281:. 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.
247:. The abbot also exercised considerable judicial and administrative powers, and his court was endowed with the privileges of the hundred court and was freed from liability to interference by the sheriff. Berkshire and Oxfordshire had a common sheriff until the reign of Elizabeth I, and the shire court was held at Grauntpont. The assizes were formerly held at Reading, Abingdon and Newbury, but by 1911 were held entirely at Reading.
510:
1352:
362:
secured representation, and from 1557 until the Reform Act of 1832 the county was represented by a total of ten members. By that Act
Abingdon and Wallingford were each deprived of a member, but the county returned three members instead of two. From the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 into the 20th
272:
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
317:
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
104:
The county is known as the Royal County of
Berkshire. This title was granted by Queen Elizabeth II to Berkshire County Council in 1957, via Sir Austin Strutt, Deputy Under-Secretary of State, who wrote to E.R. Davies, clerk to the county council, conveying the Queen's permission for the use of the
289:
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
263:
succeeded to large estates by a marriage with the heiress of Thomas
Chaucer, son of the poet, but the family became extinct in the male line, and the estates were alienated. The same fate befell the estates of the Achards, the Fitzwarrens and later the families of Norris and Befils.
234:
Berkshire was transferred to the diocese of Oxford. The archdeaconry is of very early origin and is co-extensive with the county. Formerly it comprised four rural deaneries, but the number has lately been increased to nine. Much of the early history of the county is recorded in the
259:, ancestor of the earls of Derby, but it is remarkable that none of the great Berkshire estates has remained with the same family for long. Thomas Fuller quaintly observes that "the lands of Berkshire are very skittish and apt to cast their owners". The
377:
372:
191:
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
809:
1624:
782:
814:
459:, 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.
802:
1604:
363:
century the county returned three members for three divisions, and
Windsor and Reading returned one member each, the remaining boroughs having lost representation.
1614:
382:
792:
617:
530:
856:
351:
1579:
1449:
980:
141:
valley was occupied in early Saxon times. The cinerary urns found in
Berkshire undoubtedly contain the ashes of the Anglians who came south under
335:
1650:
1574:
658:
359:
19:
1562:
355:
347:
343:
525:
1545:
1387:
1165:
610:
180:
divided the country into shires, this county received the name of
Berrocscir, as Asser says, "from the wood of Berroc, where the
797:
1619:
1198:
846:
697:
680:
1397:
1258:
876:
871:
841:
673:
668:
428:
42:
south (locally, west) of the Thames were previously part of
Berkshire, but were lost to the county in 1974. Conversely, the
1645:
1288:
1005:
1599:
1594:
1135:
1025:
831:
129:
occupation have been discovered in various parts of the county. Of these the most remarkable are the burial grounds at
1609:
1065:
634:
603:
244:
60:, historically in Berkshire, but now in Oxfordshire for administrative purposes. Important historical abbeys include
243:, which at the time of the survey was second only to the crown in the extent and number of its possessions, such as
1293:
1105:
1080:
1075:
995:
935:
653:
290:
county was greatly impoverished by the ravages of the Danes, and in 871 the invaders were defeated by Æthelwulf at
277:
saw the introduction of the clothing industry, for which the county afterwards became famous. For more detail, see
1584:
1155:
1145:
1070:
1040:
1000:
940:
185:
402:
1253:
1125:
1110:
1020:
1015:
897:
546:
323:
299:
1380:
1130:
1045:
920:
738:
319:
1308:
1178:
1140:
1085:
985:
702:
550:
223:, but in AD 909 it was removed to the newly-formed see of "Wiltshire", afterwards united with Sherborne.
1303:
1283:
1263:
1243:
1218:
1203:
1173:
1095:
1055:
1035:
960:
291:
274:
196:
88:
72:
310:
and his barons in 1213 at
Wallingford and at Reading, and in 1216 Windsor was besieged by the barons.
1512:
1454:
1328:
1313:
1298:
1238:
1228:
1150:
1010:
339:
192:
146:
215:
parishes were also restored to Hampshire and Wiltshire respectively, while the Wiltshire portion of
1333:
1323:
1273:
1208:
1183:
1100:
950:
945:
912:
866:
753:
721:
643:
35:
1537:
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1502:
1434:
1373:
1318:
1248:
1193:
1188:
1115:
1090:
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892:
861:
851:
748:
690:
626:
422:
169:
1569:
1439:
1268:
1233:
1120:
1050:
975:
970:
733:
663:
314:
278:
220:
208:
165:
106:
590:
1472:
1429:
1414:
1278:
1223:
1213:
990:
965:
787:
743:
558:
256:
231:
177:
53:
1487:
1338:
1030:
836:
716:
685:
307:
303:
161:
142:
47:
1444:
1356:
902:
240:
130:
61:
1639:
777:
772:
728:
648:
521:
516:
173:
126:
84:
65:
562:
18:
760:
711:
172:. This loyalty was punished by very sweeping confiscations, and at the time of the
98:
31:
1365:
570:
765:
306:
and was the scene of the final treaty in 1153. There were meetings between King
295:
188:; in 1911 there were only twenty, of which eleven retained their ancient names.
94:
39:
1497:
1492:
260:
216:
212:
204:
150:
1532:
1477:
1403:
227:
118:
184:
grows most plentifully". At the time of the survey it comprised twenty-two
1522:
203:
of the shire, until they were transferred to Oxfordshire in the reign of
181:
138:
134:
80:
219:
was transferred to Berkshire. The county was originally included in the
200:
57:
1517:
1482:
595:
154:
122:
76:
43:
378:
List of places transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974
586:
176:
no estates of any importance were in the hands of Englishmen. When
515:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
17:
575:. Journey-Book of England. London: Charles Knight & Co. 1840.
373:
List of places transferred from Berkshire to Oxfordshire in 1974
255:
At the time of the Domesday survey the chief lay-proprietor was
1369:
599:
383:
List of lost settlements in the United Kingdom § Berkshire
534:(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 782–784.
30:
has been bordered to the north by the ancient boundary of the
318:
surrender until 1646. Newbury was the site of two battles,
487:
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481:
479:
477:
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438:
342:
to parliament for the county and two for the borough of
810:
Political history of the United Kingdom (1979–present)
105:
term. Administratively, the county is now made up of
50:, but became ceremonially part of Berkshire in 1974.
1555:
1463:
1422:
1164:
911:
885:
824:
815:
Social history of the United Kingdom (1979–present)
633:
226:In 1075 the seat of the bishopric was removed to
46:area north of the Thames is historically part of
34:. However there were major changes in 1974: the
1381:
611:
273:export of the raw material, but the reign of
153:, is said to have been first made up by King
145:in the 7th century. The fortification called
8:
1388:
1374:
1366:
618:
604:
596:
557:, vol. 1, London: Vernor & Hood,
857:History of monarchy in the United Kingdom
121:, the area formed part of the kingdom of
491:
468:
456:
444:
394:
420:
302:reign Wallingford was garrisoned for
168:, and supported him staunchly at the
7:
26:Historically, the English county of
1546:List of civil parishes in Berkshire
867:History of the politics of England
14:
862:History of the economy of England
137:, and there is evidence that the
1350:
508:
1615:Population of major settlements
847:History of education in England
403:"The Royal County of Berkshire"
164:, Berkshire formed part of the
842:Government in medieval England
589:by David Nash Ford, including
1:
555:Beauties of England and Wales
409:. 30 December 1957. p. 7
294:and again at Reading. During
1651:History of England by county
1605:Parliamentary constituencies
832:English overseas possessions
330:Parliamentary representation
245:The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay
22:Ancient extent of Berkshire
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1580:Grade II* listed buildings
659:Economy in the Middle Ages
427:: CS1 maint: url-status (
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346:. Later the boroughs of
587:Royal Berkshire History
531:Encyclopædia Britannica
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551:Edward Wedlake Brayley
313:At the opening of the
101:after his court case.
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73:Great Western Railway
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1646:History of Berkshire
566:(includes Berkshire)
340:Knights of the Shire
230:, and in 1836 by an
1466:(cities in italics)
1423:Unitary authorities
754:Glorious Revolution
722:English Renaissance
674:English unification
644:Prehistoric Britain
471:, pp. 783–784.
160:At the time of the
107:unitary authorities
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1006:Greater Manchester
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627:History of England
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97:was imprisoned in
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1398:Ceremonial county
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221:see of Winchester
166:Earldom of Harold
87:) was founded in
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338:returned two
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85:Morris Motors
82:
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69:
67:
66:Reading Abbey
63:
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55:
51:
49:
45:
41:
38:and parts of
37:
33:
29:
20:
16:
1589:
1544:
1541:
1413:
1199:Christchurch
1131:Warwickshire
1046:Lincolnshire
925:
921:Bedfordshire
761:Georgian era
744:Protectorate
739:Commonwealth
712:Tudor period
571:
554:
547:John Britton
529:
464:
452:
411:. Retrieved
406:
397:
333:
322:in 1643 and
312:
288:
271:
254:
236:
225:
190:
159:
116:
103:
99:Reading Gaol
93:
70:
56:was born in
52:
32:River Thames
27:
25:
15:
1309:Southampton
1179:Bournemouth
1141:West Sussex
1086:Oxfordshire
986:East Sussex
766:Regency era
749:Restoration
352:Wallingford
296:The Anarchy
261:De la Poles
117:During the
95:Oscar Wilde
40:Oxfordshire
1640:Categories
1620:Public art
1498:Maidenhead
1493:Hungerford
1304:Shrewsbury
1284:Portsmouth
1264:Nottingham
1244:Manchester
1219:Folkestone
1204:Colchester
1174:Birmingham
1096:Shropshire
1056:Merseyside
1036:Lancashire
961:Derbyshire
502:References
324:the second
292:Englefield
275:Edward III
237:Chronicles
217:Hungerford
213:Shalbourne
205:William IV
151:Denchworth
1542:See also:
1533:Wokingham
1513:Sandhurst
1478:Bracknell
1455:Wokingham
1404:Berkshire
1329:Worcester
1314:St Albans
1299:Sheffield
1294:Rochester
1259:Newcastle
1239:Maidstone
1229:Liverpool
1151:Wiltshire
1011:Hampshire
926:Berkshire
913:By county
572:Berkshire
526:Berkshire
423:cite news
336:Berkshire
334:In 1295,
326:in 1644.
320:the first
300:Stephen's
228:Salisbury
119:heptarchy
91:in 1929.
83:(part of
79:in 1839.
28:Berkshire
1523:Thatcham
1334:Worthing
1324:Wetherby
1274:Plymouth
1209:Coventry
1184:Brighton
1101:Somerset
951:Cornwall
946:Cheshire
886:Polities
635:Timeline
553:(1801),
367:See also
360:Abingdon
201:exclaves
197:Langford
186:hundreds
182:box-tree
139:Lambourn
135:Frilford
89:Abingdon
75:reached
1600:Museums
1590:History
1538:Woodley
1528:Windsor
1508:Reading
1503:Newbury
1435:Reading
1319:Torquay
1289:Reading
1249:Margate
1194:Chester
1189:Bristol
1116:Suffolk
1091:Rutland
1061:Norfolk
956:Cumbria
519::
413:13 July
356:Windsor
348:Newbury
344:Reading
304:Matilda
199:formed
193:Shilton
113:History
58:Wantage
1610:Places
1556:Topics
1518:Slough
1483:Earley
1440:Slough
1269:Oxford
1234:London
1121:Surrey
976:Durham
971:Dorset
825:Topics
513:
155:Canute
123:Wessex
77:Didcot
44:Slough
1625:SSSIs
1473:Ascot
1279:Poole
1224:Leeds
1214:Dover
991:Essex
966:Devon
877:Riots
389:Notes
209:Combe
143:Penda
127:Saxon
1570:Flag
1488:Eton
1339:York
1031:Kent
872:Wars
429:link
415:2024
358:and
308:John
211:and
195:and
133:and
71:The
64:and
1401:of
559:hdl
528:".
298:of
239:of
1642::
549:;
476:^
437:^
425:}}
421:{{
405:.
354:,
350:,
157:.
109:.
81:MG
68:.
1389:e
1382:t
1375:v
619:e
612:t
605:v
561::
431:)
417:.
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