The main reason for establishing the archive was to obtain, record and store information about Ashley and its inhabitants from earlier times such as the Domesday records to the present day. Users of the archive would be able to search for information from both paper records and also electronic data bases.

The archive team was set up in 2005 and included David Burrell (early history), Isabel Castens (The Manse), Ros Gallant (The Pulteneys and The Old Rectory), Ros Swaney (The Pulteneys and The Manor) and Margaret Richold (major influential families such as the Palmers and Pulteneys, notable buildings and local families). At present only Margaret Richold is actively involved.

The archive is still being developed but at present we have over 200 records in the photo archive and over 250 entries in the main archive which includes documents, articles, newspaper cuttings, recorded memories, slides and photos and recorded interviews. It is hoped that, eventually, the archive will be open for general use and inspection under controlled conditions.

If anyone is interested in joining the archive team perhaps by conducting research (internet or non-internet based), adding information to the data base or by contributing information to the team would they please contact Margaret Richold on 01858 565968.

INVENTORY OF REFERENCES

A GENERAL DOCUMENTS

A1 Village Life in Ashley; (Appraisal; 1992-1995)

A2 Ashley Millennium Souvenir Book; Maguire, Prince & Shorley, 2000

A3 The village of Ashley; Anon; 1989

A4 The village of Ashley in the Welland valley; Anon, Undated

A5 The village of Ashley in Northants.; Anon, undated

A6 Ashley Village design statement; Ashley Parish Council; 2000

A7 Ashley Conservation Area, 1977

A8 At peace! A village with a long history The Leader June 1987 By Ron Mears

B. NOTABLE BUILDINGS

The Manse

B1 Ashley Chapel and Manse Album of Northants. Congregational Churches; undated

B2 Memorials of the Independent Church at Ashley; Chapter V, 146-154

B3 Sales details of The Manse; Shakespear Estate Agents; 1984

B4 Ashley Meeting House; Joseph Clifton; 1770

Joseph Cleaver Carlton, Nottingham 1873

B5 Baptismal & Burial Register for Ashley Meeting House

1790; extract only

B6 Congregational Chapel, Ashley William Butler; undated

B7 Ashley Chapel Notes following restoration in 1974

The Poplars, 1 Green Lane

B8 Summary of ownership from C19 to C21 2009

B9 Sale of The Poplars 1964

B10 Schedule of deeds and documents prepared by Sally Kudahl 2000

B11 Map showing size of farm (47 acres) in 1915 1915

B12, abc Maps showing various small purchases

Brown Horse Cottage

B13 Summary of Abstract of Title indicating land purchased

B14 Abstract of title to Cottage Holdings dated 1943

B15 John Gray sells Browh Horse Cottage with approx. 1 acre 1944

from RT Pulteney in 1870. Original holding was of approx. 40 acres

Tally Ho Cottage

B16 Resume of property which at one time comprised 35 acres

B17 Abstract of Title dated 1951. Richard Farrer Owsley, father of John Wade Owsley probably acquired this holding from the Pulteney family.

B18 In 1951 John Wade Owsley sell Tally Ho premises with approx 1 rood land

C1 Kelly’s Directory 1924

C2 Pigot’s Directory 1854

C3 Kelly’s Northants. 1898

C4 Ashley Parish Corby Hundred c 1850

C5 Harrod & Co’s Directory 1876

C6 Whellan’s History, Topography & Directory of Northants 1874

C7 Ashley 1777; list of men aged 18-45 years living in Ashley village

C8 Kelly’s Directory 1914

C9 Whellan, history and directory of Northants, 1849

C10 Kelly’s Directory, 1903

C11 Kelly’s Directory 1910

D CENSUS AND RESIDENCE RECORDS

D1 1851 Census + Analysis

D2 1871 Census analysis

D3 1881 Census + Analysis

D4 1891 Census

D5 1901 Census

D6 Electoral Roll 1974

D7 Electoral Roll 2003

D8 Residence List, 2004

D9 List of men aged 18-45y in 1777

D10 List of electors in 1892

D11 The Poor Rate Book, 1898

E ASHLEY COURT & ESTATE (ACE)

E1 Map of 142 Acre Estate, dated 1954

E2 History of Ashley Court (Rectory) (anon and undated)

E3 Ashley Court Estate details of Auction, 1954

E4 Ashley Court; sale details, circa 1988

E5 Sale by ACE to John Wade Owsley of three cottages (now known as 3, 5 & 7 Westhorpe 1940

And onward of 7 Westhorpe to Mr Charles Marlow in 1957

E5 Pt 11. Abstract of title tracing land ownership back to Rev RT Pulteney

E6 Sale by ACE to Reginald Marlow (son of Charles) of a further 3 cottages in Westhorpe in 1951 (now renumbered as 4 and 6 Westhorpe)

E7 Sale by Reginald Marlow to Swanson and Deadman of 8 Westhorpe (now known as 6 Westhorpe) 1967

E8 Attempted sale of ACE in 1940 with 160 acres 1940

F THE PALMER FAMILY

F1 History of East Carlton E. Robinson (Rector); c.1950

F2 East Carlton Today Anon and undated, but post 1987

F3 East Carlton Park Anon, dated June 1984

F4 Carlton Hall Country Houses of Northants.

F5 Almshouses in East Carlton PC Notes 1995 and Charity Comm. Doc. 1961

F6 The Palmer Family Notes by Chris Capps East Carlton

F7 Palmer of Carlton VCH Northants Families Pt 2 1-5

F8 ditto ditto

F9 Sir Geoffrey Palmer 1598-1670 (& others) Burkes Peerage 1935

F10 Palmer of Withcote Hall VCH Northants Families Pt XIII

F11 East Carlton Millennium Appraisal 2000

F12 East Carlton Parish Plan 2006

G ASHLEY C20 MEMORIES

G1 Within living memory ; Daphne Kudahl, WI records 1992

G2 Funeral notes re Lavinia Crain October 1934

G3 S.B. Noon memories 1936

G4 Notes re Tom Kirby 1976

G5 Transcript of Gordon Shorley’s taped conversation with Winnie Atkins and Elsie Crain, in Summer 1999

H YEOMANS

H1 Renovation of Yeomans Harborough Mail; November 1962

H2 Owners of Yeomans since 1962 Word document

J VILLAGE EVENTS 1914–1980

J1 Three Young Men 1914-1918

J2 Len Aldwinkle on his Father’s horse drawn carrier c1920

J2a Len Aldwinkle on his wedding day outside Westhorpe House, c 1936

J3 Picture of the Wright family in 1927 with the Buswell family from Cottingham

J4 Rev AW Pulteney resigns living; Harboro’ Mail, Aug 27, 1926

J5 Memorial to Lavinia Crain, who died August 25

J5a Fancy dress competition held at Ashley Court garden fete

J6 J T Kirby with Veteran 1926 BSA motor cycle, 1961

J7 Harboro man renovating “Yeomans” in Ashley, Harboro Mail ,1962

J8 Residents tribute to Village shopkeepers Mr & Mrs Fell, Harboro Mail, 1967/68

J9 British Legion Group photo taken in 1969

J10 Villagers organise a “Country Weekend” Harboro Mail, 1971

J11 Silver Jubilee Celebrations; programme of events, June 1977

J12 Ashley Parish News, 1972

J13 Restoration job begins at Ashley; Harboro’ Mail; 1973??

J14 Displays of floral art at Festival; Harboro’ Mail, Aug. 9, 1973

J15 Flower festival to boost repair fund; Harboro Mail, 1973

J16 Restoration work at St Mary’s Ashley; Harboro Mail, 1973

J17 Ashley wins Best Kept Village competition, 1973

J18 OBE for Ashley Man, Harboro Mail, 1974

J19 British Legion parade in Ashley Date???

J20 Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II,

Programme of events in Kettering Borough, 1977

J21 Children’s sports to celebrate Silver Jubilee, June 1977

J21A Silver Jubilee, 1977; parades

J22 Snowmen help at Ashley Christmas bazaar

J23 Margaret Roberts married at Ashley church by her Father, Canon H Roberts in mid 1970’s.

th 1934, aged 93

J Events in Ashley 1981-2003

J24 Morris Dancers of Ashley Harboro’ Mail (date unknown)

J25 Village Fayre Harboro Mail; 1981

J26 Country Wedding (Edward & Margaret) June 1982

J27 Ashley Country Weekend 1983

J28 Knitters aid Ethiopia Harboro’ Mail, 1985

J29 WI event 1988 Harboro Mail 1988

J30 50th Anniversary of Royal Charter to Kettering; mayor visits Ashley; 1988

J31 Flower Power (Gwen Maguire) Harboro’ Mail, July 20, 1989

J32 Village indoor bowls Harboro Mail 1990

J33 Village Hall Christmas Quiz 1990

J34 Village Hall Quiz (Hat competition) 1990

J35 WI walk to Brampton Ash 1991

J36 Ashley Tug of War v Medbourne 1992

J37 Royal British Legion Ashley 1995

J38 Village in Ashley; booklet by Berry/Prince 1995

J39 Ashley coffee morning in The George 1995

J40 Village arts gets a helping hand ET Classified; 1995

J41 Village Hall grant & new Seat Harboro’ Mail, Aug 7, 1997

J42 Carol singing Christmas 2000 2000

J43 The Christmas Float 2000

J44 Millennium celebration in Village Hall 2000

J45 Another get together in the Village Hall Date ?

J46 A meeting at the Village Hall; Aubrey Stewart with ?? Date ?

J47 Golden Jubilee Service June 2002

J48 Golden Jubilee Celebration; speech by G Whittaker June 2002

J49 Fertiliser Tanker crashes onto path in Ashley Harboro Mail July 2003

J50 Weekend event in Ashley raising funds for hospice ET July 2003

J51 Ashley Open Gardens Programme July 2003

J52 Ashley Summer Garden Party June 2005

K WORLD WAR II 1939-1945

K1 Invasion Committee for Ashley, 1942; request for housing information

K2 Results of housing questionnaire from 54 occupied houses in Ashley

K3 Names of key personnel in event of Invasion

K4 Home Guard details for John William Buxton, railway worker, 1943

K5 National Registration ID card for Ethel Buxton, 1943

K6 Ashley Invasion Committee re appointment of Sgt Brown as Military Representative, 1942

K7 Appointment of Joan Lascelles as Voluntary Food Organiser, 1942

K8 Appointment of Sp. Constable G E Hayward to serve as Police Representative on the Invasion Committee, 1943

K9 Ditto, re W J Fletcher to replace G E Hayward

K10 Letter from War Office closing down the Invasion Committee, September 1944

K11 Victory Day Thanksgiving Service, JUNE 1946

K12 Notes of taped conversation with Ethel Buxton (Westhorpe) re War Years in Ashley by Jill Henderson and Robin Vallance

L EARLY HISTORY

L1 The Hundred of Corby, Baker’s History of Northants. 1799

L2 At Peace! A village with a long history, County Heritage by Roy Mears June 25, 1987

L3 Origins of Place Names, Domesday Book on line

L4 Domesday Survey; Victorian county Historian

L5 An Inventory of the Archaelogical Monuments in Central Northants; Royal Commission on Historic Monuments Vol II c 1975

L6 Notes re Ashley Manor. Ros Swaney, 2000

L7 Hurricanes and storms by Mr Templar, re an event in 1669, taken from a book published in 1748.

M UPPERTHORPE, GREEN LANE

M1 History of Upperthorpe 1734-1964

M2 History of Upperthorpe 1964-1990

M3 Eastlands Estate and Map

M4 Conveyance 1942. Sarah Jane Neal (decsd) to John Henry Payne

M5 Plan of Upperthorpe site in c 1942

M6 Conveyance (with map) dated 1968 between National Provincial Bank (re Harry Elliss decsd) and Mr and Mrs Bloch.

N THE PALMERS IN ASHLEY

N1 Settlement Map of 1807; Sir John Palmer Vth Bart, Lord of the manor

N2 Conveyance selling Eastlands Farm to Trinity College, Cambridge. 1946

N3 Abstract of Title of Sir Geoffrey Palmer to the Carlton Estates 1946

N4 MAFF approval of Purchase of Eastlands Farm by TC Cambridge 1946

N5 Declaration by Mr George Simpkin relating to the Carlton Estates 1946

N6 Map showing land and buildings as part of Eastlands Farm 1946

N7 Details of sale of Eastlands farmhouse, buildings and land, by TC 1967

P THE PULTENEYS (Family and Fortune)

P1 The Pulteney Coat of Arms

P2 Family tree from 1647- 1808

P3 Family tree from 1714- 1871 Burke Landed Gentry, 1881

P4 Sir William Pulteney 1684-1764

P5 General Harry Pulteney 1686-1767

P6 RT and AW Pulteney; researched by Ros Gallant, 2005

P7 Tribute by Parishioners to Rev. RT Pulteney; biographical notes by Ros Gallant

P7a 1881 Census of Pulteney family following death of RT Pulteney; by Ros Swaney

P8 The origins of the Pulteney Fortune; researched by Ros Gallant

P9 The Richest of the Rich Sir William Pulteney 1729-1805

P10 The inheritors of the Pulteney Fortune; researched by Ros Gallant

P11 The Old Rectory aka The Chestnuts Ros Gallant, 2005

The Story of The Chestnuts

The Chase Family

Sale of house to the Church, as the “new” Rectory; 1919

Rectors occupying The Rectory

Sale of adjoining Coach House

Sale of The Rectory

Photographs, Aerial photos and OS Plan

Q ACTIVITIES IN ASHLEY

The Womens Institute

Q1 Notes on Mrs Beatrice Hall, the Ist president

Q2 Presidents of the WI

Q3 Minutes of 1926 Committee Meeting

Q4 Notes of Ist monthly meeting held Jan. 1927

Q5 Notes of WI 2nd anniversary party

Q6 Notes to celebrate golden wedding of Mr and Mrs Horsley

Q7 Typical Membership card

Q8 Event to celebrate 10y of WI 1936

Q9 Photo of Beatrice Hall with Husband, 1946

Q10 Eulogy for the late Beatrice Hall, August 1946

Q11 Programme for 1957 and 1958

Q12 WI entry into a Northants competition 1970’s

Q13 Old Tyme Music Hall c 1970s

Q14 WI presidents linked across the decades Harboro Mail, Nov 30, 2006

Q15 WI Group Rounders Team date??

Q15a WI play; Harboro Mail Oct 16, 2008

Cubs and Scouts

Q18 Ashley”retired” footballers 1995

Cricket

Fixture list 1921 with photo

Newspaper cutting 1949

Fixture list 1949

Fixture list 1950

Sporting vicar, 1954

Newspaper cutting 1954

1954 match photo Ashley v Sibbertoft

1930 Team

Fixture list 1954

Cricket Tea Ladies, Nellie Brown, Winnie Atkins, Mrs Clarke & Mrs Neale

Ashley Village Club

Club Rules (1886) at The Forge, 28 Main St.

Horticultural Society

Q16 Scout and Guide Group, c1920

Q17 The Cub Scouts, c 1960s?Football

Q19 1st prize for Shallots awarded to Mr J R Brown, Ashley Station

Q20 1st prize for best Minature Garden awarded to Master R Prince

R NEW VILLAGE HALL

R1 Village hall built in wrong place Harboro Mail, 1952

R2 New hall veto dismays villagers Evening Telegraph, 1988

R3 Opposition to rebuild plans Harboro Mail. 1988

R4 Hall Progress; Harboro Mail, 1999

DRAFT DOCUMENTS

Connections between Ashley and Launde Abbey

What the Victorians did for Ashley

The Palmers in Ashley

The history of Upperthorpe

Land tenure

Major Land owners in Ashley at the late C19 (Poor Rate Book).

Houses built in Ashley since WWII

The Pulteney Family (Ros Gallant)

History of The Chestnuts (Ros Gallant)

MAPS

Map 1 1807, including enlarged versions

Map 2 1900

Map 3 1931

Map 4 1961

Map 5 Ashley Fields Map

Map 6 Ditto with Field names

Map 7 Ashley Footpaths 2001

PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUMS

Album 1 Ashley Village Hall 1951-1998 by Margaret Prince

Album 2 Record of activities in and around the Old Village Hall

Album 3 Ditto Volume 2

Album 4 Collection made by Mrs Nellie Brown who died in 1987

Album 5 Silver Jubilee Celebrations of 1977

Last updated June 2009