NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, a county of England, is situ-
ated in the very heart of the kingdom: bounded on
the east by the counties of Bedford and Huntingdon;
on the south by those of Buckingham and Oxford;
on the west by Warwickshire; and on the north by
the counties of Leicester, Rutland, and Lincoln, which
are separated from it by the Lesser Avon, and the
Welland. Its greatest length is about 50 miles, its
greatest breadth about 20, and its circumference about
130. It contains 330 parishes. There are in it one
city, 11 market towns, 25,000 houses, and 131,757
inhabitants. Nine members are returned to parliament
for this county, viz. two knights for the shire, two for
the city of Peterborough, two for each of the towns of
Northampton and Brockly, and one for Higham Fer-
rers. It lies in the midland circuit, and in the diocese
of Peterborough. As this county is dry, well culti-
vated, free from marshes, except the fens about Peter-
borough, in the centre of the kingdom, and of course at
a distance from the sea, it enjoys a very pure and whole-
some air. In consequence of this it is very populous,
and so full of towns and churches, that 30 spires or
steeples may be seen in many places at one view; and
even in the fens, the inhabitants seem to enjoy a good
state of health, and to be little affected by the water
which frequently overflows their grounds, especially in
winter, but is never suffered to remain long upon it.
Its soil is exceeding fertile both in corn and pasturage;
but it labours under a scarcity of fuel, as it doth not pro-
duce much wood, and, by lying at a distance from the
sea, cannot be easily supplied with coal. Its commodi-
ties, besides corn, are sheep, wool, black cattle, and salt-
petre; and its manufactures are serges, tammies, shal-
loons, boots, and shoes. Besides many lesser brooks
and streams, it is well watered by the rivers Nene, Wel-
land, Ouse, and Lerm; the three first of which are large,
and for the most part navigable.