Tony Horner's book looks at the Manor of Kingsthorpe, its situation and topography, the village land and its ownership, methods of farming, the problems of the poor and the various systems of local government employed over the years.

The author describes Kingsthorpe's population and economic history, and examines the role played by its watermills and windmills. He traces the building of schools in the village and looks in considerable detail at the church, its Rectors and the now-demolished Rectory.

Other subjects covered include the histories and pedigrees of the main families associated with Kingsthorpe, the Hospital of St David or the Holy Trinity, and the establishment of Nonconformist churches. Village leisure pursuits are also explored.

There are transcriptions of many fascinating official documents taken from the Northamptonshire Record Office which will be invaluable for family historians, such as lists of christenings, marriages and burials in the mid-16th century, churchwardens' accounts, overseers' records, occupations, and the workhouse inventory. Bringing the whole rich heritage of the village to life are three illustrated walks round old Kingsthorpe, which explain the significance and origins of many historic buildings or sites. Old maps show how the village used to be.

A genealogy enthusiast, he undertook the research for the book after he retired. He says: "It is the sort of history that I wanted to read, but since it had not been written I had to write it myself."

To assist other genealogists and local historians the book has been comprehensively indexed. The index can be consulted on-line, so that you can see if there is mention of a person, place or event of interest to you. To access the Index, click here

He married Teresa (a Kingsthorpe girl) in 1956, and they lived in Kingsway for five years before moving to Northampton for the next thirty years. In 1991 they moved back to Kingsthorpe, having produced a family of three boys and a girl - who in their turn have produced a range of grandchildren. Like so many people in recent years, retirement gave time to become involved in family history research; this revealed the wealth of historical documents possessed by the Northamptonshire Record Office, and Tony began the process of researching the history of his birthplace. He also has a variety of other interests, such as gardening and visiting other people's gardens, reading (and writing) about the spirituality of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and several other faiths. He and hs wife are members of St. Aidan's Catholic Church in Kingsthorpe.

  "We've never had anything go so fast in 32 years of bookselling! This book was, by a huge margin, our best seller in 2005, Harry Potter not withstanding" - Robert Webb, Kingsthorpe Bookshop