Site-Search
Coming Soon
|
Site-Search |
|
Page and site |
|
Brentford in Middlesex County England History and GeographyBRENTFORD, a market town, comprising Old Brentford in the parish of EALING, Kensington division of the hundred of OSSULSTONE, and New Brentford in the parish of HANWELL, hundred of ELTHORNE, county of MIDDLESEX, 7 miles (W. by S.) from Hyde-Park corner, on the great western road. New Brentford contains 2036 inhabitants, and the population of Old Brentford is returned with Ealing. This place takes its name from an ancient ford on the small river Brent. In 1016, Edmund Ironside having compelled the Danes to raise the siege of London, pursued them to this place, where they were routed with great slaughter. A chapter of the Order of the Garter was held here in 1445; and in the 25th of Henry VI., an hospital, for a master and several brethren, of the Nine Orders of Angels, was founded in a chapel at the western end of the town: the revenue appears to have been £40, and the site was granted to Edward, Duke of Somerset, in the 1st of Edward VI. In 1558, six protestants were burnt at the stake in this town, on account of their religious tenets. In the parliamentary war during the reign of Charles I., a battle was fought here between the contending parties; the royalists, though victorious, were obliged to retire from the field, by the sudden arrival of a strong reinforcement to the enemy from London. For his services in this battle, which took place on the 12th of November, 1642, Patrick Ruthen, Earl of Forth, in Scotland, was created an English peer, by the title of Earl of Brentford, which title was subsequently conferred by William III. upon Mareschal Schomberg, who accompanied him to England at the Revolution. Several skirmishes also took place, in 1647, between the royal guards, stationed here, and the parliamentary troops quartered at Hounslow. The town consists principally of one street, upwards of a mile in length, partly paved, and lighted with gas under an act of parliament obtained in 1825. The river Thames, on which are several wharfs, separates it from Kew gardens on the South; and over this river at the eastern extremity of the town, is a handsome stone bridge leading to Kew: the Brent, uniting the Grand Junction canal with the Thames, crosses it on the North, and over this is a neat stone bridge, erected in 1825, replacing one of great antiquity. A distillery for malt, and an iron-manufactory, afford employment to many of the labouring poor, but the chief trade of the town is derived from its situation on the great western road. The market is on Tuesday: the fairs are, May 17th for cattle, and September 12th for toys. The town is within the jurisdiction of the county magistrates, who hold a meeting for the division every alternate week: constables, headboroughs, and other officers are appointed at the court leet of the lord of the manor; and a court of requests for the recovery of debts under 40s., the jurisdiction of which extends over the hundreds of Elthorne and Spelthorne, is held here during the summer half year, and during the winter at Uxbridge. The parliamentary elections for the county take place at Brentford, for which reason it is considered the county town. The living of New Brentford is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Middlesex, and diocese of London, endowed with £400 private benefaction, and £400 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Rector of Hanwell. The chapel, dedicated to St. Lawrence, with the exception of the tower, was rebuilt of brick, in 1762; annexed to it is a house for the residence of the minister. The chapel of Old Brentford, dedicated to St. George, was rebuilt in 1770, by subscription: it is a chapel of ease to the vicarage of Ealing. There are places of worship for Particular Baptists, Independents, and Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists. A charity school for boys, established by subscription in 1703, was endowed by Lady Capel, in 1719, with the twelfth part of an estate, yielding at present £37. 10. per annum; the endowment, enlarged by subsequent benefactions, produces an annual income of £143. 7. 6. The charity school for girls is endowed with benefactions producing £144. 18. 4. per annum: there is also a National school supported by subscription. Mrs. Mary Spencer, in 1658, gave a rent-charge of £6; and in 1692, Lord Ossulston bequeathed £100, producing £5.14. per annum, for apprenticing children. Several human skeletons have at various times been dug up in the neighbourhood. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
Readers of this page were also interested in: Camborne in Cornwall County England History and Geography CAMBORNE, a market town and parish in the hundred of PENWITH, county of CORNWALL, 4 miles (W.S.W.) from Redruth, and 267 (S.W.) from London, on the road from Truro to Penzance, containing 6219 inhabitants Droitwich in Worcester County England History and Geography DROITWICH, a borough and market town, having exclusive jurisdiction, though locally in the upper division of the hundred of Halfshire, county of WORCESTER, 6¾ miles (N.E. by N.) from Worcester, and 118 (N.W.) from London, and containing 2176 inhabitants Ixworth in Suffolk County England History and Geography IXWORTH, a parish (formerly a market town) in the hundred of BLACKBOURN, county of SUFFOLK, 7 miles (N.E.) from Bury-St. Edmund's, and 77 (N.E. by N.) from London, containing 952 inhabitants Shrewsbury in Salop County England History and Geography SHREWSBURY, a borough and market town, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the liberties of Shrewsbury, county of SALOP, of which it is the chief town, 154 miles (N.W.) from London, containing, exclusively of the parish of Meole-Brace, which is within the liberties, 18,254 inhabitants, according to the census of 1821, since which period the number has increased to about 2000 more Wincanton in Somerset County England History and Geography WINCANTON, a market town and parish in the hundred of NORTON-FERRIS, county of SOMERSET, 34 miles (E.) from Taunton, and 108 (W. by S.) from London, containing 2143 inhabitants. This place is of very great antiquity; it was anciently called Wyndcaleton, and derived its name from its situation on the windings of the river Cale, by which it is bounded on the west Woodford (St. Mary) in Essex County England History and Geography WOODFORD (ST. MARY), a parish in the hundred of BECONTREE, county of ESSEX, 8 miles (N.E. by N.) from London, containing 2699 inhabitants |
