In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Olney like this:
Olney, small town, par., and township with ry. sta., in N. of Bucks, 11 miles SE. of Northampton and 59 miles from London - par., 3054 ac., pop. 2415; town and township, 2153 ac., pop. 2347; P.O., T.O., 1 Bank. Olney is an interesting little town, with a pleasing position in a valley of the Ouse. ...
It is supposed to have been built by the Flemings, and is said to have been the first English seat of the lace mfr. Brewing and the mfr. of boots and shoes are now the chief local industries; but most of the trade is connected with the agricultural supplies of the neighbourhood. William Cowper (1731-1800), the poet, resided here from 1767 to 1786. The Olney hymns were written by Cowper and his friend John Newton (1725-1807), the rector of OIney.
Olney through time
Olney is now part of Milton Keynes district. Click here for graphs and data of how Milton Keynes has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Olney itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Olney, in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5048
Date accessed: 05th November 2024
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