History of Berkshire facts for kids

Historically, the English county of Berkshire has been bordered to the north by the ancient River Thames. However, some big changes happened in 1974. Areas like the Vale of White Horse and parts of Oxfordshire that were south of the Thames used to be part of Berkshire. They were moved to Oxfordshire in 1974. On the other hand, the Slough area, which is north of the Thames, was historically part of Buckinghamshire. It became part of Berkshire in 1974.

Alfred the Great, a famous English king, was born in Wantage. This town was historically in Berkshire but is now in Oxfordshire for administrative reasons. Important historical places include Abingdon Abbey and Reading Abbey. The Great Western Railway reached Didcot in 1839, connecting the area by train. The car company MG, part of Morris Motors, started in Abingdon in 1929.

Berkshire is known as the Royal County of Berkshire. This is probably because Windsor Castle, a royal home, is located within its borders. Today, the county is managed by several unitary authorities, which are local government areas.

A Look Back: Berkshire's History

Early Times and Saxon Settlers

During a period known as the heptarchy, the area of Berkshire was part of the kingdom of Wessex. Many clues about Saxon people living here have been found. For example, burial grounds at Long Wittenham and Frilford show their presence. There is also evidence that the Lambourn valley was settled by Saxons very early on.

Some old pots found in Berkshire likely contain the ashes of Anglian people. They came south with Penda in the 600s. A fort called Cherbury Castle, near Denchworth, is believed to have been first built by King Canute.

Norman Conquest and County Names

When the Norman Conquest happened, Berkshire was part of the Earldom of Harold. The people of Berkshire strongly supported Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Because of this loyalty, many lands were taken away after the Normans won. By the time of the Domesday survey, very few important estates were still owned by Englishmen.

When Alfred the Great divided the country into shires, this area was named Berrocscir. A writer named Asser said it was named after "the wood of Berroc, where the box-tree grows most plentifully." At the time of the Domesday survey, Berkshire had twenty-two hundreds (smaller administrative areas). By 1911, there were only twenty, and eleven still had their old names.

Changing Borders and Church Connections

Over many centuries, some local areas (parishes) moved between different hundreds. However, the county's main border stayed almost the same until the late 1900s. Small parts of Shilton and Langford were like tiny islands of Berkshire until they moved to Oxfordshire during the reign of William IV. Also, parts of Combe and Shalbourne parishes were given back to Hampshire and Wiltshire. At the same time, the Wiltshire part of Hungerford became part of Berkshire.

Originally, Berkshire was part of the see of Winchester (a church district). But in AD 909, it moved to the new see of "Wiltshire," which later joined with Sherborne. In 1075, the main church office moved to Salisbury. Then, in 1836, Berkshire was transferred to the diocese of Oxford. The archdeaconry (another church area) is very old and covers the whole county. It used to have four smaller rural deaneries, but this number has recently grown to nine.

Much of Berkshire's early history is written in the Chronicles of Abingdon Abbey. At the time of the Domesday survey, this abbey owned more land than almost anyone else, except the crown. The abbot also had significant legal and administrative powers. His court had the same rights as a hundred court and was free from interference by the sheriff. Berkshire and Oxfordshire shared a sheriff until the time of Elizabeth I. The shire court was held at Grauntpont. Law courts (assizes) used to be held in Reading, Abingdon, and Newbury. By 1911, they were held only in Reading.

Who Owned the Land?

During the Domesday survey, the main non-royal landowner was Henry de Ferrers. He was an ancestor of the Earls of Derby. It's interesting that none of the big estates in Berkshire stayed with the same family for a long time. Thomas Fuller, a writer, once said that "the lands of Berkshire are very skittish and apt to cast their owners."

The De la Pole family gained large estates by marrying the heiress of Thomas Chaucer, the poet's son. But the De la Pole family eventually died out in the male line, and their estates were sold off. The same thing happened to the lands of the Achards, the Fitzwarrens, and later the Norris and Befils families.

Berkshire's Economy: Past and Present

Farming and Wool Trade

Berkshire's natural advantages have always made farming more important than business. The soil is especially good for raising sheep. Many old documents show how important and successful the wool trade was in the 1100s. At first, this trade was just about selling raw wool. But during the reign of Edward III, the clothing industry started. Berkshire later became famous for making cloth. You can learn more about this from the story of Jack O'Newbury.

This clothing trade began to slow down in the 1600s. In 1641, cloth makers in Berkshire complained that their business was bad and it was hard to get money. They blamed delays in justice for this problem. The malting industry (making malt from grain) and the timber trade also did well in the county until the 1800s. For farming, the Vale of the White Horse is especially productive. An old writer named Camden mentioned the large crops of barley grown in that area.

Battles and Conflicts in Berkshire

Early Invasions and Civil War

Because it is close to London, Berkshire has often been a place for military actions throughout history. The earliest recorded event related to the county is when Offa occupied the area between Wallingford and Ashbury in 758. In the 800s and 900s, the county suffered greatly from attacks by the Danes. In 871, the invaders were defeated by Æthelwulf at Englefield and again at Reading.

During a period of chaos known as The Anarchy in Stephen's reign, Wallingford was held by forces loyal to Matilda. It was the site of the final peace treaty in 1153. There were meetings between King John and his barons in 1213 at Wallingford and Reading. In 1216, Windsor Castle was surrounded by the barons' army.

At the start of the English Civil War in the 1600s, the sheriff, on behalf of Berkshire's people, asked for the county to be made ready for defense. The Royalists (supporters of the King) had some of their strongest forts here. Reading was under attack for ten days by the Parliament's forces in 1643. Wallingford did not surrender until 1646. Newbury was the location of two important battles: the first in 1643 and the second in 1644.

Berkshire in Parliament

In 1295, Berkshire sent two representatives (called Knights of the Shire) to parliament for the county. It also sent two for the town of Reading. Later, the towns of Newbury, Wallingford, Windsor, and Abingdon also gained the right to send representatives. From 1557 until the Reform Act of 1832, the county was represented by a total of ten members.

By the Reform Act, Abingdon and Wallingford each lost one member. However, the county itself gained a third member, having three instead of two. From the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885 into the 1900s, the county sent three members for three different areas. Windsor and Reading each sent one member, while the other towns no longer had their own representatives.

Images for kids

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  Ancient extent of Berkshire

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