This map, using data from The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, shows approximate locations for the homes of soldiers, killed as a result of The Great War, in the locality of 78 Derngate. This map formed the summation of an animated sequence that featured in the 78 Derngate Centenary Exhibition “Charles Rennie Mackintosh & The Great War“. The map is incomplete and we would welcome any additional information about further updates that could be made.
A list of all names of soldiers whose home location is featured in the map has also been produced.
As deaths from the war continued beyond the formal cessation of fighting the period covered is 1914 – 1921. The map used is based on the Ordnance Survey of Northampton town centre from 1901 ( at the time of production this map was the most accurate and closest in publication date to the period being covered ). In 2017 many of the town centre streets featured on the 1901 map had either disappeared or had been redeveloped. At the time of the war these streets were, in the main lined with densely built, often terraced, houses. These were mainly homes for the large workforce of the industrial works which were to be found immediately to the outer town centre, especially to the west, south towards the the River Nene and to the east. Included among their number were likely numerous employees of Bassett-Lowke Ltd. The area immediately around 78 Derngate was characterised by larger terraced town houses, many of which remain in 2017. These and the larger detached villas in Cheyne Walk to the north were often home to professionals who, like W.J. Bassett-Lowke owned or worked in town centre businesses.
The remodelling of 78 Derngate by W.J Bassett-Lowke and Charles Rennie Mackintosh took place during this period of great loss and uncertainty which permeated every aspect of daily life.