gathered to watch what must surely count as the world’s first gas-cooked dinner party. A full meal. Multiple courses. All… Continue reading The World’s First Gas Cooked Dinner Party

The Kettering Conjuror – and Northamptonshire’s Secret Bibles

Long before Hogwarts (and even Harry Potter House) there was Thomas Fysh of Kettering – dragged before the dreaded Star Chamber for possessing what sounds like a wizard’s notebook. His crimes? Owning “a book of Coverdale’s making” (almost certainly one of the earliest printed English Bibles) and keeping “a paper drawen with fygures and circulls… Continue reading The Kettering Conjuror – and Northamptonshire’s Secret Bibles

The Northamptonshire Floods of 1795

When the County Went Under In February 1795, Northamptonshire found itself at the mercy of one of the most dramatic natural disasters in its history. And it wasn’t limited to Northants! The Great Floods of 1795, referred to as the Candlemas Flood in some parts, turned peaceful rivers into raging torrents, swept away bridges, and… Continue reading The Northamptonshire Floods of 1795

Triangular Lodge – An Act of Rebellion

Wander just outside Rushton, Northamptonshire, 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 like a castle. Instead, it squats in the countryside like a puzzle made of stone: three sides, three storeys, three gables. At once eccentric and beautiful, it… Continue reading Triangular Lodge – An Act of Rebellion

Beyond the Flames: Lessons from the Great Fire of Northampton

This post came about as a result of writing my book about The Great Fire of Northampton – available now on Amazon! When we look at the Great Fire of Northampton, the obvious lessons seem to be about fire itself: thatched roofs catch quickly, strong winds carry sparks, and wooden towns are tinderboxes waiting to… Continue reading Beyond the Flames: Lessons from the Great Fire of Northampton

Great Fire of Northampton BOOK

On 20 September 1675, flames tore through the thriving market town of Northampton. Within hours, three-quarters of the town lay in ruins.This book tells the story not with modern hindsight, but through the eyes of those who lived it. Using original pamphlets, poems, and letters -many published within days of the disaster- the Great Fire… Continue reading Great Fire of Northampton BOOK

Swing Riots in Northamptonshire

History is all around us, the past leaves footprints everywhere. You wouldn’t know it to look at them, but the stretches of farmland in Northamptonshire, a county which has long been prone to rebellion, were once almost battlegrounds of resistance… The Swing Movement When the fields of southern and eastern England were swaying in the… Continue reading Swing Riots in Northamptonshire