Mears Ashby
| Mears Ashby | |
|---|---|
| Population | 473 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SP838666 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORTHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | NN6 |
| Dialling code | 01604 |
| Police | Northamptonshire |
| Fire | Northamptonshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Mears Ashby is a village in the county of Northamptonshire, England.[1] It lies between the county town of Northampton and Wellingborough and is in the West ward of borough council of Wellingborough area which also includes Sywell. At the time of the 2011 census, it had a population of 473.[2]
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. 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 - ISBN 0-14-100711-7
References
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 152 Northampton & Milton Keynes (Buckingham & Daventry) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2014. ISBN 9780319231715.
- ^ Office of National Statistics: Mears Ashby CP: Parish headcounts Retrieved 16 July 2015.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mears Ashby.
- Village website
- Mears Ashby Cricket Club
- Mears Ashby Jackdaws Football Club
- Brief description w/ map
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