which are also well attended, and generally afford excellent sport.-They are held about the latter end of March.

There are also various other pieces of land belonging to free men of the town, of which the corporation are left as trustees.

Northampton is very pleasantly situated on an eminence, and gently sloping towards the river, by which it is bounded on the south and west.The streets are in general handsome, strait, and wellbuilt; the market-place in particular is an ornament to the town, and allowed to be one of the handsomest in England.-Much of the beauty of Northampton is owing to the dreadful fire of 1675, the houses at that time being mostly built of wood; but on its being re-built, they were made more secure and ornamental by being erected principally of stone. Nearly all the streets and lanes are paved, both for carriages and foot passengers; it is also well lighted, and being on a descent, the streets are generally very clean and pleasant.-It is a very easy and convenient distance from London, only sixty-six miles, to and from whence coaches are passing almost every hour, being the thoroughfare road to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Manchester, &c. The principal trade is the manufacture of shoes,

of which great quantities are sent abroad, and it is the first mart in England from whence our army and navy are supplied with those articles and boots; there is also a considerable trade carried on here in the manufacture of lace; it likewise contains a great number of handsome shops of various descriptions, and, as an inland town, Northampton can boast of some most excellent well-conducted inns.Private lodgings are also to be obtained in many genteel families, and which, from the situation being in the vicinity of the Pytchley and other hunts, are generally occupied, during the season, by gentlemen of the highest respectability.-The horse fairs here are particularly well attended.-The mail for London leaves Northampton every evening between seven and eight o'clock, and the one from London arrives every morning between five and six.—A great number of houses have been built within these few years, and many others are now erecting in different parts of the town and neighbourhood.

According to the returns made of the population of Northampton in the years 1801 and 1811, it will be perceived, by the following statement, that a very great increase of inhabitants took place in the course of ten years, viz.

E

Total Increase in 10 Years...

In the year 1811, the whole county contained 28,318 inhabited houses, and 141,353 inhabitants.

729

678

1407

ABINGTON.

Abington, in Doomsday-book named Abintone, is a pleasant little village, about one mile from Northampton, on the road to Wellingborough; it is bounded on the east by Weston-Favell, on the north by Kingsthorpe and Moulton, on the west by Northampton, and on the south by the river Nine. Here is a good Manor-house, the seat of J. H. Thursby, Esq. with a park adjoining, in which is a water-house and reservoir, built to receive a stream

flowing from a spring called Broadley-head. The church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, consists of a body, north and south aisles, and chancel, leaded. At the west end is an embattled tower, in which are three bells. At the end of each aisle is a chauntry chapel, leaded; and in the different windows are several curious arms and figures, many of them in a perfect state, but some of them broken; and in various parts of the church and chancel, are some very ancient monuments and inscriptions, particularly one in the north aisle ; on a flat stone are the figures of a man and woman, in the habits of the times, with a brass plate underneath, recording the memory of William Mayle and Margaret, his wife, and thirteen of their children. Upon several bricks which lie dispersed in the chancel are these arms: three cross crosslets fitche, on a chief, a rose, and a mullet of six points, as also the arms of Westminster. Ou a marble near one of the windows in the south aisle, is the following inscription, in gilt letters:

In memory that Mr. Pamer, in 1718, husband of Mrs. Mary Pamer, left twenty pounds, the interest of it to be given to the poore of this parish on St. Thomas's day for ever.

The communion plate was given by the late Mr. Thursby, and consists of two large silver flagons.

double gilt, a chalice and cover, with a cross, and & plate of the same, inscribed Oblatio Gul. Thursby.

ALTHORPE.

Althorpe, the seat of Earl Spencer, is situated about six miles west of Northampton. The house, which is large, occupies three sides of a quadrangle, and was built by the Earl of Sunderland, in the year 1688. This estate has belonged to the Spencers ever since the reign of Henry the Seventh. Robert Lord Spencer was succeeded, 1627, by his son William, and he, 1637, by his son Henry, created Earl of Sunderland after the battle of Edgehill, 1642, and slain at the battle of Newbury the same year. The contents, of this mansion are highly interesting and valuable; particularly its large and fine collection of paintings, and vast library of choice and scarce books; in the latter article the noble proprietor is laudably emulous of possessing the most enlarged and selected collection in England, and it is generally admitted that he has succeeded. The books at this place fill three or four apartments, besides which his Lordship has a large library at his house in London. The park at Althorpe is well stocked with deer, and distinguished by large masses of forest trees, and great inequality of surface in the natural disposition of its grounds.