In the 11th century Northamptonshire was included in Tostig's northern earldom; but in 1o65, together with Huntingdonshire, it was detached from Northumbria and bestowed on Waltheof. The monastic foundation of Peterborough survived the Conquest. Norman castles existed at Rockingham, Barnwell, Lilbourne and Northampton. The shire is probably of Danish origin, represent ing in the loth century the area which owed allegiance to North ampton as a political and administrative centre. In 921 this area extended to the Welland, and at the time of the Domesday sur vey the boundaries were approximately those of the present day. Northamptonshire is first mentioned by name in the Historia Eliensis, in connection with events which occurred at the close of the loth century.
The Geld roll (William I.) and Domesday (1o86) mention 28 hundreds in Northamptonshire, and part of Rutland is assessed under this county. By 1316 the divisions were changed, re-named and reduced to 20, and have remained practically unaltered. The names of the hundreds point to primitive meeting-places gradu ally superseded by villages and towns, and the court for Fawsley hundred met under a large beech tree in Fawsley park until the beginning of the 18th century, when it was transferred to Everdon. The shire-court originally met at Northampton.
Northamptonshire was originally included in the diocese of Lin coln. The archdeaconry of Northampton is mentioned in the 12th century, and in 1291 included the deaneries of Peterborough, Northampton, Brackley, Oundle, Higham, Daventry, Preston, Weldon, Rothwell and Haddon. The diocese of Peterborough was created in 1541, and in 1875 the archdeaconry of Oakham was formed and included in this county the first and second deaneries of Peterborough and the deaneries of Oundle, Weldon and Higham Ferrers.
At the time of the Domesday survey the chief lay-tenant in Northamptonshire was Robert, earl of Mortain, whose fief es cheated to the Crown in 11o6. The estates of William Peverel, founder of the abbey of St. James at Northampton, also es cheated to the Crown in the 12th century. Holdenby House was built by Sir Christopher Hatton, privy councillor to Queen Eliza beth, and Yardley Hastings was named from the Hastings, for merly earls of Pembroke. Higham Ferrers was the seat of the Ferrers family; Braybrook Castle was built by Robert de Bray brook, a favourite of King John ; and Burghley House gave the title of baron to William Cecil. During the middle ages the Nene was a busy artery of trade, and many moated homesteads were built on its banks.
Northampton was a favourite meeting-place of the councils and parliaments of the Norman and Plantagenet kings. In 1215 John was besieged in Northampton Castle by the barons, and in Henry III. captured the castle from the younger Simon de Mont fort. During the Wars of the Roses Henry VI. was defeated at Northampton in 1460. In the Civil War of the 17th century the county declared almost unanimously for the parliament. A royal ist garrison was placed at Towcester by Prince Rupert in 1644, but almost immediately withdrawn.
In 1547 Brackley and Peterborough returned each two mem bers, and in 1557 Higham Ferrers returned one member. Under the act of 1832 the county returned four members in two divi sions, the above boroughs being merged in the county divisions. There are now four divisions with one member each, in addition to a member for the county division.
Architecture.—Of monastic foundations, the abbey-church of Peterborough, afterwards the cathedral, is the only remaining one of importance. At Geddington, and also at Hardingstone, near Northampton, there is an Eleanor cross, erected by Edward I. The
county is famous for its churches with beautiful broached spires. To the Saxon period belong the tower of Earls Barton church, on what is probably the mound of an old English strong-house; the tower, etc., at Brigstock; the ground plan, etc., at Wittering; the remarkable tower at Barnack ; and Brixworth church, by some be lieved to include part of a Roman basilica. Of Norman work, ex cluding Peterborough cathedral, the finest examples are St. Peter's and St. Sepulchre's, Northampton, and the tower of Castor church. St. Mary's church, Higham Ferrers, formerly collegiate, Early English and Decorated, is one of the finest churches in the county; the churches at Irthlingborough and Lowick, with their lantern towers, Warmington, fine Early English work, Rushden, Finedon, Raunds and Fotheringhay should be mentioned.
A gateway at Rockingham, and earth-works at Higham Ferrers and Brackley are worthy of mention. Some castellated ruins re main of the castle at Fotheringhay, famous as the scene of the imprisonment, trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Barn well castle, founded by William the Conqueror, is still a fine ruin, which includes four of the round towers and an imposing gateway. Holdenby manor house, where Sir Christopher Hatton (154o-1591) was born, and whence Charles I. was carried away by Cornet Joyce, is largely restored. Among ancient mansions are Castle Ashby, the seat of the Comptons ; Althorp, the seat of the Spencers; Drayton House; Burghley House, Stamford, founded by Lord Burleigh (1553) ; and Kirby Hall, a beautiful Eliza bethan building once the residence of Sir Christopher Hatton. Climate and Agriculture.—The climate of Northampton shire is mild, and it is drier than many other inland districts owing to its low elevation (rarely more than 700 ft.). The mean annual rainfall at Wellingborough is 27.2 inches. The soil is fertile, nearly nine-tenths of the surface being under cultivation. The Lias clay belt gives rise to good grazing, and 360,134 ac.—nearly three-fifths (1926)—were under permanent pasture. Large num bers of cattle (139,507 in 1926) are fattened, droves from Scot land, Ireland, Wales, Hereford being sent for that purpose. The selling of fat cattle for Christmas markets, sets the population free in winter for hunting, giving rise in the 18th century to the making of whips at Daventry, while the long winter evenings en couraged the use of the tobacco-pipe, made almost exclusively from Northampton clays. Easy access to hides and to bark for tanning in the forests originated an industry in leather, which flourished in Norman times, and, in the middle of the 17th cen tury Northampton began to specialize in the manufacture of boots and shoes, for which it has become famous. The difference in bulk between imported raw hides and exported finished boots and shoes creates an economic problem in connection with this trade. Good wheat can be grown on the boulder clay, and no less than one-sixth of the county is under grain. Beans form an important crop; root-crops are also grown ; sugar-beet is a fast developing industry (1,077 ac in 1926, as against 141 ac. in Sheep are kept in large numbers on the rich pastures, im proved Leicesters for wool and Southdown for mutton. Wool was important in Norman times; in the 17th century the centre of weaving changed from Northampton to Kettering. Charcoal burning was an early industry in the forests (Rockingham, etc.), mast from the oaks also feeding large numbers of pigs; these are still important. Paper-making, dependent on pure water, was introduced in the i8th century ; early in the i9th, silk-weaving spread from Coventry.