HIGHAM FERRERS is situated on an eminence, overlooking the valley of the river Nene, ten miles south-east from Kettering, five miles east from Wellingborough, sixteen miles north-east from Northampton, sixty-five miles from London, and practically joins Rushden on the south. There is a station of the Midland Railway Company, terminating the branch line from Wellingborough, and a station on the L. and N.W. line from Northampton to Peterborough, one-and-a-half miles from the centre of the town. The town is named "Higham" in Domesday Book, the latter part of the name coming from the Earls Ferrers, who were lords of the manor. Roman pottery and remains have been found in the parish. It was formerly a Borough by prescription, prior to the time of King John, but the earliest extant Charter is that of 2 and 3 Philip and Mary (1555-6), which was confirmed in 36 Charles II. (1684-5). The Corporation was dissolved under the "Municipal Corporations Act," 1883, and the Borough received a new Charter in June, 1887. The Borough sent one Member to Parliament till the Reform Act of 1832. Its growth was hampered by the difficulty of obtaining building land, but of recent years this difficulty has been removed, and several shoe factories have been built, the latest being the large up-to-date factory built near the Midland Railway by Messrs. Charles Parker & Co. to replace the one destroyed by fire on September 21st, 1905. The Area of the parish comprises 1,931 acres of land and 14 acres of water, and the Rateable Value is £8,258 93. 6d. The Census of 1901 gave 2,540 inhabitants, as against 1,810 in 1891, and at the present time they are estimated at 2,750. The Burgess Roll contains 554 names. Two miles six-and-a-half furlongs of main roads are maintained by the Borough Council. Higham has its own monthly Petty Sessions, held in the Town Hall, at 11 o'clock, on the second Monday in each month, and gives its name to the Hundred and the Rural Deanery. It is one of the parishes of the Wellingborough Union for Poor Law purposes, and is in the County Court District of Wellingborough.

HIGHAM FERRERS TOWN COUNCIL
Mayor : alderman THOMAS PATENALL. Deputy-Mayor :  councillor C. S. R. PALMER.

Aldermen : WALTER SPONG, SAMUEL PACK (retire 1907), CHARLES JOLLEY and THOMAS PATENALL  (retire 1909).

Councillors : C. S. R. PALMER, O. PARKER, J.P., J. H. JOHNSON, C. W. PERKINS (retire November, 1906), FRANK BRAZIER, WILLIAM H. GADSBY, F. H. MARTIN, A. E. WRIGHT (retire November, 1907), Wm. NEWMAN, A. PACK, A. FRANKLIN, and F. WALKER (Retire November, 1908).

COMMITTEES
Finance : The Mayor, Messrs. Parker, Brazier, Wright, Walker and Perkins.

Highway : The Mayor, Messrs. S. Pack, Spong, Martin, Johnson and Newman.

General Purposes : The Mayor, Messrs. W. H. Gadsby, Palmer, Franklin, A. Pack and Jolley.

Technical Education and Reading Room : The Mayor, Messrs. Brazier, Johnson, Jolley, S. Pack, Parker, Palmer and Perkins.

OFFICERS
Town Clerk : Mr. W. Hirst Simpson, B.A.

Deputy Town Clerk : Mr. F. Joseph Simpson.

Medical Officer of Health : Dr. John Crew, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.

Treasurer : Mr. J. Wykes Ashdowne.

Surveyor, Collector, and Inspector of Nuisances : Mr. A. E. Lloyd, C.R.S.I.

Mayor's Sergeant : Mr. F. H. Felce.

Overseers : Messrs. Walter Spong, and F. Walker.

Assistant Overseer : Mr. A. E. Lloyd.

Surveyor, Inspector, and Collector's Office—The Town Hall. Office Hours 10 to 11 a.m.

The Council meets monthly, usually on the first Monday of the month, at 7.30.

HIGHAM FERRERS CHARITIES
ARCHBISHOP CHICHELE'S.—Twelve poor men and one woman receive one penny per day and other gratuities.

NEWMAN'S CHARITY, of about £160 yearly, founded in 1855, is for six old women inhabitants of the parish, who occupy six houses erected by the Corporation, and receive £5 48. each, quarterly.

A sum of £9 is distributed yearly, arising from LATHAM'S, GLAZEBROOK'S, SANDERS', and MARSHALL'S CHARITIES.

HIGHAM FERRERS GUARDIANS
The representatives of Higham Ferrers on the Wellingborough Board of Guardians are Mr. C. S. R. Palmer and Mr. W. Spong.

HIGHAM FERRERS SCHOOL AUTHORITY
Higham is a Sub-District of the County Education authority, with Mr. T. Patenall, J.P. as chairman, and Mr. S. Pack vice-chairman, of the sub-committee, and of the managers. The others members are the County Councillors of Higham and Rushden, and Messrs. O. Parker, J.P., C. S. R. Palmer, F. Walker, and F. J. Shelton. Mr. A. Mantle, of Queen Street, Rushden, is the clerk and attendance officer.

THE HIGHAM FERRERS READING ROOM
Is held in the Town Hall, and is partly supported by a grant from the Town Council and partly from subscriptions of the members.

HIGHAM FERRERS FIRE BRIGADE
Is a voluntary Association, with headquarters in Wood Street, where the manual and other appliances are kept. Mr. F. Joseph Simpson is the energetic Captain, and Mr. J. Martin the Vice-captain.

THE HIGHAM FERRERS ASSOCIATION
For the Apprehension and Prosecution of Felons was established in 1810. It now comprises between sixty and seventy members, from Higham Ferrers, Rushden, and the surrounding district. Mr. W Hirst Simpson is the Solicitor and Treasurer to the Association.

HIGHAM POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS
A Sub-Office, under the Wellingborough Postmaster, is situated in Wood Street, Higham Ferrers, the Sub-postmaster being Mr. Rd. John Downing.  The following are the times at which the various mails are dispatched :—
5.50 a.m.—For Chelveston.

6.50 a.m.—For London, Northampton, and places generally.

10.0  a.m.—For Rushden.

11.25 a.m.—For London and South Eastern Counties.

12.25 p.m.—For Scotland and the North of England.

2.35 p.m.—For Wellingborough, Kettering, and Rushden.

2.35 p.m.—For South Western and Western Counties, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and South Eastern Counties, and London.

4.10 p.m.—-For Northampton and South West of England.

4.25 p.m.—For Rushden and Wellingborough.

6.15 p.m.—For Peterborough and Eastern Counties.

6.40 p.m.—For Northampton, Northern and Midland Counties, Scotland and Ireland.

9.0  p.m.—For London and South, Derby, Birmingham, Leicester, Rushden, Wellingborough, and places generally.

Sndays. 4.45 p.m.—For  all  parts.

CHICHELE  COLLEGE
In the last year of Henry V. a College was founded at Higham Ferrers by Henry Chichele, Archbishop of Canterbury, who had been born in the Borough. He endowed the College with lands in Bedfordshire and Hunts, and elsewhere, which were surrendered into the hands of King Henry VIII., by whom they were granted to Robert Dacres, subject to yearly payments to a schoolmaster and others. The ruins of the College buildings are still to be seen on the west side of the High Street. The Foundation was for some time in disuse, but in March, 1900, the late Mr. A. G. C. Vann, M.A., was appointed head master by the Town Council, working up a good school in the School Building in the Churchyard, at the west of the Church. On October 1st of the present year Mr. A. G. S. Vann was appointed by the Council in succession to his late father.

HIGHAM FERRERS & RUSHDEN JOINT WATER BOARD

RUSHDEN AND HIGHAM FERRERS GAS COMPANY
Was incorporated in 1899, with an authorised capital of £40,000. The Company supplies gas to Higham Ferrers and Rushden, and has paid good dividends each year. Mr. E. Claridge is Chairman of the Directors, Mr. George S. Mason Secretary, and Mr. Thomas Watson Engineer and Manager.

HIGHAM FERRERS CHURCHES

ST. MARY'S CHURCH
Is a beautiful structure in the early English and later styles, supposed to have been built between 1289 and 1337, and to have replaced an earlier structure. It has a double choir, double nave, with clerestory on each of the outer sides, north and south aisles, south and west porches, and several chapels. It has an embattled tower, with pinnacles, and a crocketed spire, rising to a height of 170 ft. There is also a clock and 8 bells. The church is 119 ft. long and 69 ft. wide. It was restored in 1864 at a cost of £6,000, and the churchyard was enlarged in 1870 at a cost of £228, the new iron gates at the entrance costing £50. In 1877 the organ was built at a cost of £680. There is a font of early English date, and several monuments and brasses. The register dates for 1573. The living is a vicarage, united with that of Chelveston, of the joint net annual value of £238, including 66 acres of Glebe, with residence. The patron is Earl Fitzwilliam, and the present incumbent is the Rev. Gerald M. Davidson, who was inducted on January 28th, 1906.

THE WESLEYAN CHURCH
Is a handsome brick structure, with Bath stone dressings, in the High Street, which was opened on Easter Monday, April I3th, 1903. It is arranged on the plan of an Episcopal Church, in the i6th Century Gothic style, and the contract price for the building was .£4,570. Accommodation is provided for 550 worshippers, with arrangements whereby 600 may be accommodated at need. A handsome and commodious block of Schools is at the rear. The building took the place of a chapel situated behind the houses higher up the street, the Wesleyan cause in Higham dating from 1790.

TEMPERANCE
Rushden, Higham Ferrers and District Band of Hope Union—President, Mr. S. Pack ; Secretary, Mr. B. Vorley.

SCHOOLS (Council)

Mixed—Head Master, Mr. George  Hustwait. Accommodation 345. Average attendance 310.

Infants—Head Mistress, Miss Lilian M. Chapman. Accommodation 200. Average attendance 183.

THE NATIONAL TELEPHONE
System is largely utilised in Rushden. Nearly all the manufacturers and the greater part of the tradespeople are subscribers. The central call office is in the Old Post Office Yard, High Street. At Higham Ferrers there is a public call office at the Green Dragon Hotel.

MUSICAL
At Higham Ferrers there is a good Male Voice Choir, led by Mr. T. Richardson. The Town Prize Silver Band is led by Mr. J. K. Skinner, and a String Band by Miss Crew and Mr. J. W. Randall.

SPORT
At Higham Ferrers there is a Town Cricket Club, with Mr. J. M. Medcraft as Secretary, and the Y.M.C.I.   Club, with Mr. Blackwell as Secretary. The chief Football Club is the Y M C I Secretary, Mr. H. E. Britten.

CLUBS
At Higham Ferrers there are two Clubs, the Town Band Club occupying a substantial brick building in School Lane, of which Mr. C. Tailby is the steward, and the Athletic Club in the Backway, the steward being Mr. C. Cox.

A flourishing Y.M.C.I. occupies part of the old Wesleyan Chapel, of the High Street.

ANGLING CLUB
During the past few months an Angling Club for Rushden, Higham Ferrers, and Irthlingborough has been formed. Water practically uniting the Wellingborough and Thrapston Club waters has been secured. Mr. A. H. Sartoris, J.P., is the president, and Mr. J. T. Scott, Park Road, secretary.

REGISTRAR, &c.
Mr. G. R. Turner, of 7, Griffith Street, Rushden, is the Relieving Officer for the District, and also District Registrar of Births and Deaths.

The Vaccination Officer for the District is Mr. Arthur Knight, of Kettering, and Dr. Crew, of Higham Ferrers, is the Public Vaccinator.