"On the 20th of September, 1675, hundreds of inhabitants of Northampton were driven out of their houses, upon little or no warning, by a most sudden and terrible fire. The notice was so short as not to give many of them time to remove any part of their goods, not even a bed to lie on, or a garment to shift themselves with.-The unhappy instrument of this misfortune was an infamous and common woman of the town, who then lived at the end of St. Mary's street, near the castle, and having something boiling in a pot on the fire, left it carelessly while she went to a neighbour's; and on her return found the house in flames. It was then about half past eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when a strong west wind arose, and blew the flames to the rest of the houses in that street, which were chiefly poor thatched buildings. From thence it communicated to the back of Horsemarket, and soon spread to the south and lower end of the same; from whence it flew, swifter than horse or man, to Derngate, nearly half a mile from the place where it began. spread into St. Giles's-street, and consumed every house therein except one, which was formerly a gatehouse, and the end wails being higher than the roof, it was by that means preserved. It then fled over the town and seized upon College-lane; great

From Derngate it soon

quantities of oil, tallow, and other combustible matter being deposited in this part, caused it to burn with greater fury than ever, and it soon communicated with the back part of the Drapery.-The spacious Market-hill was covered with all sorts of wares and goods, which the affrighted owners were forced to leave one among another, where they were enclosed by a wall of fire, and only one little door left them to escape out at, by Mr. Danvers's house (at this time in the possession of Mr. Freake) which was the only house that remained in the square.Great quantities of goods were spoiled and consumed, and the flames spared neither cross nor pump. It is impossible to describe the distractions of the helpless people, such as old men and women, children and infants, as well as great numbers of the inhabitants who were ill of the small-pox, which were at the time very prevalent in the place.-By two o'clock the fire was in all parts of the town, so that the inhabitants were entirely driven from their dwellings; and in less than two hours more, upwards of six hundred houses were consumed, wherein dwelt above seven hundred families. The damage amounted to £102,008 and upwards, besides the loss of the parish church of All Saints, and many other public buildings, to the value of fifty thousand

pounds more. It is extraordinary (says the writer) that a fire should break out at noon-day, and get so much strength in such a short time, as to consume so many goods and houses, and a wonderful mercy that only eleven persons perished in the flames, when it is considered with what an amazing force the fire and wind came on in some of the narrow passages-that many people were quite spent and wearied-their eyes dazzled, or blinded with dust and smoke-and that several houses fell down while they were running by for their lives: and here a most singular circumstance occurred; a man, who lived with an apothecary, brought out of a cellar, a barrel of gunpowder, which he carried under his arm, up Goldstreet, whilst it was burning on both sides, covering it only with his coat skirts, and, wonderful to relate, carried it off in safety."

For re-building the town, an act of Parliament was immediately afterwards procured by the Earl of Northampton, the recorder, appointing commissioners to decide all differences which might arise with respect to the soil, the adjusting of party walls, &c. About £25,000 were raised by subscriptions and briefs, for the relief of the sufferers; and the king gave one thousand tons of timber, and seven years' chimney money collected within the town.

Northampton is both a town incorporate and a borough. It was first incorporated by Henry II. and since confirmed by several successive charters, under different reigns, in which the style of the corporation has been often changed, and the privileges very much enlarged. In the thirty-first year of Henry II. the burgesses of Northampton gave a fine of two hundred marks to hold the said town of the king in capite. By a charter granted in the first year of king John, the burgesses of Northampton were freed from all toll throughout England and the sea-ports, with the privilege of not being impleaded out of the town, and of enjoying every other liberty in the same manner as the citizens of London, paying into the exchequer £120 at Michaelmas in every year. By this charter they were empowered to choose annually two bailiffs to be presented to the chief justice at Westminster, and to appoint four other inhabitants to determine all pleas of the crown, and to see that the bailiffs were careful to discharge their duty. These liberties were again enlarged and confirmed in the forty-first year of Henry III. and again renewed in the twenty-seventh of Edward I. a privilege having been granted by king Henry of choosing yearly a mayor and two bailiffs, at the feast of St. Michael, the mayor to be presented and

sworn before the barons of the exchequer, within eight days after the said feast. In 1478 the mayor was for the first time sworn into his office at Northampton, as have been all his successors since that period. By charter granted in the fourth year of Henry VII, the and his brethren late mayors, mayor are to name and choose forty-eight persons of the inhabitants, and to change them as often as they should think necessary; which forty-eight persons, together with the mayor and his brethren, and such as have been mayors and bailiffs, should hereafter yearly elect all the mayors and bailiffs of the said town. Before this period the mayor and bailiffs were elected by all the freemen in St. Giles's churchyard, but the election was often attended with tumults and quarrels. In the ninth year of the same reign the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses obtained the liberty of choosing a recorder, and appointing two burgesses, who, together with the mayor, should be justices of the peace within the town. By charter, bearing date 3d August, 15 Car. II, the government of Northampton was committed to the mayor and two bailiffs, and such as have been mayors and bailiffs, and a common council of forty-eight burgesses, called the company of forty-eight; and of these, together with the recorder, chamberlain, and