•  Rockingham, Northamptonshire

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In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Rockingham like this:

ROCKINGHAM, a village and a parish in the district of Uppingham and county of Northampton. The village stands on the declivity of a hill, adjacent to the river Welland, at the boundary with Rutlandshire, 1 mile S of the Stamford and Rugby railway, and 9 N of Kettering; was known to the Saxons as Rockingaham; servedas a centre to Rockingham Foresta forest measuring 30 miles by 8; had, on the top of the hill, a castle erectedby William the Conqueror, for defence of extensive iron-works then in the forest; was afterwards a market-town; gave the titles of Baron and Marquis to the family of Watson; and now has a post-office‡ under Leicester, and a railway station. ...

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The castle was the meeting-place of agreat council in 1094; was occupied, for some time, by Edward III. and his court; was garrisoned for Charles I.by Sir L. Watson, afterwards created Lord Rockingham; and is now represented by only two massive bastions, whichflanked its gateway. The modern seat of the Watsonfamily now occupies the castle's site, and bears its name. The parish comprises 890 acres. Real property, £1, 688. Pop., 211. Houses, 48. The manor belongs to G. L. Watson, Esq. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £216.* Patron, G. L. Watson, Esq. The church is old and partly ivy-clad. There are a national school, and charities £17.

Rockingham through time

Rockingham is now part of Corby district. Click here for graphs and data of how Corby has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Rockingham itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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