Paulerspury
village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom
Paulerspury is a civil parish and small village in West Northamptonshire, England. It is approximately 3 miles (5 km) south of Towcester and 8 miles (13 km) north of Milton Keynes along the A5 road (which follows the course of the Roman Road of Watling Street). The parish also contains the hamlets or villages of Pury End, Pury Hill and Heathencote. At the time of the 2001 census, its population was 991 people and the 2011 population was 1,018.
History
Originally called simply Pear-tree, the village owes its name to the de Pavelli family.
It is referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Paveli's Peri – a reference to orchards in the area and the lord of the manor Paveli. It was the birthplace in 1761 of William Carey, son of a weaver, who first established the Protestant mission in India.
In the 1800s, the place was known as Pauler's Perry.
Paulerspury has known significant historical events. Although the site of the final battle of Queen Boudicca is not confirmed, one of the three locations believed most likely is Cuttle Mill in Paulerspury.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Paulerspury” is village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Paulerspury, village and civil, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q2457879. VIAF identifies the subject as 128171704. The Library of Congress control number is no2001039105. Authority coordinates are 52.103, -0.958. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2001, 2011, 1086 and 1761.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Paulerspury”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Paulerspury primary sources, Paulerspury archive and Paulerspury research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Paulerspury”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Paulerspury” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.