| Date |
Event Related to Towcester |
| 1800 |
Grand Junction Canal opened. |
| 1800 |
Towcester had a theatre with a pit. |
| 1801 |
There were 424 houses and 2030 inhabitants in the parish. (Baker p.324) |
| 1801 |
Simon Adams built an additional Almshouse to add to Bickerstaffes. |
| 1801 |
Phipps first brewery built at Towcester. Malthouse Court now stands on its site. |
| 1809 |
Wesleyan Methodists erect chapel in street leading to Brackley. It was 40' long and 29'6" wide with gallery on the north side and a house for the minister attached. (Baker p.324) |
| 1811 |
There were 465 houses and 2245 inhabitants in the parish. (Baker p.324) |
| 1815 |
Bickerstaffe Almshouses rebuilt. (Baker p.337) |
| 1815 |
Jenkinson's bank acquired by Percivals Bank of Northampton. (anon) |
| 1815 |
"Holyhead Road" Acts. The route was improved by Telford as a long distance coach route for the Irish Mail. |
| 1821 |
There were 529 houses and 2554 inhabitants in the parish. (Baker p.324) |
| 1821-2 |
A fire occurred in Towcester. (NM). |
| 1825/6 |
Dolphin Inn shut up. (NM) |
| 1830 |
Northamptonshire landowners met at the White Horse Inn, Towcester in December 1830 to consider the project for a railway from London to Birmingham and voiced their objections. (NRO: YZ3264 Box 1380) |
| 1830 |
Towcester had 3 Inns, 16 taverns and public houses. |
| 1831 |
There were 542 houses and 2671 inhabitants in the parish. (Baker p.324) |
| 1835 |
A Poor Union centred on Towcester was established for 23 parishes. A Union Workhouse was constructed for up to 200 inmates to the designs of George Gilbert Scott. It was built using oolite stone from Foxcote and cost £500. (Baker p.312) |
| c.1835 |
The Inns in the town were The White Horse, The Bell, The Dolphin, another Dolphin, The Angel, The Talbot, The Saracen's Head and The Red Lion. |
| 1836 |
A gallery added to the church making it capable of seating 1176 people; 678 of the seats were free. |
| 1836 |
The chancel of St Lawrence's Church was lowered to be same level as the nave and Archdeacon Sponne's grave broken into. His skeleton lay perfect and then fell to dust. Chancel seated up. (NRO: Towcester burials register 1842-1872) |
| 1837 |
Rough stone tramways were laid up the hills to north of Towcester to aid coach travel. The work employed 300 men under direction of George Savage of Stoke Bruerne. (NDR 30/7/1889) |
| 1838 |
The Towcester Gas Company was formed in 1837 and the town streets were lit by 35 gas lamps. (Whellan 1874 p. 548) |
| 1840 February |
Floods (NM) |
| 1840 |
Directory of trades - basket makers,, booksellers / stationers,Woolstaplers, watch makers, silk stocking manufacture, maltsters, cabinet makers (Pigot's directory) |
| 1841 |
The White Horse Inn was sold. This posting house had 7 parlours, 18 bedrooms, water closets and stabling for 50 horses.(NRO: HT/A/299). The site is now known as White Horse Yard or Museum Court. |
| 1845 |
The Congregational Chapel was built. |
| 1850 |
Towcester reading society founded (Kelly's directory 1854) |
| 1851 |
National School built for £1100, average attendance 150. (Whellan 1874 p.350) |
| 1851 |
The population including hamlets was 2,665. (Kelly's directory) |
| 1852 |
A Police Station was built with accommodation for an inspector and two constables. A Magistrates Court was also built. (Whellan 1874 p.352). The Police Station was rebuilt on the same site in 1936. |
| 1853 October |
Independent chapel (stone) built (Kelly's directory 1854) |
| 1854 |
Cholera epidemic. Occupants of the dilapidated houses around the churchyard suffered greatly. (NH 5/9/1885) |
| 1854 |
Vicarage House (Rectory) was fitted with a water closet (Law's plan) |
| 1854 20th October |
The October Fair was noted for the large quantities of onions brought for sale. The town contained several maltings and one large brewery. At Mr Harfurts is a book club, theological library and reading room. The principal manufacture is of pillow lace and shoes. (Kelly's directory 1854) |
| c.1855 |
Thomas Ridgway, thought to be the tea magnate, offered to build houses for the poor if Lord Pomfret would provide the land. The first houses were built in Brackley Road. Later another 12 houses were built forming Queens terrace, followed by 14 houses forming Albert Terrace. Ridgway erected about 50 houses at a cost of £6-7000. Rents were 5% of outlay. Improved health, comfort and social conditions for the poor. (NH 5/9/1885) |
| c.1856 |
A sewer was built at cost of £400 at the south end of town to improve sanitary conditions after the cholera outbreak. It drained into the Tove (Newspaper article dated 22/1/1876 "The Towcester Floods"). |
| 1865 |
The Town Hall & Corn exchange was built at a cost of £3600. The Hall accommodated 400 people. |
| 1866 |
The Blisworth to Towcester railway line was opened and Towcester Station built. A large number of Roman coins were found during the construction. |
| 1866 |
Towcester Grammar School was closed down after failing an inspection by the Endowed Schools Inquiry Commission. |
| 1870 |
The Infant School was built at a cost of £360. The average attendance 150. (Whellan 1874 p.350) |
| 1872 |
Towcester to Cockley Brake Junction (Banbury) opened. |
| 1873 |
Inhabitants of Towcester were chiefly employed in the manufacture of shoes and boots. The lace trade continues. (Whellan 1874 p.548) |
| 1873 |
Towcester to Stratford on Avon railway line was opened. |
| 1876 |
The brook at the lower end of the town was straightened. People kept boards and clay handy to stop up crevices on the ground floor in case of flooding. (Newspaper cutting 15/5/1907). The former river channel from "The Broadwater" weir along the ancient water course was known as Dingley Gate to Twitckett's Mill tail. |
| 1877 |
The Baptist Chapel was erected in the High Street. (Kelly's directory 1898) |
| 1878 |
Ex Queen of Naples stayed at Park View. |
| 1885 |
The Church cemetery was closed. (Kelly's directory 1940) |
| 1886 |
A new cemetery was formed in Brackley Road. (Kelly's directory 1924) |
| 1890 |
Towcester Grammar School reopened on the Brackley Road with 33 boys under headmaster Mr John Wetherell M.A.. |
| 1892 |
Towcester to Ravenstown Wood Junction railway opened. |
| 1898 |
The town was supplied with water from Dockwell Mill reservoir. The Churchyard was enlarged by half an acre by Earl of Pomfret. A malting and a brewery existed. The Grafton Hunt steeple chases were held on Easter Monday. |
