Mears Ashby is a village in the
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
of
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, England.
It lies between the county town of
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
and
Wellingborough
Wellingborough ( ) is a large market and commuter town in the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, 65 miles from London and from Northampton on the north side of the River Nen ...
and was in the West ward of
borough council of Wellingborough area which also included
Sywell prior to
local government reform in 2021. At the time of the
2011 census, it had a population of 473.
The villages name means '
Ash-tree
''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergreen ...
farm/settlement' or perhaps, 'Aski's farm/settlement'. The village was held by Robert de Mares in 1242.
Mears Ashby Hall and Estate
Located to the south of the village is Mears Ashby Hall, a fine Grade II* listed Jacobean Manor House. The Hall was built in 1637 and was owned by the Stockdale family (
Stockdale Baronets), who descend from the Yorkshire landowning family of the same name. In 1859 the East Wing by
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin (17 October 1799 – 17 December 1881) was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations. He restored castles and country ho ...
was added by Henry Stockdale. During the 1980s the Hall became known for performances of Operatic Music organised by Frederick Stockdale. The long association of the Stockdale family at Mears Ashby Hall ended when in the 1990s when the house was sold and
Hoddington House became the principal family residence. There are a number of windows in the village church commissioned by
Sir Edmund Stockdale by noted stained glass artist
Lawrence Lee
Lawrence Stanley Lee (18 September 1909 – 25 April 2011) was a British stained glass artist whose work spanned the latter half of the 20th century. He was best known for leading the project to create ten windows for the nave of t ...
which depict the family's links to the village.
Witchcraft
According to Westwood and Simpson in their book, ''The Lore of the Land'', the county in general and Mears Ashby, in particular, has a long tradition of witchcraft and accusations of
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
. In their book they recall that as late as 1785 a local inhabitant, Sarah Bradshaw, was so accused. We learn from the Northampton Mercury on 1 August 1785 that:
Thursday last, a poor woman, named Sarah Bradshaw of Mears Ashby...who was accused by some of her neighbours of being a witch, in order to prove her innocence, submitted to the ignominy of being dipped (on a ducking-stool); when she immediately sunk to the bottom of the pond; which was deemed an incontestable proof that she was no witch!
Further reading
*Northampton Mercury 1 August 1785
*The Lore of the Land - Westwood & Simpson - 2005 -
References
External links
Village websiteMears Ashby Cricket ClubMears Ashby HallMears Ashby Jackdaws Football ClubMears Ashby Parish Council
{{authority control
Villages in Northamptonshire
North Northamptonshire
Civil parishes in Northamptonshire
Witch trials in England