Mears Ashby

Mears Ashby
Mears Ashby
 Mears Ashby shown within Northamptonshire
Population 473 (2011 census)
OS grid referenceSP838666
DistrictWellingborough
Shire countyNorthamptonshire
RegionEast Midlands
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town NORTHAMPTON
Postcode district NN6
Dialling code 01604
Police Northamptonshire
Fire Northamptonshire
Ambulance East Midlands
EU Parliament East Midlands
UK ParliamentWellingborough
List of places
UK
England
Northamptonshire

Coordinates: 52°17′36″N 0°46′19″W / 52.29335°N 0.77205°W / 52.29335; -0.77205

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

References

  1. ↑ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 152 Northampton & Milton Keynes (Buckingham & Daventry) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2014. ISBN 9780319231715.
  2. ↑ Office of National Statistics: Mears Ashby CP: Parish headcounts
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