Notes:
Reading is a town, unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) and urban area in the English county of Berkshire. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between London and Swindon off the M4 motorway.
History
The settlement was founded at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet in the eighth century as Readingum. The name is probably from the Anglo-Saxon for "(Place of) Readda's People", or (less probably) the Celtic Rhydd-Inge, "Ford oveer the River". It was occupied by the Vikings after the Battle of Reading (871), but had recovered sufficiently by its 1086 Domesday Book listing to contain around 600 people and be made a designated borough. The town was a place of pilgrimage in medieval times to Reading Abbey. In 1253 Reading's Merchant Guild successfully petitioned for the grant of a charter from the King and negotiated a division of authority with the Abbey. The dissolution of the Abbey saw Henry VIII grant the Guild a new charter in 1542 with which to become a borough corporation to run the town.
By the end of the 16th century Reading was the largest town in Berkshire, home to over 3,000 people. During the Medieval period and Tudor times Reading grew rich on its trade in cloth, as instanced by the fortune made by local merchant John Kendrick. The town played an important role during the English Civil War; it changed hands a number of times, and despite its fortifications the longest siege was only ten days in April 1643. However the taxes levied on the town badly damaged its cloth trade, and it did not recover. Reading was also the only site of significant fighting in England during the Revolution of 1688 with the Battle of Reading.
The 18th century saw the beginning of a major iron works in the town and the growth of the brewing trade for which Reading was to become famous. Agricultural products from the surrounding area still used Reading as a market place, especially aat the famous Reading cheese fair but now trade was coming in from a wider area. Reading's trade benefited from better designed turnpike roads which helped its establish its location on the major coaching routes from London to Oxford and the west country. It also gained from increasing river traffic on both the Thames and Kennet. In 1723 despite considerable local opposition the Kennet Navigation opened the River to boats as far as Newbury. This opposition stopped when it became apparent the new route benefited the town. The opening of the Kennet and Avon Canal in 1810 made it possible to go by barge from Reading to the Bristol Channel.
In 1801, the population of Reading was about 9,400. During the 19th century, Reading grew rapidly as a manufacturing centre. Reading maintained its representation by two Members of Parliament with the Reform Act 1832, and the borough was one of the ones reformed as a municipal borough by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. In 1836 the Reading Borough Police were founded. The Great Western Railway arrived in 1841, followed by the South Eastern Railway, in 1849, and the London and Sououth Western Railway, in 1856. In 1851 the population was 21,500. The town became the County Town (superseding Abingdon ) in 1867 and became a county borough under the Local Government Act 1888. By 1900, the population was 59,000 — large sections of the housing in Reading are terraced, reflecting its 19th century growth. The town has been famous for the "Three Bs" of beer (from 1785 dominated by the Simonds' Brewery - India Pale Ale was invented in Reading), bulbs (1807–1976, Suttons Seeds), and biscuits (1822–1977, Huntley & Palmers). In the 19th century the town also made 'Reading Sauce', described as a sharp sauce flavoured with onions, spices, and herbs, very like Worcestershire Sauce.
The town continued to expand in the 20th century, annexing Caversham across the River Thames in Oxfordshire in 1911. This expansion can be seen in the number of 1920s built semi-detached properties, and the 1950s expansion that joined Woodley, Earley and Tilehurst into Reading. Miles Aircraft in Woodley was an important local firm from the 1930s to 1950s. The Lower Earley development, started in the 1970s, was the largest private housing development in Europe. This extended the urban area of Reading up to the M4 motorway, which acts as the southern boundary to the town. Further housing developments have increased the number of modern commuter houses in the surrounding parts of Reading, and 'out-of-town' shopping hypermarkets.
City/Town : Latitude: 51.454953, Longitude: -0.969177Matches 1 to 1 of 1
Last Name, Given Name(s)  |
Birth  |
Person ID | Tree | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wake, Kathleen Beryl | Tuesday 27 November 1917 | Reading, England, United Kingdom | I347709 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
Matches 1 to 2 of 2
| Last Name, Given Name(s) |
Burial |
Person ID | Tree | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | of England, Koning Henry I. | Reading, England, United Kingdom | I19264 | Veenkoloniale voorouders | |
| 2 | Plantagenêt, William | Reading, England, United Kingdom | I1243022 | Veenkoloniale voorouders | |
Matches 1 to 1 of 1
| Family |
Marriage |
Family ID | Tree | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gent / England | Saturday 19 May 1359 | Reading, England, United Kingdom | F39766 | Veenkoloniale voorouders |
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