In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Luton like this:
Luton.-- mun. bor., market town, and par., Bedfordshire, 9 miles SW. of Hitchin and 31 NW. of London by rail - par., 15,435 ac., pop. 26,140; bor., 2613 ac., pop. 23,960; P.O., T.O., 2 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-day, Monday. Luton being situated near the source of the river Lea, it is supposed that the name is a corruption of "Leatown." The town has a picturesque position, and has largely increased during recent years. ...
It was incorporated in 1876. It is celebrated for the mfr. of straw hats and bonnets, the origin of the industry in this country being due to Mary Queen of Scots, whose son James removed the handicraft from Scotland and established its position at Luton. The Plait Hall here is a fine building.
Luton through time
Click here for graphs and data of how Luton has changed over two centuries. For statistics for historical units named after Luton go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Luton in Bedfordshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/684
Date accessed: 16th April 2024
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