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H E A D IN G D IR E C T O R Y — 1 9 1 7 .

M in ster, R e d la n d s, V ic to r ia , W e s t, T ileh u ret, C av ersh a m E a st
C aversham W e s t, and th e C o rp o ra tio n con sists o f a h ig h stew a n
m a y or, th irteen alderm en an d th irtv -n in e to w n cou n cillors. T h e Co
ra lio n o f R e a d in g w as o r ig in a lly a g u ild , said t o have been chartcrec
E d w ard th e C on fessor : th e m em bers o f this guild w ere sty led bu rg e
as early as 1254 in a ch a rter granted b v H e n ry I I I . and confirm ed
R ich a rd I I . and H e n ry T V .. V I . and V I I I ., and in 1351 th e m aster
called m a y o r : H e n ry Vn. in 1487 enlarged th e ir au th ority , and H e
V m . in 1543 g r a n t e d 'a n e w charter, m akin g the m a y or and burgessc
b o d y c o rp o ra te , and th is w as confirm ed b y E d w ard V I ., Queen Elizab'etn
and Ja m es I. : fu rth e r ch a rters w ere granted b y C harles I . w h ich w ere
confirm ed in 1649, and also b y Charles I I . T h e C orp ora tion w a s fu rth er
reform ed u n der th e “ M u n icip a l C o rp o ra tio n s A c t , 1835.” T h e borou g h
has a com m ission o f th e p eace and separate C ourt o f Q u arter Sessions.
T h e P u b lic H e a lth A c ts h ave been a d o p te d b y the C orp ora tion . R ea d in g
is a b o ro u g h b y p re scrip tio n , h a v in g sen t m em bers to P a rlia m en t from
th e tim e o f th e earliest re co rd s : b y tb e “ R e d is tr ib u tio n o f Seats A c t ,
1885 ” (48 and 49 V ie t. c. 23), th e bou n d ary o f th e p a rlia m en ta ry b orou g h
was exten ded o n the east to the S ou th E astern ra ilw a y , and on the
sou th t o C h ristch u rch and J u n ction ro a d s, an d b y th e same A c t th f
represen ta tion w as redu ced from t w o m em bers to one. U n d er th
p rov ision s o f the “ L o ca l G o v ern m en t A c t, 1888,” t h e b orou g li becam e
a “ C o u n ty b o r o u g h ” fo r certain purposes.
R e a d in g is ca lled in D o m e sd a y “ R a d y n g e s ,” and a ccord in g to the
d e scrip tio n therein con tain ed at th a t d ate (1086) 28 h ou ses, all b elo n g in g
to th e K in g , 29 others in ruins, one held b y H e n ry F errars, a ch u rch , tw<
m ills, and fisheries, n o t h a v in g then recov ered from re ce n t disasters.
S tep h en v isite d th e to w n in 1140, and in 1141 cam e t h e E m p ress M au d ,
w h o w as receiv ed w ith m uch h on ou r : in 1153 th e castle w as surrender
to H e n ry , D u k a o f N o rm a n d y , a fterw ard s H e n ry I I . w h o freq u en tly visit
R e a d in g betw e e n th e y e a rs 1163-85 : R ic h a r d Ï. held a parliam en t h ere
1191 : K in g J o h n , in 1213. and H e n ry I I I . in 1241 : h e also v isited it i
subsequent y e a rs ; E d w ard n . w as hère in 1314, and R ich a rd I I . in 1384 :
p arliam en ts w e re again held h ere in 1440 and 1451, and in 1432 th e p arlia­
m en t w a s ad jou rn ed fro m W e stm in ste r t o R e a d in g on a ccou n t o f a plague.
R e a d in g A b b e y w as fou nded in A .D . 1121 b y K in g H e n r y I . : it wa'
d edicated to the H o ly T rin ity , SS. M ary. J o h n th e E v a n g elist an d Jam es
and was in te n d e d fo r 200 m onks o f th e B e n e d ictin e ord er, w it h an a b b ot
(m itred ), p rio r and sub p r io r : th is com m u n ity w as en d ow ed w ith am p le
revenues and in vested w ith a lm ost re g a l p o w e r ; th eir possession s w ere
v ery exten sive and th eir p riv ileg es s ca rce ly less ; t h e y w ere a lso the
guardians o f a precious r e lic— th e hand o f St. Jam es the A p ostle— w h icl
b ro u g h t to them a con tin u ou s strea m o f w ealth ; th e A b b o t ranked nex
to th ose o f G laston bu ry and S t. A lb a n s, and reta in ed his seat in P a rlia m er
till th e D issolu tion : the bu ild in gs o f th e a b b ey w ere com p leted in 112^
bu t th e g re a t church w as n o t finished un til 1164, w h en it w as consecrate
b y B e ck e t in th e presence o f H e n r y n . and m a n y o f th e n o b ility : heri
in 1759, J oh n o f Gaunt, fou rth son o f K in g E d w ard in . w as m arried t.
B lan ch e, eventual heiress o f H e n ry P la n ta g e n e t o f G resm on t, D u k e c
L an caster ; H e n r y I . its fo u n d er, was buried h ere in D eo. 1135, w ith hii
second qu een. A d eliza, d a n o h te r o f G o d fr e y o f L ou v a in e. D u k e o f B raban t,
as w ell as the' E m press M au d , w ife o f H e n r y V . o f G erm a n y , and a fter
\rards w ife o f G eoffrey P la n ta g en et. C oun t o f A n io u , w h o died 10th S ep t
1 1 6 7 : and here also w e re in terred W illia m , eld est son o f H e n r y H . d
1 1 5 6 ; R e g in a ld , E arl o f C orn w all, h is n atu ral s o n ; R ic h a r d , E a rl o'