Mears Ashby

Mears Ashby
File:Northamptonshire UK location map.svg Mears Ashby  Mears Ashby shown within Northamptonshire
Population	473 (2011 census)
OS grid reference	SP838666
District	Wellingborough
Shire county	Northamptonshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORTHAMPTON
Postcode district	NN6
Dialling code	01604
Police	Northamptonshire
Fire	Northamptonshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Wellingborough
List of places UK England Northamptonshire

Mears Ashby is a village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. 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.

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

• Northampton Mercury 1 August 1785
• The Lore of the Land - Westwood & Simpson - 2005 - ISBN 0-14-100711-7

External links

• Village website
• Mears Ashby Cricket Club
• Mears Ashby Jackdaws Football Club
• Brief description w/ map