Hardingstone Parish, including the Hamlets of Cotton-end or Far-cotton and Delapre Abbey (Pop. 1,030.) Three Daily Schools, containing 24 males and 31 females, who are instructed at the expense of their parents. Two Sunday Schools: one whereof, attended by 42 males, is supported by the church-rate; the other by 70 females, and is supported by contributions. There is a lending Library in the possession of the clergyman, from which the children and any poor person may have books.
HARDINGSTONE, a parish in the hundred of Wymersley, county of Northampton, 2 miles (S. R. E.) from Northampton, containing, with the hamlets of Cotton-End, Far-Cotton with Paper-Mills, and Delapree-Abbey, 1012 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Northampton, and diocese of Peterborough, rated in the king's books at £13.5s, and in the patronage of the Crown. The church, dedicated to St. Edmund, has portions in the early style of English architecture. The river Nen, and a branch from the Grand Junction canal to Northampton, pass through the parish, and join at Cotton-End, where are commodious wharfs and warehouses. There are many fine springs of water, and some which are strongly impregnated with iron. Near the side of the London road is one of the beautiful monumental crosses erected by Edward I. to the memory of his consort Eleanor, called Queen's Cross, to the south-west of which is a commanding eminence crowned by the remains of Danes' camp, a circular fortification enclosing an area of more than four acres, and supposed to have been constructed by Sweyn, the father of Canute. In an adjoining field the skeletons of soldiers have been found, buried with their arms, consisting of swords, spears, &c., also some earthen vessels of a peculiar shape. A battle, called the battle of Northampton, was fought here, in which the Duke of Buckingham and other nobles were killed, and Henry VI. was made prisoner, in the 38th year of his reign. James Hervey, author of the Meditations, was born at this village in 1714.
John Bryan, by deed, in 1603, conveyed to trustees, for the Corporation, certain parcels of meadow ground, reputed to be five roods, in the west end of Cotton-marsh, in the parish of Hardingstone, to be applied for the maintenance of the poor of the hospital.
William Lester, of Cotton-end, in the parish of Hardingstone, Northamptonshire engineer; for an engine or machine, on an improved construction, for separating corn and seeds from the straw; part of which machinery may also be applied to other useful purposes. Dated June 19.
Northampton appears to have continued for a long period of time, without any new grant; but was at length incorporated, in the 16th year of King James I (1619). That king granted a charter which, like Queen Elizabeth's to Leicester, recites, contrary to the truth, that Northampton was an ancient and populous town ; and from ancient times was a town incorporate, of mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, of the town aforesaid ; and that the inhabitants of the same, and their predecessors, had held divers liberties, &c. by charters and prescription. That the mayor, bailiffs and burgesses, had by petition suggested to the king, that, near to the town, there existed several places, commonly called Cotton End, West Cotton, and St. James, without the jurisdiction of the town, and where artificers, mechanics, manufacturers, and other free burgesses of the town, went to reside; and several arts and mysteries were used there, to the prejudice and injury of the town, and the burgesses and inhabitants of the same. And in order that all the inhabitants and residents in the same places might be under the rule and governance of the mayor, bailiffs and burgesses, the king granted to the mayor, bailiffs and burgesses, that the limits of the town should extend as prayed; that Northampton should be, in conjunction with them, a free town ; that the burgesses there should for ever be one body, corporate and politic, by the name of " The Mayor, Bailiffs and Burgesses of the Town of Northampton."
English Inland Navigation.
Nearly all the great works on the important and extensive line of inland navigation of England, the Grand Junction Canal, are now completed. The stupendous embankment between Woolverton and Cosgrove, near Stoney Stratford, is now opened for the use of the trade; by this great work nine locks by its side, four down and five up, are avoided, and one level sheet of water is formed, from Stoke-Bruern, to some miles south of Fenny Stratford, ns well as on the Buckingham branch, extending to within a. mile of that town. The arches under this embankment for the passage of the Ouse river, which were said to be sinking soon after the centres were struck, have happily proved sufficient, and the embankment seems to possess great stability. The branch and iron railway that is to conect the Grand Junction Canal with the New River at the town of Northampton, as also with the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal, are proceeding with great spirit . This new junction is expected to prove of great importance to Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and all the adjoining counties, as well as to the company, who now, under new and happier auspices, seem to be rapidly retrieving their affairs.
Union Canal commences at, and joins, the river Soar navigation on the west side of Leicester, and for near three miles, that is to Ayleston, run with a few deviations in the course of that river ; from Ayleston the whole of the line runs a southerly course and crosses the river Welland, and on the west side of Northampton joins the river Nen navigation, and the branch of the Grand Junction canal, completing a course of forty-three miles and three quarters, from Leicester to Northampton, with four hundred and seven feet and a half of lockage, and passing through four tunnels. The branch to Market Harborough, from the junction, is 3 m. 6 f. and is level. From West-Bridge at Leicester, where it joins the Soar, to near Saddington, the lockage is 12 m. 6 f. with one hundred and sixty feet rise; from thence to ear Oxendon Magna is thirteen miles and a half, and level; here, in one furlong is a rise of fifty feet to the summit level, which continues to the south side of the tunnel at Kilmarsh, near five miles; from thence to the junction with the Northern river at Northampton, is eleven miles and three quarters, with one hundred and ninety-seven feet and a half fall; from thence to the junction with the river Nen is three quarters of mile, and level. The proprietors of this undertaking are incorporated under the name of " The company of Proprietors of the Leicestershire aud Northamptonshire Union Canal," with the necessary powers for making the canal, &c. The land allowed for the breadth of the canal, towing-path, &c. is twenty yards, and not to deviate more than one hundred yards from the book of reference. The earth, &c. dug in making this canal, is to be properly spread and distributed on the adjoining grounds at the companys expense. For the purposes of this canal the proprietors may raise the sum of 200,000 L. to be divided into shares of 100 L. each, and if not sufficient a farther sum of 100,000 L.
The other canal in hand, called the Union Canal, from its object being to unite the navigation of the Trent and Soar with that of the Grand Junction and Nen, commences from the navigable part of the Soar, above Leicester, and is continued across the county of Leicester to Market Harborough, near which place it is meant to enter Northamptonshire and to be continued to Northampton, there to communicate with the Nen and the Grand Junction Canal. This canal is also upon a scale for barges of I believe about 40 tons.
The completion of these two grand designs will leave nothing wanting to complete the navigation of the county, but the improvement of the Nen below Northampton, so as to be upon the same scale of navigation with these canals, a project easy of execution, and attended with much less difficulties than those encountered in the canals above described. This would render Northampton a kind of central port, and would much tend to increase the commerce of the .county, These remarks made in 1797.
In 1806, I find the Blisworth tunnel completed, and a very masterly and surprising work of art: the whole main line of this canal is also completed, and some of its collateral branches; but the communication with Northampton is by a railway: on this great concern, (the Grand Junction Canal,) 1,500,000 L. have been expended; shares at present under prime cost, and dividends small, owing to improvements still making, and paid for from the tonnage; but hopes are entertained of its coming to pay a good interest upon the expenditure. Reservoirs of water and other improvements are in hand or in contemplation. The Union Canal, and some of the collateral branches originally proposed from this, still remain unfinished.
The number of tons annually delivered at the wharfs from Peterborough to Northampton, including the town of Northampton, is nearly ten thousand. Upon opening a communication with the port of Boston, by a navigation from the river Welland at Stamford, to the Nen, the trade will be considerably increased on the Nen, particularly the coal-trade, as coals may be purchased at a less price at Stamford than at any port or place from whence the sea-coal used in the county of Northampton has formerly been brought.
There is a rail-road from Northampton, which joins the Nen with the Grand Junction Canal, at Blisworth, nearly five miles in length. But a canal is now going to be formed in lieu of it by the Grand Junction Company, from their canal, to join the Nen at Northampton ,. so that merchandize will go from and come to Stamford, in the same vessels to and from London or Birmingham.
An Act to amend an Act of the last Session of Parliament, for enlarging the Term and Powers of an Act of His present Majefty, for repairing the Road leading from Towcester to the Turnpike Road in Cotton End, in the Parish of Hardingston, in the County of Northampton, [17th March 1818.]
[Additional Toll.]
RA Selby, of Ringstead was invited to become minister at Far Cotton, an invitation he accepted, commencing his duties in the office on January 1st, 1893.
by Great Britain Parliament. House of Commons, Parliament, House of Commons - Great Britain - 1867 Page 199
The localities known as "Cotton End " and " Far Cotton," situate in the parish of Hardingstone, to the southward of the town. In Cotton End there are 79,
and in Far Cotton 239 inhabited houses, with estimated populations of 395, and 1195 persons respectively. Cotton End forms part of the town. Far Cotton (which is about five acres in extent) is separated from Cotton End by an inconsiderable interval, comprising several detached houses. Such portion of this interval as may be available for further building would seem likely to be occupied for that purpose; seeing that further extension to the southward is practically barred by the juxta-position of large settled estates.
HARDINGSTONE, a parish in the hundred of WYMERSLEY, county of NORTHAMPTON, 2 miles (S. S. E.) from Northampton, containing, with the hamlets of Cotton-End, Far-Cotton with Paper-Mills, and Delapre-Abbey, 1012 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Northampton, and diocese of Peterborough, rated in the king's books at £13.5., and in the patronage of the Crown. The church, dedicated to St. Edmund, has portions in the early style of English architecture. The river Nen, and a branch from the Grand Junction canal to Northampton, pass through the parish, and join at Cotton-End, where are commodious wharfs and warehouses. There are many fine springs of water, and some which are strongly impregnated with iron. Near the side of the London road is one of the beautiful monumental crosses erected by Edward I. to the memory of his consort Eleanor, called Queen's Cross, to the south-west of which is a commanding eminence crowned by the remains of Danes' camp, a circular fortification enclosing an area of more than four acres, and supposed to have been constructed by Sweyn, the father of Canute. In an adjoining field the skeletons of soldiers have been found, buried with their arms, consisting of swords, spears, &c., also some earthen vessels of a peculiar shape. A battle, called the battle of Northampton, was fought here, in which the Duke of Buckingham and other nobles were killed, and Henry VI. was made prisoner, in the 38th year of his reign. James Hervey, author of the Meditations, was born at this village in 1714.
1863 Power to make deviation or Alteration in Towcester and Cotton End Road and to discontinue Portions of existing road
Company to repay Northampton Gaslight Company extra expenses incurred by them in laying down Pipes from Bridge Street to Far Cotton
28th July 1863
Also to make an Alteration of the Turnpike Road known as
the Towcester and Cotton End Road, and for the Discontinuance
as a .Turnpike Road and Thoroughfare, and Appropriation
to the Purposes of the Company of a Portion of the
existing Road, and for the Repair of a certain Part thereof
not intended to be so appropriated, and for the Discontinuance
as a public Thoroughfare of the Road belonging to
the Company on the South Side of the Company's Station,
connecting the Towcester and Cotton End Turnpike Road
with the Northampton and Newport Pagnell Turnpike Road;
From Railway handbook 1846
From this point to the Northampton station the
view is very interesting. The town in the distance -
the Canal running close to the Line - the river flowing
at the foot of the town, its banks occupied by coal,
yards, corn-warehouses, tan-yards, foundries, &c.; and
the fine rich meadows fringed with osier plantations,
and adorned on the back-ground to the right with a
fine hill profusely covered with trees and variegated
beauties of nature forms a delightful landscape.
A building on the right, a few yards distant, called
far-Cotton Manor-House, a short time since retained
some architectural interest, but has latterly been
modernized. Being the residence of the ancestors of
the celebrated Hervey, author of the popular "Meditations
amongst the Tombs," it should not pass unnoticed,
horse drawn omnibuses from All saints to St Marys started in 1894
In July 1904 A generating station was built in bath street and new car sheds in St James. In the same year new and improved horse omnibuses were placed into service on the Far Cotton se