Oundle in 1812
By Julia Moss
In 1812 Oundle was a market town of just under 2000 inhabitants. The street plan has changed little since Tudor times. The great open fields surrounding the town had only just been enclosed and parcelled out to individual owners and as yet there had been no time to erect buildings on the newly allocated plots of land. Prior to enclosure, any new buildings which were required had to be erected on the narrow strips stretching back from the High Street and North Street to the lanes which run behind them. All the farmhouses were situated along the main street of the town as they still are in some of the surrounding villages.
The church of St. Peter dominated Oundle and many of the town’s finest buildings were already in place. The Talbot, at that time still an important coaching inn, was owned by John Smith the Brewer, whose business was expanding rapidly. Smith already owned much property in Oundle, including the White Lion and Bramston, where he himself lived. His brother Thomas rented Cobthorne from William Walcot, descendant of the Creeds and ran the Oundle Bank there. The Rectory (now the Water Board*) was occupied by William Wolcot and the Berrystead was owned by Thomas Hunt. The bookshop, distinguished by its fine colonnades, was owned by the grocer, Samuel Anthony. When John Claire came to Oundle he lodged next door to Samuel Anthony with the widow, Kitty Britchfield and her daughters at the Rose and Crown, one of Oundle's numerous public houses.
Although the external appearance of these buildings has changed little since 1812, the old prints of the town centre give a very different impression. The Butter Cross and Butchers Row soon disappeared, to be replaced by the “neat Market House” erected in 1826 by Jessie Watts Russell, the new Lord of the Manor. This new building formed part of a general scheme of improvement, in the course of which the whole town was “tidied up”; some houses were totally re-built, while others received a new and elegant facade. Now it is necessary to peer round the sides and backs of buildings to catch a glimpse of the old, irregularly built Oundle.
In 1812 the school buildings were far less extensive. The Master of the Grammar School, the Reverend John James, occupied the plain but elegant School House in the churchyard, which had been built in 1763. The School House with its recent extension was only a stone's throw from the School Room which formed the upper storey of Laxton’s old Almshouse. These were the only premises belonging to the school and they were rather cramped; the boys had nowhere to play except the churchyard. The tall school buildings, which are such a feature of New Street and Church Lane, all date from a later period. In 1812 New Street was lined with public houses including the White Hart and the Red Lion, where William Reachlous was landlord. Reachlous, who later moved to the Talbot, was a man of some importance in the town ; Aa the vestry meeting held in March 1812, he was appointed one of the two churchwardens.
At that time the Vestry played an important part in the government of the town. Its meetings were presided over by the vicar, the Reverend Charles Euseby Isham, who was resident at Polebrook, his other benefice. The Vestry’s responsibilities were wide and included such secular duties as the upkeep of the roads and the care of the poor. At their meetings the Vestry appointed the parish officers such as the surveyors of the highways and the Overseers of the Poor. Some of those in need received outdoor relief, while others became inmates of the town workhouse in High Street.
In many places, the Vestry was also responsible for appointing the constable; In Oundle however the constable was appointed by the Manorial Court, which in 1812 was presided over by Robert Sherard, acting a steward on behalf of Dame Anne Pocock, Lady of the Manor. The administration of the town was shared between the Vestry and the Manorial Court with the Justices of the Peace present in the background to provide a “back up” for the forces of law and order. The town had its own Bridewell and lock- up for law breakers.
In 1812 Oundle had long been a religious, educational and economic centre for the surrounding countryside. Since the late 16th century Oundle had had a strong Dissenting tradition and it is believed that the Independents built their own place of worship, the Great Meeting, as early as 1690. In 1812 this fine classical building was still in use and a few years earlier John Paine, a member of the congregation, had established an almshouse for Protestant Dissenters in the town adjacent to the manse. The Great Meeting was pulled down in 1864 and replaced by the Congregational Church, now the Stahl Theatre. By 1812 the Independents were not the only Dissenting group worshipping in Oundle; there were small numbers of Baptists and Methodists worshipping in the town. The year 1812 was an important one for education in Oundle -a new school was opened. The town already had two old established schools for boys, the Grammar School and the Blue Coat School in North Street, which formed part of Latham's Charity. Small private schools had opened and then after only a brief existence closed, but in 1812 John Smith leased a site for a school for “the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church”. This school, the National School, was the forerunner of Oundle Primary school.
The great variety of professions and trades listed in Pigot's Directory makes it clear that in the early nineteenth century Oundle was an important local centre. In 1812 Oundle included among its prominent citizens the bankers Thomas Smith and James Yorke, the attorney Robert Sherard and the doctor John Campion. At this time Smith’s Brewery was beginning to dominate the economic life of the town; It was the only large-scale business and John Smith already owned several of the licenced premises including the Talbot. As well as common trades such as those of saddler and bootmaker, Oundle had more unusual businesses like that of Mr Bell, whose advertisement claimed that he was a printer, bookbinder, bookseller and stationer as well as a supplier of a wide range of patent medicine. Like many small country towns of the time Oundle seems to have been remarkably self- sufficient. Links with the rest of the country were provided by the River Nene, frequent coach service to London and the local carriers, the Jinks brothers.
Julia Moss,
Oundle Historical Society 1990
(* The Rectory was owned by Anglian Water when this article was written. It is now the Gascoigne Building, owned by Oundle School)
By Julia Moss
In 1812 Oundle was a market town of just under 2000 inhabitants. The street plan has changed little since Tudor times. The great open fields surrounding the town had only just been enclosed and parcelled out to individual owners and as yet there had been no time to erect buildings on the newly allocated plots of land. Prior to enclosure, any new buildings which were required had to be erected on the narrow strips stretching back from the High Street and North Street to the lanes which run behind them. All the farmhouses were situated along the main street of the town as they still are in some of the surrounding villages.
The church of St. Peter dominated Oundle and many of the town’s finest buildings were already in place. The Talbot, at that time still an important coaching inn, was owned by John Smith the Brewer, whose business was expanding rapidly. Smith already owned much property in Oundle, including the White Lion and Bramston, where he himself lived. His brother Thomas rented Cobthorne from William Walcot, descendant of the Creeds and ran the Oundle Bank there. The Rectory (now the Water Board*) was occupied by William Wolcot and the Berrystead was owned by Thomas Hunt. The bookshop, distinguished by its fine colonnades, was owned by the grocer, Samuel Anthony. When John Claire came to Oundle he lodged next door to Samuel Anthony with the widow, Kitty Britchfield and her daughters at the Rose and Crown, one of Oundle's numerous public houses.
Although the external appearance of these buildings has changed little since 1812, the old prints of the town centre give a very different impression. The Butter Cross and Butchers Row soon disappeared, to be replaced by the “neat Market House” erected in 1826 by Jessie Watts Russell, the new Lord of the Manor. This new building formed part of a general scheme of improvement, in the course of which the whole town was “tidied up”; some houses were totally re-built, while others received a new and elegant facade. Now it is necessary to peer round the sides and backs of buildings to catch a glimpse of the old, irregularly built Oundle.
In 1812 the school buildings were far less extensive. The Master of the Grammar School, the Reverend John James, occupied the plain but elegant School House in the churchyard, which had been built in 1763. The School House with its recent extension was only a stone's throw from the School Room which formed the upper storey of Laxton’s old Almshouse. These were the only premises belonging to the school and they were rather cramped; the boys had nowhere to play except the churchyard. The tall school buildings, which are such a feature of New Street and Church Lane, all date from a later period. In 1812 New Street was lined with public houses including the White Hart and the Red Lion, where William Reachlous was landlord. Reachlous, who later moved to the Talbot, was a man of some importance in the town ; Aa the vestry meeting held in March 1812, he was appointed one of the two churchwardens.
At that time the Vestry played an important part in the government of the town. Its meetings were presided over by the vicar, the Reverend Charles Euseby Isham, who was resident at Polebrook, his other benefice. The Vestry’s responsibilities were wide and included such secular duties as the upkeep of the roads and the care of the poor. At their meetings the Vestry appointed the parish officers such as the surveyors of the highways and the Overseers of the Poor. Some of those in need received outdoor relief, while others became inmates of the town workhouse in High Street.
In many places, the Vestry was also responsible for appointing the constable; In Oundle however the constable was appointed by the Manorial Court, which in 1812 was presided over by Robert Sherard, acting a steward on behalf of Dame Anne Pocock, Lady of the Manor. The administration of the town was shared between the Vestry and the Manorial Court with the Justices of the Peace present in the background to provide a “back up” for the forces of law and order. The town had its own Bridewell and lock- up for law breakers.
In 1812 Oundle had long been a religious, educational and economic centre for the surrounding countryside. Since the late 16th century Oundle had had a strong Dissenting tradition and it is believed that the Independents built their own place of worship, the Great Meeting, as early as 1690. In 1812 this fine classical building was still in use and a few years earlier John Paine, a member of the congregation, had established an almshouse for Protestant Dissenters in the town adjacent to the manse. The Great Meeting was pulled down in 1864 and replaced by the Congregational Church, now the Stahl Theatre. By 1812 the Independents were not the only Dissenting group worshipping in Oundle; there were small numbers of Baptists and Methodists worshipping in the town. The year 1812 was an important one for education in Oundle -a new school was opened. The town already had two old established schools for boys, the Grammar School and the Blue Coat School in North Street, which formed part of Latham's Charity. Small private schools had opened and then after only a brief existence closed, but in 1812 John Smith leased a site for a school for “the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church”. This school, the National School, was the forerunner of Oundle Primary school.
The great variety of professions and trades listed in Pigot's Directory makes it clear that in the early nineteenth century Oundle was an important local centre. In 1812 Oundle included among its prominent citizens the bankers Thomas Smith and James Yorke, the attorney Robert Sherard and the doctor John Campion. At this time Smith’s Brewery was beginning to dominate the economic life of the town; It was the only large-scale business and John Smith already owned several of the licenced premises including the Talbot. As well as common trades such as those of saddler and bootmaker, Oundle had more unusual businesses like that of Mr Bell, whose advertisement claimed that he was a printer, bookbinder, bookseller and stationer as well as a supplier of a wide range of patent medicine. Like many small country towns of the time Oundle seems to have been remarkably self- sufficient. Links with the rest of the country were provided by the River Nene, frequent coach service to London and the local carriers, the Jinks brothers.
Julia Moss,
Oundle Historical Society 1990
(* The Rectory was owned by Anglian Water when this article was written. It is now the Gascoigne Building, owned by Oundle School)
