SNN110243 - Historic Building Research: 51 Victoria Street, Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire

The report presents a historical and chronological account of a leather dressing factory which existed at 51 Victoria Street, Irthlingborough, East Northamptonshire, from about 1900 until the latter part of the 20th century. Information has been drawn together from a diverse range of publically available documents – including, trade directories and trade journals, newspaper articles, old maps, oral history and memoirs. The survival of data concerning the factory throughout the period is notably variable. The factory is placed into its historic context by means of documentary sources and data obtained from the Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record. As the factory building was demolished in 2013, the report elaborates upon existing records of the physical appearance of the main factory building using available photographs and cartographic sources. This is accompanied by a reconstruction drawing of the front elevation of the main factory building. The main phases of the factory’s development are subsequently presented, together with a broad account of where the leather dressing processes and activities were located within the factory complex. As far as has been possible, from publically available documents and sources, the report provides a biographical and genealogical record of the factory’s proprietors, which, in turn, is linked to a succession of leather manufacturing companies which used the site. In particular, for the greater part of the 20th century, the factory was run by two branches of the family of Featherstonehaugh, who were amongst Irthlingborough’s principal patrons. The report includes a genealogical account of the Featherstonehaughs progression as fellmongers and leather manufacturers over the course of 150 years. Finally, the report gives a review of the available data sources and their limitations, and points to other possible avenues of historical research with regard to the factory.