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MARKET SQUARE
EVENTS
TAKE PART
Northampton’s Market Square is one of the oldest in England. Key dates in its history include:
1189 - Northampton received its first market charter allowing markets and fairs to be held on the ground east of All Saints.
1235 - Henry III forbade the selling of goods in the churchyard of All Saints and ordered that the market be moved to a space north of the church, its present site, the Market Square.
1264 - there was a rebellion against the King and a royalist army captured Northampton, which soon afterwards went into decline and by the 1300’s there were reports that many parts of the town were in ruins.
1516 - the town was destroyed by fire for the first time.
1530 - The Market Square was paved.
1675 - The Great Fire of Northampton devastated the Town Centre, destroying over 600 buildings in just six hours. It’s believed that local people raised around £25,000 – a massive sum of money then – towards rebuilding the town centre based around the Market Square. King Charles II is said to have donated 1,000 tons of timber from Salcey Forest, to aid the rebuild.
During the 16th and 17th Centuries strict legislation covered all aspects of trading. No foreign traders were allowed on the Square and it was compulsory for traders to remove their stalls and any rubbish by nightfall. Discord among females appears to have been rife and as order from the time states “ No butchers or fishmonger’s wife shall fall out with one another nor use or speak any evil or slanderous words or otherwise revile” Anyone who flouted the order was under the threat of the stocks or a three shilling fine.
17th Century - large-scale horse markets in the town were described by Daniel Defoe as ‘the centre of all horse markets and horse fairs in England’. They were held four times a year.
In 1761 for the Coronation celebrations of George III a large fat ox was roasted whole on the market square and was given away to the crowd along with several hogsheads of strong beer.
In 1820 George IV commanded that his birthday celebrations be held in April. The Northampton Volunteer Cavalry and the staff of the County Militia assembled on the Square and fired three volleys.
In 1828 one of the strangest events to take place on the Square was an attempted balloon ascent. It rose from the ground but failed to gain height and landed on the roof of a house in the southwest corner. The female aeronaut had to escape through an attic window.
1845 saw another unusual visitor to the Market Square, Mr Gyngell the tightrope walker and fireworks ‘expert’. He ascended a tightrope whilst holding two lit fireworks. Halfway up the rope he threw one of them into the watching crowd, hitting a Mrs E Smith in the face, causing her death.
In 1863 a cast iron fountain was presented to the town by a Captain Isaacs to commemorate the marriage of Prince Albert (later King Edward VII) to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The fountain stood until 1962.
1873 - The town’s cattle market was built. Before which, animals were penned and sold on the Market Square and the surrounding streets – hence the names of the Sheep Street and Marefair.
The Square was the scene of the Bradlaugh Riots. When the results of the 1874 election were read out, supporters of radical atheist Charles Bradlaugh shouted "fixed result", and started a brawl with the other candidates. Eventually the Lord Mayor read the Riot Act and soldiers fired shots over the heads of the crowd to disperse them.
In the 19th Century fun fairs offering the popular amusements of the day such as dancing bears, acrobats, jugglers and sideshows were regularly held on the Market Square. Steam driven Carousels and other rides also made appearances.
In 1913 King George V and Queen Mary (our present Queen's grandparents) visited the town where they where received on the Market Square.
In the 1930’s the Market Square was the venue for an open-air cinema. The films were used to enlist troops for the armed forces.
During the Second World War the square was used for War Weapon Weeks to raise money for Spitfires, Warships and Tanks.
WHAT'S ON
Saturday 13th March
Join Antiques2Go on the market square for 2010
Sunday 21st March
Sunday 11th April
The thriving 'affordable' art markets return to Northampton Market for 2010
