Kettering, a populous town, pleasantly situated on a small stream that runs into the Nen. The houses in general are well built, and the hall where the sessions for the district are held is a neat edifice. Here is a free school for all the boys belonging to the parish, supported by houses and lands of the yearly value of sixty pounds; here is also a small charity school for girls to learn to read, spin, and knit; and an hospital, for six poor widows. The church has a handsome tower and spire at the west end; the tower consists of three stories, in each of which are large windows, of several compartments: the angles are flanked with double buttresses; and at each corner is raised a small hexangular embattled turret, the whole being surmounted by a handsome hexagonal crocketed spire, with three windows, diminishing in their size upwards, on the alternate sides. The interior comprises a nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel: at the back of the screen, which divides the north aisle from the chancel, are the figures of a man, with four sons, and a female, with four daughters; over these is the following inscription in black letter: "Orate pro aiabus Willielmi Burgis et Johanne Alicie et Elizabeth uxorum ejus et animabus omnium benefactorum suorum, Amen. "Here is likewise inscribed the following quaint promise: "whoso redis mi name, shal have Godys blyssing and our lady; and my wyfis doo sey the same.

The manufacture of the town is sorting, combing, spinning, and weaving, of tammies, and lastings of different sorts, all of which are sold white as they come out of the looms. About 500 weavers are employed.

By the returns made to Parliament in the year 1821, the number of houses appears to have been 781, and inhabitants 3668, were reported as being employed in various trades. A weekly market is kept on Saturdays.

Kettering in the time of the Saxons was called Cytringan and Kateringes; and in the year 976 the lordship was granted by King Edwy to his servant Elfsige.

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KETTERING is a market and union town, head of a petty sessional division and countv court district, the river Ise forming part of the eastern boundary of the parish, which is in the Eastern division of the county, hundred of Huxloe, rural deanery of Weldon (second portion), archdeaconry of Oakham and diocese of Peterborough. The town is at the junction of the roads from Market Harborough, Stamford, Huntingdon, Newport Pagnell and Northampton, and is 14 miles north-east from Northampton, 11 south-east from Market Harborough, 7 north from Wellingborough and 75 from London. The Midland Railway Company (main line) has a station here, from which there are two lines northwards, one via Manton (a junction for Stamford and Peterborough), Oakham and Melton Mowbray to Nottingham; the other, via Leicester and Derby, to Manchester and Liverpool: there are also branch lines of this company to Thrapston, Huntingdon and Cambridge, and to Northampton. The town adopted the Local Government Act of 1858, March 4, 1873, but under the provisions of the Act of 1894 (56 and 57 Vict. c. 73), is now governed by an Urban. District Council of 18 members. Water Works were established in 1872, by a company incorporated under “The Companies Act, 1862” (25 and 26 Vict. c. 89), and a good supply of water is obtained from a spring in the parish of Weekley; there is a reservoir on the Rockingham road, and another, opened in 1893, in the Cransley valley, the requisite powers being afforded by the” Kettering Waterworks Act, 1889.” The town is lighted with gas by a company. The church of SS. Peter and Paul, which stands on high ground and presents a striking appearance as seen from the railway, is a large and handsome edifice of stone, chiefly in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel with chapels, clerestoried nave of six bays, aisles, south chantry, south porch and a lofty western tower of two stages, with embattled parapet and short octagonal turrets at the angles, also embattled, from within which rises an elegant octagonal crocketed spire with three tiers of dormer lights; the lower stage of the tower is panelled, and the belfry, lighted by triplets, contains a clock and 8 bells with chimes: the east window is stained, and there are several other stained windows to the church, including the west window overlooking the baptistery, inserted in 1893, at a cost of £320, as a memorial to the Rev. Canon Henry Lindsay M.A. late rector, 1863—92: the brass lectern was presented by Lady Elizabeth Villiers also as a memorial to the late rector: the fittings of the church are of oak: in 1893 a new organ was erected at a cost of £1,100: there are several mural tablets and floor stones dating from 1700: the interior of the church was completely restored in 1893, under the direction of Sir A. W. Blomfield M.A., A.R.A, at a cost of about £8,000: there are 1,200 sittings, all free. The register dates from the year 1637, and was written in Latin till 1650, when the English register commences. The living is a rectory, gross yearly value from 400 acres of glebe, £1,500, with residence, in the gift of George Lewis Watson esq. and held since 1898 by the Rev. Patrick Murray Smythe M.A. of Keble College, Oxford, and chaplain of Kettering union. The church of St. Andrew, in the Rockingham road, a chapel of ease to the parish church, was erected in 1870, at a cost of £4,500, and is a building of stone in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle and a turret containing one bell: the stained east window is a memorial to the Rev. Canon Henry Lindsay M.A. late rector, d. 1892, and was erected in 1893 at a cost of £200: the organ was renovated in 1893, at a cost of about £20: the church has been reseated and a clergy house erected: there are sittings for 500 persons. The church of St. Mary-the-Virgin, in Fuller street, is an edifice of stone, erected in 1893—5, at a cost of about £7,000, and will seat about 600 persons: the Rev. Fredk. Llewellyn Deane M.A. of Keble College, Oxford, is curate in charge. The Brook Street Mission Room, opened in 1894, is a building of brick with stone dressings, and cost £600. The Catholic church, in London road, and dedicated to St. Edward, is a plain edifice of red brick, erected in 1893, at a cost of £667, and affords 250 sittings: the Rev. Joseph Tonks is the resident priest; adjoining is a presbytery. There are also Congregational, Baptist, Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels. The Friends’ meeting house, in North Hall street, was rebuilt in 1868. The Congregational Sunday schools, in Meeting House lane, opened in 1884, at a cost of £3,400, are of red brick with Mansfield stone dressings.

The Cemetery, near the town, on the road to Barton Seagrave, was formed at a cost of £4,000, and consecrated 15th May, 1861, and in 1871 was enlarged at a further cost of £1,000; in 1894 it was again enlarged by 12 ½ acres, at a cost of about £5,000; and now comprises 17 ½ acres, with an elegant building surmounted by a spire and comprising mortuary chapels for the Church of England and Nonconformists; it is under the control of the Urban District Council.

The Town Hall and Corn Exchange, in the Market place, opened in 1862, is a structure of brick with stone facings, erected in 1853 from the designs of the late Mr. Francis Edmund Law, architect, of Northampton, at a cost of £2,950, and consists of a market room and a room used for concerts and public meetings. The Victoria Hall, owned by the Kettering Public Hall Company Limited, was erected in 1889, and will seat 1,200 persons; it has a stage platform and is also adapted for balls and banquets. The Temperance Hall, in Gold street, was opened in 1864. The Cattle Market, on the south side of the town, was opened in 1880, at a cost of about £8,000. The County Police Station, in London road, erected in 1851, was enlarged in 1894; the division includes Kettering and 38 villages. The fire-engine house is in Market street; there is one steam fire-engine and a manual engine; the building includes a house for the caretaker. The Church Institute and Working Men’s Club, in Gold street, established in 1877, has a library of 3,000 volumes, and reading and other rooms for the use of its 600 members and lady associates; H. Raby, secretary. The British. Women's Temperance Society, established in 1884, meets at the Toller Congregational chapel; president, Mrs. Wallis Wells. The London Road Hall, opened in 1891, is used by the Nonconformists. The Conservative Club, in Montagu street, opened 17 Dec. 1888, is a structure of red brick, erected from the designs of Mr. S. Perkins Pick, of Leicester, at a cost of about £2,600, and contains an assembly room, holding about 400 persons, billiard and smoke rooms, reading room, bar, and steward’s rooms: at the back is a bowling green, quoit ground and a skittle alley: there are about 500 members. The Liberal Club, in Dalkeith place, opened in 1889, is a building of Weldon stone and red brick, erected from designs by Messrs. Gotch and Saunders, of Kettering, at a cost, including site, of £3,400: it has spacious reading, billiard and refreshment rooms, and an assembly room holding about 200 persons: there are between 500 and 600 members. The Working Men’s Club, Wellington street, erected in 1887, at a cost of £3,500, contains a large assembly room, billiard and smoke rooms, a concert room seating 600, bar, and steward’s rooms: number of members, 710. Kettering Free Public Library, maintained at the Corn Exchange, was established in 1895, and opened March 2nd, 1896, and has over 2,500 volumes in circulation. There is a Town Band and a Working Men’s Club and Institute on the Rockingham Road. The principal manufactures of the town are boots, shoes, iron furnaces, brushes, stays and clothing; currying and leather dressing are also carried on. The principal hotels are the “Royal,” in the Market place, and the “George,” in Sheep street. There are four banks, viz.: the Leicestershire Banking Co. Lim. the Northamptonshire Union Bank Limited, the Stamford, Spalding and Boston Bank Limited, and the Capital and Counties Bank Limited. The in Co. of the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, is stationed in the town. The market, held on Fridays, was granted by charter of Henry HI. in 1227 to the Abbot and Monks of Peterborough, then lords of the manor; at the present day it is vested in the Kettering Urban Council. A yearly feast, lasting a week, commences on the first Sunday after St. Peter’s day. Four fairs are held, viz. on the Thursday before Easter, the Friday before Whit-Sunday, the Friday before the 11th of October and the Friday before St. Thomas’ day; a market is held in the cattle market off the London road for the sale of fat stock on Fridays. Kettering General Hospital, erected in 1896—7, from designs by Messrs. Gotch and Saunders, architects, at a cost of about £7,000, is a building of stone, opened Oct. 30, 1897, and is at present available for 10 male and 10 female patients: the site, which comprises four acres, was given by the Duke of Buccleuch. Kettering Hospitals for Infectious Diseases, on the Rockingham road, erected in 1886 and 1896, are structures of red brick, each consisting of two wards, one for either sex: the hospitals are now managed by the Kettering Joint Hospital Board of eight members, elected by the Kettering Urban and Rural District Councils. The Northamptonshire Baptist Provident Society, instituted at Kettering in 1813, for the widows and orphans of ministers and disabled or retiring ministers, now (1898) has a capital of £7,351 14s. 8d.; secretary, Mr. D. F. Gotch, Lower street. Almshouses for six aged women were erected in the Headlands by Edmund Sawyer, in 1688: the income of this charity is about £14 a year. Hunt’s charity of £49 yearly, derived from land left in 1674 by Edward Hunt, is for distribution, and some smaller sums are also distributed. The Church and Town allotment of 16 acres produces £67 yearly, £40 of which is appropriated for apprenticing and the remainder for other purposes. The Duke of Buccleuch K.G., K.T. and George Lewis Watson esq. D.L., J.P. of Rockingham Castle, are lords of the manor, besides which there is a manor attached to the rectory, of which the rector is lord. The principal landowners are the Duke of Buccleuch, G. L. Watson esq. Viscountess Hood and the rector. The soil is rich turnip land; subsoil is iron and limestone. The chief crops are wheat and barley.

The parish contains 2,812 acres; rateable value is £92,306; the population in 1871 was 7,184, in 1881 11,095 and in 1891, 19,454, including 110 officers and inmates in the workhouse.

Petty Sessions are held at the Police station every Wednesday at 11 a.m. The places in the Petty Sessional division are:-Barton Seagrave, Barford, Benefield Lawns, Broughton, Burton Latimer, Carlton East, Corby, Cottingham, Cranford St. John, Cranford St. Andrew, Cransley, Desborough, Draughton, Faxton, Geddington, Glendon, Grafton Underwood, Harrington, Kettering, Loddington, Mawsley, Middleton, Newton-in-the-Willows, Oakley (Great), Oakley (Little), Orton, Pytchley, Rockingham, Rothwell, Rushton, Stanion, Thorpe Malsor, Warkton, Weekley, Weldon (Great), Weldon (Little).

VOLUNTEERS

1st Volunteer Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment (M Co.), Capt. James W. Fisher, commanding; Harry Butlin, lieutenant; Colour-Sergeant William Osmond, drill instructor.

Ambulance.

Charles W. Lane, local hon. sec. Kettering Centre & Ambulance Corps, George street.

Kettering Union

Board day alternate mondays at the Union Workhouse at 11 a.m.

The union comprises the following places, viz.:-Barford, Barton Seagrave, Beanfield Lawns, Broughton, Burton Latimer, Corby, Cottingham, Cranford St. Andrew, Cranford St. John, Craesley, Desborough, East Carlton, Geddington, Glendon, Grafton Underwood, Great Oakley, Great Weldon, Harrington, Kettering, Little Oakley, Little Weldon, Loddington, Middleton, Newton, Orton, Pytchley, Rothwell, Rushton, Stanion, Thorpe Malsor, Warkton & Weekley. The population of the union in 1891 was 36,265; area, 55,715 acres; rateable value in 1898, £185,816.

Clerk to the Guardians & Assessment Committee, Charles William Lane, George street, Kettering.

Workhouse, London road, built in 1837 of stone, at a cost of £6,000, to hold 150 inmates; a new Infirmary & Laundry was erected in 1897, including the site, at the cost of £10,000.

Places of Worship, with times of services

SS. Peter and Paul, Parish Church, Rev. Patrick Murray Smythe M.A. rector; Revs. Edwd. McGowan Benson B.A.; Edward Henry Brodhurst M.A.; Gilbert H. Cass B.A. Arthur Ivan Greaves B.A.; Walter H. Hallowes B.A. curates; 10.30 a.m. 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.; morning prayer, 7.30 a.m.; wed. & fri. 10 a.m. & 7.30 p.m.

St. Andrew’s Church, Rockingham rd. Rev. Guy Landon M.A. (curate in charge), 10.30 a.m. & 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.; daily, 7.30 p.m.

St. Mary’s Church, Stamford road, Rev. Frederick L. Deane M.A. (curate in charge), 11 a.m. & 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.; daily, 7.45 p.m.

St. Edward’s (Catholic), London road, Rev. Joseph Tonks, resident priest; 8.30 & 11 a.m.; 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.; thursday, 8 p.m.

Church Room, Alexandra street, 6 p.m. & occasional week-day services.

Friends’ Meeting House, Northall street, Sunday, 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; thursday, 11 a.m.; adults’ school, Sunday, 2 p.m.; Charles Blunsom, clerk to the meeting.

Baptist (Fuller), Gold street, Rev. T. Phillips B.A.; 10.30 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; wed. 7 p.m.

Baptist, Nelson street, Rev. D. John; 10.45 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; thurs. 8 p.m.

Baptist (Particular), Wadcroft, 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; wed. 7.30 p.m.

Congregational (Toller), Gold street (no permanent minister); 10.30 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; wed. 7.30 p.m.

Congregational (New), Stamford road; Rev. William Blunt Lee, 10.45 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; thurs. 7.15 p.m.

Primitive Methodist, Grange road, 11 a.m. 2.30 & 6.15 p.m.; wed. 7 p.m.

Wesleyan, Silver st. 10.30 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; thurs. 7.30 p.m.

Wesleyan, Rockingham road, 10.30 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; Tuesday, 7.30 p.m.

Salvation Army Barracks, Upper Field street; 10.45 a.m. & 2.30 & 6.15 p.m.; 8 p.m. week days.

Victoria Hall Wesleyan Town Mission, Gold street, 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.

Schools

Grammar, Gold street, rebuilt & enlarged in 1856, at a cost of £1,674, raised by public subscription; the school has an endowment of land & house property, producing a gross rental of nearly £700 yearly, & is managed by a body of governors; James Herbert Gill B.A. of St. John’s College, Cambridge, headmaster; C. W. Stringer, clerk to the governors.

Board Schools

A School Board of 9 members was formed on May 12, 1890; Frederick William Bull, High street, clerk to the board.

Park road (mixed), erected in 1897, & opened April, 1898, for 640 mixed children.

Stamford road (mixed & infants), erected in 1891—2, & opened in Dec. 1892 by the Rt. Hon. A. H. D. Acland, for 1,107 children; average attendance, 660 (mixed), 450 (infants).

Hawdhorn road (infants), erected in 1894—5 & opened in May, 1895, for 220 infants; average attendance, 98.

Rockingham road (mixed &. infants), erected in 1893—1894, for 660 mixed & 480 infants; average attendance, 580 mixed & 450 infants.

British (mixed & infants), School lane, built in 1834, for 236 mixed & 122 infants; average attendance, 210 mixed & 115 infants.

National Schools

Horse market (boys), built in 1872, at a cost of £1,500, for 367 boys, &. has a full average attendance.

Church room, Alexandra street (girls), for 250 girls; average attendance, 220.

Market hill (upper girls), for 140 girls; average attendance, 107.

St. Andrew’s (mixed), St. Andrew’s street, built in 1884, at a cost of £1,200, for 400 children; average attendance, 341.

Church walk (infants), built in 1820, for 250 children; average attendance, 203.

North end (infants), built in 1859, at a cost of £900, for 199 children; average attendance, 197.

Buccleuch street (infants), built in 1876, at a cost of £350, for 200 children; average attendance, 111.

St. Mary’s (girls & infants), Fuller street, now (1898) in course of erection, to be opened in 1899 for 360 girls & 360 infants.