Grantham and Stamford (UK Parliament constituency) villages. The only other large settlement in the seat is the rapidly growing town of Bourne, situated at the west of the Lincolnshire Fens. Food processing and agriculture are the major industries. Politically, Grantham is associated with Margaret Thatcher, who was born and raised in the town. However, the town of Grantham itself probably has the biggest Labour Party support of the constituency. The rural part of the seat and the historical town of Stamford outweigh any Labour votes in Grantham, and it is normally a safe Conservative seat. The history of Conservative representation was briefly interrupted between 2007-10 when
Isaac Newton Watt course. In 1842 Isaac Newton Watt's sister Elizabeth died, aged 25. This left Isaac's brother-in-law Frederick Thatcher a depressed widower. With few prospects, the brothers-in-law, now friends, left London to start life afresh in New Zealand. They sailed from Plymouth on the barque "Himalaya", and landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on 23 December 1843. At this time the colony consisted of 1091 people - 617 males and 474 females. In early 1844 Isaac started off as a merchant, and bought the Devon Hotel in New Plymouth. Frederick Thatcher started out as an architect in Wellington, and now his buildings