Parks, Libraries and Leisure: Northampton’s Social Life in the 1920s
In the 1920s, increased opportunities for leisure were an important part of life for the working classes.
Schools, Skills and Community: Education in Northampton, 1913–1924
In the early 20th century, the increasing demands for a skilled workforce required investment in education, both formal iinformal, in Northampton.
Work, Housing and Health: Northampton Behind the Numbers
In 1924, the boot and shoe industry dominated Northampton’s workforce. The Boot and Shoe Operatives Trade Union had 13,104 members; officials estimated that only 5% of adult workers were outside the union.
Northampton on the Eve of Change: Life in 1913 and 1924
Over 75 years, Northampton’s expansion was steady and undramatic. Outlying villages had become suburbs; only Dallington still remained for future absorption.
Researching inequality – Northampton and the Welfare State
Two studies of Northampton in 1913 and 1924 give us a detailed view of working-class life and economic conditions in on the eve of World War 1 and the somewhat better situation in the early 1920s.
Bartle, a family of watchmakers
The life and family of Walter G Bartle, Northampton watchmaker (1848-1910).
Book Sale
From time to time, selected surplus books will be offered for sale here. They will mostly be rlated to Northamptonshire and church history. To make… Read More »Book Sale
Paul’s Address Book app updated!
My ‘address book’ inspired by the Apostle Paul’s letters and the book of Acts, has had a refresh. More details here and you can try it and download it for free!
Matthew Caffyn: Theological conflict in Sussex and Northamptonshire
Matthew Caffyn was a 17th-century preacher from Sussex — a farmer, dissenter, and fierce debater who defied Oxford, clashed with Quakers, and shaped nonconformist faith.
Death, Disputes, and the Churchyard Gate
Before Victorian cemeteries became peaceful parks, England’s churchyards were overcrowded, unsanitary — and battlegrounds of religious politics. Discover how a crisis in death reshaped the landscape of mourning.