Page 19 - The Tale of Two Fountains

THE TALE OF TWO FOUNTAINS
It would be of interest to know who the 5th Corps of Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteers were. There were three “panics” or “scares” about a French invasion of Britain in the mid-19th century. The un- derlying fear was the progress the French were making in building a fleet of “ironclad” battleships which could challenge Britain’s naval superiority. In fact, it was the third invasion ‘panic’ of 1858-59 which led to the Volunteer Act of 1863 and the formation of the Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry and Rifle Volunteers Infantry and Artillery.
The 5th Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps was formed by the employees of Samuel Isaac and he was appointed as the Captain Commandant of the Volunteer Corps. In 1908, the volunteer units were reorganised to become the Territorial Army. It was renamed the Army Reserve in 2013. Samuel Isaac was a successful businessman who owned Isaac Campbell & Co., Army Contractors for sup- plying shoes. The Shoe factory and warehouse on Upper Mounts in Northampton was a well-known building in the town.
The factories of Isaac Campbell and Manfield’s were located next to each other on the south side of Campbell Square1. Both were opened in 1859. The three storey factory of Isaac Campbell was designed by a well-known local Architect, William Hull. It had an imposing office block on the corner of Campbell Square and Victoria Street. The adjacent building of Manfield’s was also three storey high in Italianate style, making a strong architectural statement. Rising up from the rear
Campbell & Manfield Co. Factories
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