Simon I de Senlis (or Senliz), 1st Earl of Northampton and 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, who was born 1068 and died between 1111 and 1113, was a Norman nobleman
From schools to churches that have stood for almost a millennium, everyone in Northampton has heard the name Simon de Senlis.
The knight, whose family came over from Normandy with William the Conqueror, rose to the height of the new English aristocracy.
He founded some of the best-known landmarks in Northampton before returning to the land of his birth in his later years.
Here, lay out of ten facts known about this key character in Northampton’s past.
9. La Charité-sur-Loire
After many years of governing Northampton, Simon de Senlis went back to the land of his roots and he died at La Charité-sur-Loire in central France between 1111 and 1113. He was buried in the town's new priory church (pictured) Photo: Google Streetview
10. St Peter's Church, Northampton
Sir Simon's son, also named Simon, followed in his father's footsteps after succeeding to the earldom in 1111. In around 1130, he built St Peter's Church in Northampton, the second of the two Norman architectural gems in the town. Photo: Google Streetview
11. Northampton Roman Catholic Cathedral
Sir Simon de Senlis's influence continued to be felt in the town. He and his wife had founded St Andrew's Priory in the town in 1093, but it fell during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538. The spot on which it stood is now the site of Roman Catholic Cathedral (built 1823) on Barrack Road Photo: Google Streetview