From its entry in the Domesday Book to the bustling community of today, Thornby has always been more than just a dot on the map. This corner of Northamptonshire has witnessed the march of Civil War soldiers and the quiet evolution of English rural life. Explore the milestones, the architecture, and the ancestors who shaped the village we call home.
William Crisp
This is the story of William Crisp, a shepherd in Northamptonshire, his wife Alice Boyson and their seven children. It shows how, with the help of primary sources such as church registers, census records and newspaper reports, much information may be found about people in nineteenth-century England, even if they were poor or illiterate.
The newspaper report of William’s fatal accident uses the name ‘Fire-tail Spinney’ for its venue. Other sources adopt variations such as ‘Faretail Covert’ and ‘Firetail Covert’ . This account uses the version Firetail Spinney’.
Local Landmark: Firetail Covert is the wood that you can see from the Cold Ashby/Guilsborough road when you stand at the gates at the back of the cattle buildings and look towards Thornby Grange.
