Monument record 1160/0/397 - St George's Hall

A large building used as a guildhall from the 16th century. Located on Abington Street, but finally destroyed by the fire of 1675.

{2} The documentary evidence identifies the land unit as being at 26 Abington Street in the mid-C19th, however there has been some fluctuation in the position of No 26; taking account of other evidence it appears to be close to that presently numbered, which is Thornton's.
The Woolhall (or St George's Hall) belonged to the Fraternity of St George, and as such would have been confiscated by the Crown at the dissolution, except that Northampton made a case for its retention as a public building. It is probable that the Woolhall is no earlier than C16th. The earliest reference to it is given by Cox in Northampton Borough Records when there was an inventory of Council property stored there. However two of those who gave evidence in 1581 declared it was in use as a town house fifty years before.
In about 1566 it had been repaired by John Bayle at a cost of thirty pounds, the two buildings having fallen down.
It is likely that the building was end on to the street, to accommodate eighteen bays, however on the Marcus Pierce map of 1632 it appears as three sides of a courtyard open on to the street. The 1581 depositions reveal that it was used as a meeting place by the shoemakers of the town after the dissolution of the White Friars where they formerly met, and this was by license from the Town Chamberlain.
The later identity of the Woolhall was the White Lion. Between 1728 and 1743 the White Lion was used as a departure point for London Coaches. The vaults beneath the premises were about 160 feet long extending from Abington Street to Dychurch Lane.

{3} St George's Hall was rebuilt in the mid C16th century. It served as the guidlhall for the most important of the town trades. A series of depositions were undertaken in 1581. A miller deposed 'that immediatelie after the dissolution of the White Friars where the shoemakers of Northampton were accustomed to keape their feastes the said shoemakers didymediatelie afterwards kepe their feastes in the saide house called St george's hall…' The terrier of the town property for 1568 describes the house as consisting 18 bays. A lower portion was used by the town in 1621 as a bridewell or house of correction, but only for a short time. The remains finally disappeared in the fire of 1675.

<1> WELSH T.C., 1999, ST GILES' SQUARE/ ST GILES' STREET PROPERTIES 15TH - 18TH CENTURY, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN56733.

<2> Welsh T.C., 2000, Document Search: The Woolhall Or St. George's Hall, Abington Street, Northampton, (part checked) (Document). SNN100415.

<3> Cox Rev.J.C., 1898, Records of The Borough of Northampton, p. 181-186 (Book). SNN3420.

Record last edited

Aug 14 2023 2:31PM