Helmdon is a large village and parish with a station on the Northampton and Banbury Junction railway, 7 miles south-west from Towcester, 4½ north from Brackley and about 75 from London, in the Southern division of the county, hundred of King's Sutton, petty divisional division, union and county court district of Brackley, rural deanery of Brackley (second portion), archdeaconry of Northampton and diocese of Peterborough. The church of St Mary Magdalen is a building of stone in the decorated style, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave, aisles north and south porches and embattled western tower with pinnacles, containing 6 belles; the chancel retains a piscina and sedile, and in the north aisle is a piscina, found under the floor of the church during the restoration: the tower was rebuilt in 1825 and the church restored in 1875, at a cost of £1,600, under the direction of Mr Law, architect, of Northampton, when the nave and aisles were new roofed, the interior reseated with open benches, new pulpit and other fittings introduced, organ chamber erected, western gallery removed and other works carried out; the communion table and reredos were presented in 1881 by the late James Fairbrother esq.: there are 280 sittings. The register dates from the year 1572. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge, £25, gross yearly value £264, including 60 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the President and Fellows of corpus Christi College. Oxford, and held since 1873 by the Rev. Frederick Barnes M.A of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, who is also rector of Stuchbury. In the churchyard is a yew tree of remarkable proportions and beauty, measuring round the trunk nearly eight yards; and in the porch of the present rectory is a mantlepiece which originally belonged to the old rectory house; it bears the date 1533, the initials "W.R." and other carvings, and is in good preservation. There is a Baptist Chapel here. A reading room was erected in 1887 by C. FAIRBROTHER Esq. in memory of his parents. There are several old quarries in this parish, which produce a fine freestone called after the name of the village and formerly in great request, but the working of the quarries has been discontinued. Mrs Jane Leeson of Abthorpe, left £1 to the poor of this parish which is given in money at Christmas. Lace making is carried on here. The Provost and Fellows of Worcester College Oxford, who are Lords of the Manor, the trustees of the late James Fairbrother esq. and the President and Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford, are the principal landowners. The soil is clay; subsoil, freestone. The chief crops are wheat and beans. The area is 1,739 acres; rateable value, 2,583; the population of 1891 was 502.

By a local government Order dated March 25, 1885, a detached part of this parish, known as Stoken Farm, was amalgamated with Astwell and Falcutt.

Sexton, Benjamin Archer

Post, M.O & T.O., S.B & INSURANCE & ANNUITY Office - Frederick George Shrimplin, sub-postmaster. Letters are received through Brackley at 8.15 a.m and dispatched at 4.45 pm weekdays only.

A School Board of 7 members was formed February 8th, 1878, for the United District of Helmdon, Astwell & Falcutt & Stuchbury; Rev. F Barnes, chairman and clerk to the board; Benjamin Archer, Helmdon, attendance officer.

United District Board School, built with master's residence, in 1853, for 90 children; average attendance, 72; Thomas Herbert Goodwin, master; Mrs Julia Emma Goodwin, mistress; an infants' school has since been erected from funds supplied by subscription.

Police Station, William Templeman, constable.

CARRIERS TO:-
Banbury - James Kelcher & Henry Watson, mon. & Thursday
Brackley - Henry Watson, wed. & sat.
Towcester - James Kelcher, tues.

Railway station, George Brown, station master.

Barnes Rev. Frederick M.A. Rectory

COMMERCIAL
Adkins George, farmer & grazier
Adkins Thomas, farmer & grazier
Bartlett John, corn merchant
Brown Charles, tailor
Bull James, beer retailer
Campin James,
Cross P.H.
Cockerill, Robert, farmer & cattle dlr
Franklin Emanuel, shopkeeper
Gibbons Thomas, carpenter
Goodman, Thomas Herbert, master of board school
Hearn Samuel, draper & hosier
Hopkins Thomas, boot maker
Howard Henry, blacksmith
Humphrey Benjamin, general dealer
Jeffrey Edward Jn., butcher & farmer
Jessett John, farmer & grazier
Mold Alice (Miss), dress maker
Osborne Charles, baker
Pope Henry, Chequers P.H.
Reading Room
Salmon John, farmer
Shrimplin Frederick Geo., gro. Post Office
Taylor Arthur, carpenter
Tribute Alfred, beer retailer
Watts Alfred, carpenter & wheelwright
Watson James, farmer & carrier
Wilkins Albert, baker
Wrighton Edwin, farmer
Wrighton John, farmer
Wooding John, blacksmith
Woods James, farmer