Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire

Description
Fotheringhay, a village and a parish in Northamptonshire. The village stands on the river Nen, near the boundary with Huntingdonshire, 2 miles SW from Eiton station on the L. & N.W.R., and 3^ NNE of Oundle. It was once a market-town, has a fair on the third Monday after 5 July, and has a post office under Oundle; money order office, Eiton; telegraph office, Eiton. The parish comprises 2109 acres ^ population, 198. Lord Wantage, V.C., K.C.B., is lord of the manor and sole landowner. A castle here was built in the time of William the Conqueror by Simon St Liz, second Earl of Northampton; was rebuilt by Edmund, Duke of York, son of Edward III.; had a keep in the shape of a fetterlock; was the place of Edward IV.'s meeting with his queen on his return from quelling the insurrection in the north; was the place also of that king's receiving homage from Alexander, king of Scotland; was the birthplace of Richard III.; was settled by Henry VIII. on his first queen, Catherine^ was the prison, the place of trial, and the execution-place of Mary Queen of Scots; and was dismantled about 1628. A nunnery stood near the church in ancient times, was made collegiate by Edward of York in 1412, and was given by Edward VI. to Northumberland. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Peterborough; net yearly value, £124 with residence. Patron, Lady Wantage. The church is in the Perpendicular style, of the time of Henry V.; was the burial-place of Shakespeare's Edward of York who died at Agincourt, and of Richard Duke of York who was slain at the battle of Wakefield ; contains a fine font, a finely-carved pre-Reformation pulpit (only five others in England), and some monuments erected by Queen Elizabeth to the Plantagenets; and is in good condition. A parochial (formerly grammar) school, founded by Queen Elizabeth, has about £17.