History of Berkshire
Historically, the English county of Berkshire has been bordered to the north by the ancient boundary of the River Thames. However there were major changes in 1974: the Vale of White Horse and parts of Oxfordshire south (locally, west) of the Thames were previously part of Berkshire, but were lost to the county in 1974. Conversely, the Slough area north of the Thames is historically part of Buckinghamshire, but became ceremonially part of Berkshire in 1974.
Alfred the Great was born in Wantage, historically in Berkshire, but now in Oxfordshire for administrative purposes. Important historical abbeys include Abingdon Abbey and Reading Abbey.
The
The county is known as the Royal County of Berkshire, perhaps since the royal residence of Windsor Castle is within it. Administratively, the county is now made up of unitary authorities.
History
During the
At the time of the
; in 1911 there were only twenty, of which eleven retained their ancient names.Over the centuries, many parishes were transferred from one hundred to another, but until the late 20th century the boundary of the county remained practically unchanged. Parts of the parishes of
In 1075 the seat of the bishopric was removed to
County estates
At the time of the Domesday survey the chief lay-proprietor was
Economic history
The natural advantages of this county have always encouraged agricultural rather than commercial pursuits. The soil is especially adapted for sheep-farming, and numerous documents testify to the importance and prosperity of the wool-trade in the 12th century. At first this trade was confined to the export of the raw material, but the reign of Edward III saw the introduction of the clothing industry, for which the county afterwards became famous. For more detail, see Jack O'Newbury. This trade began to decline in the 17th century, and in 1641 the Berkshire clothiers complained of the deadness of their trade and the difficulty of getting ready money, attributing this to delay in the execution of justice. The malting industry and the timber trade also flourished in the county until the 19th century. Agriculturally considered, the Vale of the White Horse is especially productive, and Camden speaks of the great crops of barley grown in the district.[4]
Armed conflicts
Perhaps owing to its proximity to London, Berkshire has from early times been the scene of frequent military operations. The earliest recorded historical fact relating to the county is the occupation of the district between Wallingford and Ashbury by Offa in 758. In the 9th and 10th centuries the county was greatly impoverished by the ravages of the Danes, and in 871 the invaders were defeated by Æthelwulf at
At the opening of the English Civil War in the 17th century, the sheriff, on behalf of the inhabitants of Berkshire, petitioned that the county might be put in a posture of defence, and here the royalists had some of their strongest garrisons. Reading endured a ten days' siege by the parliamentary forces in 1643, and Wallingford did not surrender until 1646. Newbury was the site of two battles, the first in 1643 and the second in 1644.[4]
Parliamentary representation
In 1295,
See also
- List of places transferred from Berkshire to Oxfordshire in 1974
- List of places transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974
- List of lost settlements in the United Kingdom § Berkshire
Notes
- ^ a b Chisholm 1911, p. 783.
- ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 783 notes that the derivation from Bibroci, a British tribe in the time of Caesar, which probably inhabited Surrey or Middlesex, seems philologically impossible.
- ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 783–784.
- ^ a b c d e f Chisholm 1911, p. 784.
References
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Berkshire". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 782–784. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Further reading
- (includes Berkshire)
- Berkshire. Journey-Book of England. London: Charles Knight & Co. 1840.
External links
- Royal Berkshire History by David Nash Ford, including an introduction