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Kettering evolved from rural origins as one of the manors of the great Abbey of Peterborough. It grew into a market town and, on a main route from London to the Midlands, drew extra trade from serving wayfarers. After the Reformation, which severed its long ties with Peterborough, Kettering became a notable centre of Puritanism and from the time of Charles 11 was one of those Midland towns where Nonconformity survived, and then came to flourish. The rivalries of Church and Dissent played a major role in its 19th century life.

An early centre of Industrialisation, Kettering was first noted for its wool-combing and worsted-weaving and then, as they declined, struggled along with silk production. But the industry for which it became best known was the manufacture of boots and shoes; and from the mid-19th century until the Great War this generated repid urban growth, still reflected in the appearance of the town.

This new book is the first history for this important Northamptonshire town for more than a century.

About the Author

Ron Greenall is a leading Northamptonshire historian having been active in local history since coming to the area in the 1960s. Now retired, he was for many years the Warden of the University Centre in Northampton, run by the Leicestershire University's Adult Education Department.

Hardcover; 240pp; Notes; Illustrations and Index