ROTHWELL, in early times a town of some
importance, is a parish, bounded on the north and north-west by the river Ise, 2 miles south from Desborough station and 2¼ south-west from Rushton
station, both of which are on the main line of the Midland railway, and 4
north-west from Kettering, in the Mid division of the county, hundred of
Rothwell, petty sessional division, union and county court district of
Kettering, rural deanery of Rothwell (second portion), archdeaconry of
Northampton and diocese of Peterborough.
Under the provisions of the "Local Government Act. 1894" (56 and 57 Vict. c.
73), the town is governed by an Urban District Council of 12 members, in
place of the Local Board established in 1891, and is lighted with
gas by a company.
The church of the Holy Trinity is a fine structure in the Transition
Norman, Early English and later styles, consisting of chancel, clerestoried
nave of four bays, aisles, and a western tower with small pinnacles and a
flat pyramidal roof with vane, containing a clock and 6 bells: under the
south aisle of the church is a vault or charnel house, discovered about the
year 1650, and containing the bones, stacked in order, of many thousand
persons, some of which are of great size: the spire fell in the year
1657 and broke down two bays at the west end of the church: the south side
of the chancel and the doorway leading to the tower are Transitional: the
chancel has four sedilla and a picina with three drains; on the eastern
gable of the nave is a sanctus bell turret: in the church are several
interesting brasses; the earliest is the effigy of a priest vested in a
cope, his head resting on a pillow, supported by angels; at his feet is a
prayer in Latin, and an inscription in Norman-French to William de Rothwelle,
archdeacon of Essex, ob. c. 1250; another has effigies of a man and his wife
in civil costume, and is inscribed to Edward Saunders, of Haryngton, founder
of a chantry in this church, ob. 1514, and Johanna, his wife; the third is
affixed to the north wall of the south aisle of the chancel and displays the
kneeling figure of a man in ruff and long robe, with a quartered shield of
arms, crest and mantling, and above, an invocatory prayer; below is a large
tomb, inscribed to Owen Ragsdale, founder, in 1593, of the hospital: the
chancel was restored in 1848, and the church since 1893: there are sittings for
750 persons.
The register, including Orton, dates from July, 1708. The living is a vicarage, with
that of Orton annexed, net yearly value £140, with 36 acres of glebe,
and a residence, in the alternative gift of the Governors of Rothwell
Hospital and of Miss Hall, and held since 1894 by the Rev. William Sackville
Parker M.A. of St John's College, Oxford.
The Congregational chapel, first founded in 1662, was restored in 1893 at
a cost of £400. The Wesleyan Methodist chapel was erected in 1833. The ancient market house, begun
between 1575 and 1580 by Sir Thomas Tresham of Rushton kt. and designed by
John Thorpe, architect, stands at one side of a large open space opening out
from the main street of the town; the building, for many years roofless and
in part ruinous, forms a parallelogram, with a rectangular projection on
each face and a circular stair turret on the south angle, and was formerly
used as a lock-up; the lower floor was intended as an open market hall, and
the upper floor probably as a town hall; the main design consists of two
superimposed orders, treated with considerable freedom and ingenuity, and
highly picturesque in effect; the facing stone is of fine texture and great
hardness, and the workmanship throughout excellent; the two features of the
greatest interest in the building are the Latin inscription in the lower
frieze, setting forth the reasons of Sir Thomas for erecting it, and the
shields in the upper frieze and tympana of the arches; the latter, 90 in
number, are well preserved, and include the arms of the families of Stanley,
Russell, Mildmay, Hatton, Stafford, Throckmorton, Saunders, Ragsdale, Pulton
and others; the idea of completing it by voluntary means having failed, it
was restored in 1895 by the Urban Council for its purposes, as well as for
that of a Free Library and Reading Room, Capt. Tibbits, the lord
of the manor, having resigned his right to the market house, and handed it
over to the Council, together with £50 towards the purchase of books.
A fair is held on Trinity Monday and the four following days for stock
and peddlery.
Jesus Hospital was founded by Owen Ragsdale gent. in 1593, for 10 old
widowers; the governors in 1833 enlarged the
hospital, so that at the present time 26 widowers are received into the
hospital, who are clothed and allowed 7s. per week; the income of the charity is £830 yearly,
derived mostly from land.
Hunt's charity of about £30 yearly is for distribution amongst the widows
and aged poor; Agnes Hill's charity, now (1898) of about £19 10s. yearly, is
distributed to 6 poor widows; Ponder's charity of £6 10s. yearly is
distributed in flannels and blankets; Turville's charity of £3 5s 10d.
yearly is distributed in coals, and Cooper's charity of £3 is distributed in
bread five times a year; Brown's charity consists of £500 invested in Consols, the
interest of which is distributed annually in coals. By a decision of the
Enclosure Commissioners in 1777, a piece of land of about 2½ acres was
awarded to the minister, churchwardens and overseers of Rothwell, as a
compensation for all their possessions and rights in the open field of
Desborough parish; the rent, now £6 10s. is given in the form of coal to the
poor annually. The Rev. Thomas Bentham's charity of 10s. yearly is
distributed in 60 loaves of bread to 60 poor persons at different times of the year.
The Odd Fellows' Hall, in Bridge street, was erected in 1882, and will
hold about 500 persons. Captain John Borlase Tibbits D.L., J.P. of Rothwell
Grange, who is lord of the manor, and Richard C. Lane esq are the
principal landowners. The soil is composed of red land, clay and ironstone;
subsoil, ironstone. The chief crops are hay, wheat, barley and turnips. The
parish contains 3,438 acres; rateable value,
£15,505; the population in 1891 was 3,378.
Thorpe Underwood
is a hamlet partly of this parish and partly of
Harrington, 2 miles from Rothwell. The area is 360 acres; and the population
in 1891 was 30. See Harrington.
Parish Clerk, Henry Willis.
POST, M. O. & T. O., S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office.--Mrs. Mary
Eleanor Ginns, postmistress. Letters through Kettering arrive at 7.25 a.m. &
3.25 & 6 p.m.; dispatched at 8.45 a.m. & 5.30 & 8 p.m.; sunday, arrive at
7.25 a.m.; dispatched at 10 a.m
WALL BOX, Rushton road, collected at 8.30 a.m. 5.15 & 7.40 p.m. week days
only
WALL BOX, Kettering road, collected at 8.45 a.m. 5.30 & 8 p.m.; sunday 10
a.m
URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL.
Board room & Surveyors offices, Market house
Meet every fourth Wednesday at 7 p.m.
- Clerk, Frederick William Bull, solicitor, Kettering
- Treasurer, Frank Berrill, Leicestershire Banking Co. Limited,
Kettering
- Medical Officer of Health,
James More M.D. Kettering road
- Surveyor & Sanitary Inspector, Wm. T. Pearson, Market ho
- Collector, Arthur U Gray, Market place
- Police Station, Samuel Markham, constable in charge
PUBLIC OFFICERS.
- Assistant Overseer, Arthur U. Gray, Market place
- Collector of Taxes, Charles Palmer, Orton
- Medical Officer & Public Vaccinator, Rothwell District, Kettering
Union & Certifying Factory Surgeon, James More M.D. Kettering road
- Relieving Officer & Registrar of Births & Deaths, Rothwell District,
James Burditt; deputy registrar, Joseph Whiteman
SCHOOLS
A School Board of 7 members was formed May 29, 1884; W. Thurnall,
Kettering, clerk to the board; Isaac Sharman Needham, attendance office.
Board (mixed), Gladstone street, built in 1886 & enlarged in 1893, at a
cost of about £200, for 200 children; average attendance, 180; A. F. Austin,
master
Victoria Board (infants), School lane, erected 1898 at a cost of £2,000
for 300 infants; average attendance, about 150; Miss Coller, mistress
Free Grammar, Market hill, enlarged in 1585 by Owen Ragsdale, of
Rothwell, & rebuilt, with house for master & mistress, in 1870, at a cost of
£1,100, as a mixed school; a class room was added in 1893 at a cost
of £180; & the buildings now hold 400 children; the endowment amounts to £30
yearly, & the school is managed by a body of trustees appointed by the
Charity Commissioners; Joseph Whiteman, master; Mrs. Mary Jane Whiteman, mistress.
Mixed, average attendance, 240; infants, 154.
CARRIERS:--
William Palmer, to Market Harborough, tues. & sat
Samuel Arch, John Yeomans & Charles Ayres, to Kettering, daily
ROTHWELL
| PRIVATE RESIDENTS. |
| Baker, George William L.R.C.P | |
| Barlow, Frederick J.P. | High street
|
| Barlow, Mrs. | Gas street
|
| Bell, William Henry | 38 Kettering rd |
| Betts, Samuel | |
| Booth, Miss | Suffolk lodge |
| Buckby, John | |
| Butlin, John Thomas | West view, Kettering road |
| Butlin, Walter Isaac | 41 Kettering road |
| Chater, Willis | Desborough road |
| Eaton, George | Tresham cottage |
| Hopkins, Mrs | 40 Kettering road |
| Lane, Richard C. | Manor house |
| Lansberry, Charles Henry | |
| More, James M.D. | Kettering road |
| More, John | Kettering road |
Parker, Rev. Wm Sackville M.A.
(vicar of Holy Trinity) |
Vicarage |
| Parker, Henry | Bank house |
| Pearson, William T. | 42 Kettering road |
Tibbits, Captain John Borlase D.L., J.P.
& Mary Isabella, Viscountess Hood |
Rothwell grange |
| Whiteman, Joseph (master) | Grammar school |
| Wilson, Rev. Augustus C. H. (unattached) | Spring villa,
Kettering road |
| COMMERCIAL |
| Adams, Wm | shopkeeper |
1 Evison rd |
| Ashby, Alfred | saddler |
High street
|
| Ashby, Mary (Mrs) | confectioner |
High street
|
| Austin, George | dairyman |
|
| Austin, Thomas | farmer |
|
| Bagshaw Mail | hairdresser |
Bridge st |
| Baker, George Wm. L.R.C.P. & S.Edin., L.F.P. & S.Glas. |
surgeon |
|
| Ball, William & Son Limited | agricultural implement
manufacturers |
|
| Ball, Hy. Geo. | confectioner |
28 High street
|
Barlow, Frederick
builder, brick & tile maker, contractor, carpenter & monumental
mason; |
| steam joinery works: |
Timber stores, Rushton station |
| Lime kilns |
Rushton |
| Brickyards |
Rothwell |
| monumental works & branch office |
Clarence road, Kettering |
| Barton, Fredk. | beer retailer |
4 Fox street
|
| Bartram, Stephen | dairyman |
|
| Bates, James | grocer |
Glendon road |
| Bishop, Charles Fleming | hair dresser |
32 High street |
| Blackwell, William | grocer |
Glendon rd. & Bridge street |
| Bland, Geo. E. | butcher |
28 Market hill |
| Bradley, Owen | blacksmith |
|
| Brown, Alfred | confectioner |
Market place |
| Brown, Jessie (Mrs.) | shopkeeper |
School lane |
| Buckby, Jn. jun. | builder & contractor |
|
| Burditt, James | relieving officer & registrar of births &
deaths for Rothwell district office hours 9 to 12 every tues. & sat. |
Bridge street |
| Buswell, M & Son, | plumbers, painters &c. |
Bridge street
|
| Buswell, Frederick | plumber &c. |
20 Bridge street
|
| Butlin, John Thomas & Son | boot & shoe manufacturers |
Kettering road
|
| Butlin, Walter Isaac | boot & shoe manufacturer |
Gordon street |
| Capital & Counties' Bank Lim. (agency) (Charles A. Simmons,
manager) open wed. & sat. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; |
draw on head office, London E C |
| Capp, William | shopkeeper |
|
| Carver, Emma (Mrs.) | grocer |
1 High street |
| Chamberlain, Carey Wm | boot & shoe manufacturer |
Crispin street
|
| Chamberlain, Edward | printer |
3 Market place |
| Chamberlain, Harry | shopkeeper |
4 Market place |
| Chater, William | farmer |
|
| Chettle, Griffith Roberts | Red Lion hotel |
|
| Clayson, Wm. J. | seedsman |
Bridge street |
| Clow, John | insurance agent |
12 Well street |
| Coltman, Ebenezer | The Bull's Head P.H. |
34 High street |
| Culpin, John | baker |
Rushton road
|
| Dimbleby, George | provision dealer & wheelwright |
27 Well street |
| Dixon & Fish | boot & shoe machinery manufacturers |
Market place |
| Dunkley, Ann (Mrs) | shopkeeper |
|
| Dunkley, W. Thomas | beer retailer & boot maker |
22 Kettering road |
| Dyke & Son | drapers & tailors |
Bridge street |
| Fifield & Palmer (Misses) | private school |
High street |
| Free Grammar School (Joseph Whiteman, master; Mrs.
Mary Jane Whiteman, mistress) |
Market hill |
| Free Library & Reading Room (Miss Tebbutt,
sec.) |
|
| Gamble, Silas & Sons | boot & shoe manufacturers |
31 High street |
| Gardner, Charles William | tailor |
Rushton road |
| Ginns & Son | stationers & printers |
Post office, High street |
| Guildford, Thos. Otho | butcher |
Bell hill |
| Gray, Arthur U. | assistant overseer & collector to the
urban district council |
Market place |
| Gray, William & Son | chemists & druggists |
Market place |
|
Hall, Harry |
farm bailiff to
Richard C Lane esq. |
37 high street |
| Hill, Wm | Shopkeeper |
16 Gladstone street |
| Hodge, Michael P | plumber |
Sun hill |
| Hooper & Sons | fishmongers |
High street |
| Hopkins, George | saddlers |
Bridge street |
| Hopkins, Tom Harry | cattle salesman |
Wales street |
| Horden, William | watch maker |
branch, 28 Bridge street |
| Jesson, William Ward | The Blue Bell P.H. |
Bell hill |
| Jesus Hospital (Thos. Lovell, princ.) |
|
| Johnson, John | grocer |
Wales street |
| Jones, David | boot & shoe maker |
19 Market hill |
| Jones, Owen | boot maker |
22 Bridge street |
| Joyce & Son | grocers & agents for
W & A Gilbey Lim. wine & spirit merchants |
Market place |
| Lane, Richard Charles | yeoman & maltster |
Desborough road |
| Leake, William | grocer |
|
| Leicestershire Banking Co. Limited (sub-branch from
Kettering) (Frank Berrill, manager & treasurer of Rothwell urban
district council); open wed. fri. & sat 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; draw on
London & Westminster Bank Limited London E C |
| Liner, Chas. | greengrocer |
Glendon road |
| Liner, William | brick maker |
|
| Loake, George | farm bailiff to Capt. John Borlase Tibbits
D.L., J.P. |
Grange farm |
| Markham, Julia (Mrs.) | pork butcher |
Bridge street |
| Marlow, Abraham | grocer |
Wales street |
| Marriott, Maria (Miss) | Crown inn |
High street |
| Mawby, Sarah (Mrs) | Woolpack P.H. |
Market hill |
| Midland Grocery Stores (Wm. John Edmonds, manager) |
Market place |
| Miller, Joseph | Boot maker & photographer |
|
| Moore, Harry | shopkeeper |
Wales street |
| Moore, John | blacksmith |
Glendon road |
| Moore, Jn. | shopkeeper |
63 Kettering road |
| Moore, Joseph (Mrs.) | tripe dresser |
|
| More, James M.D. surgeon,
& medical officer & public vaccinator, Rothwell district, Kettering
union & medical officer of health to the urban district council
& certifying factory.
Kettering road; & surgery at Desborough |
| Murdock, Richd. A. | grocer |
Market place |
| Needham, Isaac Sharman | builder & undertaker & school
attendance officer |
|
| Nobles, Chas. | shopkeeper |
11 Bridge street |
| Page, John | baker |
Gas street |
| Palmer, Charles John | butcher |
7 Bridge street |
| Palmer, Edith (Miss) | dressmaker |
60 Kettering road |
| Pearson, William T. | surveyor & sanitary inspector to the
urban district council, surveyor's office |
Market ho |
| Pentelow, Albt | tobacconist |
4 High street |
| Perkins, Ernest | Horse & Groom P.H. |
|
| Pollard, Robert | coal dealer |
|
| Randall, Serjeant | shopkeeper |
Wales street |
| Ringrose, Harry | butcher |
29 High street |
| Rothwell Boot & Shoe Co-operative Society (George
Poulton, sec) |
Little Wood street |
| Rothwell Coffee House Co. (Allen Jones, sec.) |
Market place |
| Rothwell Conservative Club (George Cleamus, sec.) |
|
Rothwell Co-operative Industrial Society Limited
(Charles Bosworth, sec.) |
Bell
hill, Bridge street
& Wales street |
Rothwell Gas Light, Coke & Coal Co. Limited
(Frederick Barlow, sec.) |
|
| Rothwell Odd Fellows' Hall (William Asher, sec.) |
Bridge street |
| Rothwell Odd Fellows' Society (William Asher, sec.) |
Bridge street |
Rothwell Working Men's Club & Institute Limited
(Frederick Bosworth, sec; Chas. Issett, steward) |
Bridge street |
| Sarjeant, Samuel | boot & shoe manufacturers |
23 High street |
| Slow, William | Sun inn |
Sunn hill |
| Smith, Joseph Philemon | ironmongers |
17 High street |
| Spendlove, James | grocer |
High street |
| Stanley, James | New inn |
Kettering road |
| Stiles, John | farmer |
Grange |
| Sumpter, Eli Thomas | Checquers inn |
Market place |
| Sumpter, Joseph (Mrs.) | beer retailer |
29 Glendon road |
| Symington, R. & W. H. & Co. Limited (branch) | stay
manufacturers
(Saml C Betts, manager) |
Gladstone street |
| Taffs, Alfred | beer retailer |
Sun hill |
| Taylor, John | tailor |
26 Bridge street |
| Thompson, Chas. | farmer |
Rothwell lo |
| Truss, William | fishmonger |
Market place |
| Tye, Matilda (Mrs.) | general dealer |
4 Glendon road |
| Wallis & Linnell (branch) | wholesale clothing
manufacturers |
|
| Warrington, Wm | shopkeeper |
Kettering road |
| Wells Bedford Brewery Co. Limited (Albert Pentelow,
agent) |
11 High street |
| Well, John & Son | wholesale & retail bread & flour
dealers |
|
| West, Fras. Thomas | draper |
Bridge street |
| Whiteman, Joseph | deputy registrar of births & deaths |
|
| Willis, Thomas | coal dealer |
Bridge street |
| Willis, Wm A | Greyhound P.H. |
High street |
| Yeomans, Austin | brush maker |
16 High street |
| York, Allen | baker |
|
| Young, Walter | butcher |
Sun hill |
| THORPE UNDERWOOD |
| Hall, Miss | |
| Clow, William | farmer |
| Stokes, John Northern | farm bailiff to Miss Hall |
| Thompson, Frederick | farmer |