Short answers, pulled from the story.
Northampton is a town in Northamptonshire, England, situated on the River Nene 60 miles north-west of London and 50 miles south-east of Birmingham. Its overall urban area had a recorded population of 249,093 in the 2021 census, making it one of the largest towns in England.
Northampton Castle was built by Simon de Senlis around 1084 and served as a royal residence and the site of 32 Parliaments. After the English Civil War, King Charles II ordered its partial demolition in 1662 as punishment for the town's support of Parliament. The remaining structure was purchased and demolished in 1879-1880 to make way for the railway station.
The University of Northampton, established by royal charter of King Henry III in 1261, was dissolved by the same king in 1265. Henry III acted after university members sided with the rebel barons of Simon de Montfort, and his advisors warned that the institution threatened Oxford's academic standing. Henry III then signed a royal decree banning any future university in Northampton.
Northampton became a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture by the end of the 18th century. During the Napoleonic Wars, a third of adult males in the town were shoemakers. During World War I, the town's factories supplied over 23 million pairs of boots to the armed forces. Specialist firms including Church's, Crockett and Jones, and Tricker's still operate from Northampton today.
Spencer Perceval was elected as one of Northampton's MPs in 1796 and became Prime Minister in 1809; he remains the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated, shot in the House of Commons lobby in 1812 by John Bellingham. Radical non-conformist Charles Bradlaugh was elected as a Northampton MP in 1880, and his campaign hustings sparked a riot in the Market Square.
The Great Fire of Northampton in 1675 was caused by sparks from an open fire in a thatched cottage near the castle. Strong westerly winds spread the fire eastwards, destroying around 600 buildings and three-quarters of the town centre within 24 hours, with losses estimated at £150,000. Most buildings at the time were made of wood and covered with thatch, which accelerated the destruction.