Chapel Place, Northampton, 1836

[CelticAnnie]

So this is rather an odd-ball query  : a birth announcement in the Northampton Mercury of 2nd July 1836 describes a gentleman I am researching (the baby's father) as "of Chap. place" (I assume this to be "Chapel Place") and since I have no idea why he then might have been there or what profession (if any) he was then following, I thought I might try to learn more about the character of this street to see if that provides any clues -- eg was it a purely residential road, and if so how wealthy would you have needed to be to live there?  Were there any trades/businesses then operating in this road -- and, if so, what was their character?  (I have browsed the 1841 Pigot's Trade Directory and did not spot any trades/businesses, so perhaps it was purely residential?)  Does anyone know, is it possible to do a search of this street in 1841 census to see the type of people then living there?  (Unfortunately, my gentleman had himself moved on by then).

Would be very grateful for any pointers anyone can give me about the character of this road -- possibly someone with local knowledge? 

Many thanks.

CELTIC ANNIE

[Kay99]

This is a link to an old map albeit 1899 http://maps.nls.uk/view/114479753#zoom=5&lat=10183&lon=12905&layers=BT

In 1841 lots of shoemakers, some labourers, bakers, plasterers and a few other trades

Kay

[CelticAnnie]

Thank you so much for your trouble, Kay -- although I have to say this is not at all what I was expecting!  (I assume you were able to -- and, very kindly, did -- access the '41 census records for this street, and got the information about the trades represented in the street from there?)  My gentleman was educated -- likely very well educated; and had (about a year before) made a very respectable marriage.  Hmmm!!

The map is very interesting and helpful. Thank you very much for posting it.

CELTIC ANNIE

[sugarbakers]

Not many trades today, but it's still there ...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2403755,-0.8878979,3a,75y,319.22h,87.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4Lhb2hvg_XQj36d4U71ztg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[PrawnCocktail]

I had a look at the Birth notification, and the birth took place at the Mansion, Gayton, which I take it was Gayton Manor.  And yet the ad says William Hughes was "of Chap-place, formerly of Merknich, Invernesshire, NB" So - Chap-place is where? Northampton, or somewhere else?

[simon tree]

My 3x great grandfather ran a curriers here in the 1880s

Simon

[CelticAnnie]

Prawn Cocktail, in the announcement -- which is in a Northampton newspaper -- the word 'Chap.' comes at the end of a line and there may be a full stop after it (or certainly a dash to link it with first word of next line).  The next word, although it has no capital letter, is 'place'.  I am assuming, therefore -- although I am very well aware that it is an assumption -- that 'Chap. place' is 'Chapel Place', Northampton.  If anyone thinks it might have been some place else readily recognizable to readers of a Northampton newspaper at this period, then I should be very interested indeed to hear about it!

The property at Gayton referred to where this baby was born is the (now defunct) Gayton House -- not to be confused with the beautiful manor house that still exists there.

[PrawnCocktail]

Chapel Place just doesn't seem like the sort of place I would have expected this guy to live, that was all. At the baby's baptism (in Gayton), he was described as "gentleman".