Desborough
Description

Contents

• Location
• Population
• Employment
• Church and Chapel
• Schools
• Traders
• Sources

---

Location

View Larger Map

The parish of Desborough is bounded by the parishes of Brampton and Stoke Albany in the north, Braybrook, Harrington, and Pipewell in the east, and the Ise or Isebrook in the south, dividing it from Rothwell. It was a member of the poor law union of Kettering, and part of the hundred of Rothwell. By 1876 Desborough had its own railway station.

Population

Year	Population
1801	831
1831	988
1841	1,388
1851	1,350
1876	c. 1,500
1881	2,060

Employment

In 1848, a little under a quarter of the population was employed in weaving silk-shag and worsted, and a further quarter, made up of women and children, were employed in making lace and winding cotton. [source: Topographical]

Desborough was also described as "formerly a considerable place for the manufacture of silk plush for hats, usually employing about 500 hands, but for some time past, this branch has been in a depressed state." [source: Whellan]

[1854] "The manufacture of lace and velvet gives employment to a great many hands." [source: Post Office Directory]

[1890] "The manufacture of boots, shoes, stays, clothing, and the raising of iron ore gives employment to a great many hands." [source: Kelly]

Church, Chapel and Charity

The parish church is the church of St Giles, the earliest part dating back to the 1300s.

In 1834 Mrs Mary Biggs, of Desborough, left £238, the interest of which was to be given in prizes and rewards to the children of the Sunday School

By 1854 there were two non-conformist chapels: one Baptist and one Wesleyan. Cave's charity of £5 was attached to the Wesleyan chapel.

By 1876 there was also a Congregational chapel.

Schools

By 1854 Desborough had both a British School, Ebenezer Burditt, master; and a National School, erected in 1841, Richard Edward Saunders, master.

A School Board of 5 members was formed in 1878, and the board school (mixed & infants), with a master's residence, was built at a cost of about £3,500, for 133 boys, 133 girls and 147 infants; Henry Wallis, master; Miss J Ward, mistress; Miss Wilkie, infants' mistress.  James Marlow was the attendance & inquiry officer.

A (second? replacement?) national school (mixed), was built in 1885, at a cost of about £600, for 90 children. Miss Lizzie Smith, mistress.

Traders

Name	Trade	1854	1876	1890
Aprice John	farmer	*	*
	general carter & coal dealer			*
Ashby Robert	blacksmith		*
	Talbot P.H.			*
Asher Ann (Mrs.)	draper			*
Asher Joseph	grocer		*
Baines William	baker	*	*
Ball John	blacksmith			*
Batling Alfred This	watch & clock maker			*
Bennett Charles	shopkeeper			*
Biddles, West, and Co.	coal merchants		*
Bird John George	grocer & draper, & agent for W. & A. Gilbey, wine & spirit merchants			*
Bird Samuel	ironmonger			*
Bland Thomas H.	miller		*
Blunsome Burditt	baker		*
Blunsom Henry	baker	*		*
Bosworth John	"New Inn"			*
Bosworth Thomas	"New Inn"		*
Buckby Elizabeth Jane (Mrs.)	grocer			*
Buswell Richard	blacksmith	*
Cave Elizabeth (Mrs.)	farmer	*
Chater Joseph Woolston	farmer			*
Cheaney Caroline (Mrs.)	shopkeeper			*
Cheaney Joseph	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer			*
Cheney William	farmer	*
Cheney (Mrs.)	farmer & landowner		*
Clarke Chas	carpenter & wheelwright	*
Clarke Thomas	farmer			*
Coe Henry	beer retailer			*
Coe John	shopkeeper & beer retailer			*
Coe Leonard	"Talbot Inn"		*
Coe Matthew	Sexton			*
Coe Nathaniel	shopkeeper		*
Cooper Charles	"George" P.H.			*
Crick Jane (Mrs.)	farmer	*
Crick Joseph	farmer		*
Crick Joshua	"King's Arms Inn"		*
Crick Thomas	butcher			*
Crick William	grocer	*	*
	grocer & rate collector			*
Curtis Thomas	farmer		*
	farmer, The Grange			*
Dawkins Joseph	wheelwright		*
Dawkins Joseph, sen	builder			*
Dawkins Joseph	beer retailer & shopkeeper			*
Deacons Jonathan & Sons	wheelwrights	*
Dillon Charles	shopkeeper			*
Dinas Joseph Allan	"Angel" P.H. & butcher			*
Driver William	farmer	*
Eales Eliza (Mrs.)	grocer			*
Eaton George	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer. Ashby's yard; & at Rothwell			*
Emery George	grocer & draper	*
Essex Jane (Mrs.)	'King's Arms'	*
Evans and Co	boot and shoe manufacturers		*
Exton & Bridgewater	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers			*
Feakin Charles	shopkeeper			*
Fish William	grocer & draper	*
Fitzhugh John	butcher & vict. "Angel Inn"		*
Foster John	tailor			*
Foster Robert	tailor	*
Foster and Son	tailors		*
Freer Miller	general dealer			*
Gadsly Thomas	secretary, Desborough Building Society			*
Gibbons Henry M.B., C.M.	surgeon			*
Ginns John	baker		*
	baker & shopkeeper			*
Ginns John	grocer			*
Ginns Mark	shopkeeper			*
Goodman George	hair dresser			*
Groocock George	boot & shoe maker			*
Harris John	maltster & farmer	*
Hief Julius Rudolf	watch & clock manufacturer			*
Humfrey Richard	farmer, grazier & maltster		*
	maltster, grazier & corn merchant			*
Jesson W.W.	"George Inn"		*
Jones Daniel	carpenter	*	*
Jones Daniel	carpenter & wheelwright			*
Kendall Rowland Underwood	hairdresser & tobacconist			*
Kilborn Charlotte (Mrs.)	milliner & dress maker			*
Kilborn Herbert	butcher		*	*
Kilborn Robert	farmer	*
Kilborn Samuel	'George', butcher & farmer	*
Kilborn Thomas	butcher	*	*
Kilborn Thomas Rt.	plumber & glazier			*
Leago John	market gardener			*
Liner Chas.	farmer & brick & tile manufacturer			*
Linton Alfred	carpenter & building			*
Linton Elizabeth (Mrs.)	dress maker			*
Litchfield William	New inn	*
Manger Joseph	fishmonger			*
Marlow George	shopkeeper			*
Marlow Jesse	secretary, Desborough Industrial & Provident Co-operative Soc. Lim.			*
Marlow Joseph	shopkeeper		*
Marlow Robert	grindery dir. & shopkeeper			*
Marlow Thomas	ironmonger, grocer, &c.		*
Marlow & Son	printers, grocers & news agents, Post office (Thomas Marlow: Post Master)			*
Mitchell Richard	farmer	*	*
More James M.D.	surgeon, surgery; & at Rothwell			*
Morris Alfred	grocer			*
Morris Francis	chemist & druggist		*
Nichols, Evans & Clow	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers			*
Page Clarke	general dealer			*
Page George	boot & shoe manufacturer	*
Page Hiram	shopkeeper & chimney sweeper			*
Page Owen	boot & shoe maker			*
Pain James	miller		*
Palmer Dixon	manager, Desborough Gas Co.			*
Panter James	baker		*
Riley Benjamin	boot & shoe manufacturer		*
	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer			*
Robinson George	'Talbot'	*
Shaw William	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer			*
Slow Sarah (Mrs.)	haberdasher			*
Snow and Bennett	boot & shoe manufacturers		*
Sumner G Ward	farmer & landowner		*
Sumner George	farmer & horse dealer			*
Sumner James	farmer	*
Symington R. & W.H. & Co,	stay manufacturers			*
Tailby George	beer retailer & butcher	*
	butcher		*
Tailby John	'Swan'	*
Tailby William (Tailby William W)	butcher	*
	butcher & vict. "Swan Inn"		*
	"Swan" P.H. & butcher			*
Tailby William, jun.	butcher & farmer			*
Tailby William, sen.	farmer	*	*
Toone Benjamin & Co.	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers			*
Thompson Samuel	silk manufacturer	*
Turner Henry	butcher	*
Turner Samuel	market gardener		*
Turner William & Edward	wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers			*
Turner Samuel	florist & market gardener			*
West & Church	coal, coke & lime merchants			*
West Thomas	shopkeeper			*
Wilford Ann	shopkeeper		*
Wood John	general carter			*
Yeomans George	coal dealer			*
Yeomans J	grocer, draper, &c.		*
Yeomans J. and E.	blacksmith, &c.		*
Yeomans Joseph	blacksmith			*
Yeomans Montagu	shopkeeper			*

By 1890 there was a sub-branch of the Stamford, Spalding & Boston Banking Company Limited, open wed. & sat. from 9:30 am to 12:30pm

Sorted by trade

Trade	Name	1854	1876	1890
baker	Baines William	*	*
baker	Blunsome Burditt		*
baker	Blunsom Henry	*		*
baker	Ginns John		*
baker & shopkeeper	Ginns John			*
baker	Panter James		*
beer retailer	Coe Henry			*
beer retailer & butcher	Tailby George	*
beer retailer & shopkeeper	Dawkins Joseph			*
blacksmith	Ashby Robert		*
blacksmith	Ball John			*
blacksmith	Buswell Richard	*
blacksmith, &c.	Yeomans J. and E.		*
blacksmith	Yeomans Joseph			*
boot & shoe maker	Groocock George			*
boot and shoe manufacturers	Evans and Co		*
boot & shoe manufacturers	Snow and Bennett		*
boot & shoe manufacturer	Page George	*
boot & shoe maker	Page Owen			*
boot & shoe manufacturer	Riley Benjamin		*
builder	Dawkins Joseph, sen			*
butcher & vict. "Angel Inn"	Fitzhugh John		*
butcher	Kilborn Herbert		*	*
butcher	Kilborn Thomas	*	*
butcher	Tailby George		*
butcher	Tailby William	*
butcher & vict. "Swan Inn"	Tailby William		*
butcher & farmer	Tailby William, jun.			*
butcher	Turner Henry	*
carpenter & wheelwright	Clarke Chas	*
carpenter	Jones Daniel	*	*
carpenter & wheelwright	Jones Daniel			*
carpenter & building	Linton Alfred			*
chemist & druggist	Morris Francis		*
coal, coke & lime merchants	West & Church			*
coal dealer	Yeomans George			*
coal merchants	Biddles, West, and Co.		*
draper	Asher Ann (Mrs.)			*
dress maker	Linton Elizabeth (Mrs.)			*
farmer	Aprice John	*	*
farmer	Cave Elizabeth (Mrs.)	*
farmer	Chater Joseph Woolston			*
farmer	Cheney William	*
farmer & landowner	Cheney (Mrs.)		*
farmer	Clarke Thomas			*
butcher	Crick Thomas			*
farmer	Crick Jane (Mrs.)	*
farmer	Crick Joseph		*
farmer	Curtis Thomas		*
farmer, The Grange	Curtis Thomas			*
farmer	Driver William	*
farmer, grazier & maltster	Humfrey Richard		*
farmer	Kilborn Robert	*
farmer & brick & tile manufacturer	Liner Chas.			*
farmer	Mitchell Richard	*	*
farmer & landowner	Sumner G Ward		*
farmer & horse dealer	Sumner George			*
farmer	Sumner James	*
farmer	Tailby William, sen.	*	*
fishmonger	Manger Joseph			*
florist & market gardener	Turner Samuel			*
general carter & coal dealer	Aprice John			*
general dealer	Freer Miller			*
general carter	Wood John			*
general dealer	Page Clarke			*
grocer	Morris Alfred			*
grindery dir. & shopkeeper	Marlow Robert			*
grocer	Crick William	*	*
grocer & rate collector	Crick William			*
grocer	Eales Eliza (Mrs.)			*
grocer	Asher Joseph		*
grocer & draper, & agent for W. & A. Gilbey, wine & spirit merchants	Bird John George			*
grocer	Buckby Elizabeth Jane (Mrs.)			*
grocer & draper	Emery George	*
grocer & draper	Fish William	*
grocer	Ginns John			*
grocer, draper, &c.	Yeomans J		*
haberdasher	Slow Sarah (Mrs.)			*
manager, Desborough Gas Co.	Palmer Dixon			*
hair dresser	Goodman George			*
hairdresser & tobacconist	Kendall Rowland Underwood			*
ironmonger	Bird Samuel			*
ironmonger, grocer, &c.	Marlow Thomas		*
maltster & farmer	Harris John	*
maltster, grazier & corn merchant	Humfrey Richard			*
market gardener	Leago John			*
market gardener	Turner Samuel		*
miller	Bland Thomas H.		*
miller	Pain James		*
milliner & dress maker	Kilborn Charlotte (Mrs.)			*
plumber & glazier	Kilborn Thomas Rt.			*
printers, grocers & news agents, Post office (Thomas Marlow: Post Master)	Marlow & Son			*
Talbot P.H.	Ashby Robert			*
"New Inn"	Bosworth John			*
"New Inn"	Bosworth Thomas		*
"Talbot Inn"	Coe Leonard		*
"George" P.H.	Cooper Charles			*
"King's Arms Inn"	Crick Joshua		*
"Angel" P.H. & butcher	Dinas Joseph Allan			*
'King's Arms'	Essex Jane (Mrs.)	*
"George Inn"	Jesson W.W.		*
'George', butcher & farmer	Kilborn Samuel	*
New inn	Litchfield William	*
'Talbot'	Robinson George	*
'Swan'	Tailby John	*
"Swan" P.H. & butcher	(Tailby William W)			*
secretary, Desborough Building Society	Gadsly Thomas			*
secretary, Desborough Industrial & Provident Co-operative Soc. Lim.	Marlow Jesse			*
Sexton	Coe Matthew			*
shopkeeper	Bennett Charles			*
shopkeeper	Cheaney Caroline (Mrs.)			*
shopkeeper & beer retailer	Coe John			*
shopkeeper	Coe Nathaniel		*
shopkeeper	Dillon Charles			*
shopkeeper	Feakin Charles			*
shopkeeper	Ginns Mark			*
shopkeeper	Marlow George			*
shopkeeper	Marlow Joseph		*
shopkeeper & chimney sweeper	Page Hiram			*
shopkeeper	Yeomans Montagu			*
shopkeeper	West Thomas			*
shopkeeper	Wilford Ann		*
silk manufacturer	Thompson Samuel	*
stay manufacturers	Symington R. & W.H. & Co,			*
surgeon	Gibbons Henry M.B., C.M.			*
surgeon, surgery; & at Rothwell	More James M.D.			*
tailor	Foster John			*
tailor	Foster Robert	*
tailors	Foster and Son		*
watch & clock maker	Batling Alfred This			*
watch & clock manufacturer	Hief Julius Rudolf			*
wheelwright	Dawkins Joseph		*
wheelwrights	Deacons Jonathan & Sons	*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer	Cheaney Joseph			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer. Ashby's yard; & at Rothwell	Eaton George			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers	Exton & Bridgewater			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers	Nichols, Evans & Clow			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer	Riley Benjamin			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturer	Shaw William			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers	Toone Benjamin & Co.			*
wholesale boot & shoe manufacturers	Turner William & Edward			*

 

Sources

1. A Topographical Dictionary of England [1848]
   
2. History, gazetter, and directory of Northamptonshire by Whellan Francis and co [1849]
   
3. Post Office Directory of Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire; with Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Huntingdonshire. [1854]
   
4. J.G. Harrod & Co.'s Royal County Directory of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Northamptonshire. [1876]
   
5. Kelly's Directory of Northamptonshire. [1890]
   

---

Page last updated: 30th November 2007
Copyright © L Ellis