The Magna Carta was signed and sealed Runnymede by King John in 1215. But the story didn’t begin in Surrey. It began here, in Northamptonshire. From Brackley… Read more “Magna Carta and the First Barons’ War – Northamptonshire”
Category: NorthamptonSort
Northamptonshire and the Anarchy – England’s First Civil War
Long before “the” English Civil War of the 1640s, England had already torn itself apart in a number of other brutal internal conflicts. The first of these… Read more “Northamptonshire and the Anarchy – England’s First Civil War”
How Northampton Caused the Norman Conquest
People tend to think the Norman Conquest began in 1066, on a battlefield. But the fuse was lit a decade earlier, and rather closer to home. It… Read more “How Northampton Caused the Norman Conquest”
Jury Trials – Made in Northamptonshire
Trial by jury feels like one of those things that has always existed, part of the natural furniture of English justice. But it had to start somewhere.… Read more “Jury Trials – Made in Northamptonshire”
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… Read more “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… Read more “The World’s First Gas Cooked Dinner Party”
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… Read more “The Northamptonshire Floods of 1795”
Northamptonshire’s Saints
This evening (19 September) will see our local rugby team, Northampton Saints, face off against Saracens from North London. But let’s take a look at some of… Read more “Northamptonshire’s Saints”
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… Read more “Swing Riots in Northamptonshire”
Jack Preston 