It has already been mentioned that Berkshire probably came into
existence as a county in the time of King Egbert, who brought the
long struggle between the kingdoms of the Heptarchy to a close
and established the ascendancy of Wessex over much of the south of
England. It is probable that there was still a population living on
the chalk downs and in occupation of the old forts, and the fertile
Vale of White Horse was gradually coming under cultivation. In any
case there was a royal residence at Wantage, where Alfred the Great
was born in 849, and a religious foundation at Abingdon. There were
also at least two towns, Reading and Wallingford.
Already in the previous century the English coast had been harried by
the Viking pirates, but there is no record of their having penetrated
to our district. In 851 they did indeed make their way up the Thames
into Surrey, but were defeated by Ethelwulf, the son of Egbert, and
his son Ethelbald at Ockley. They next approached Berkshire from the
south coast, and in 860 attacked and plundered Winchester, but were
defeated by the united forces of Berkshire and Hampshire. Ivor the
Dane is said to have reached Reading in 868, and Reading was captured
and occupied by the Danes in 871.
Ethelred was at this time king and together with his brother Alfred
fought the Danes near Reading, but was not successful and retreated
westwards. The Danes followed and the great battle of Assandun, in
which the Danes were put to flight, was fought on the chalk downs at
some place to the west of Aldworth in 871. There is much doubt as to
the exact site of the battle. At one time it was supposed that the
White Horse was cut on the hill-side as a memorial of the victory,
but it is now known that this was not so, for the horse is much
older than the date of the battle. The Danes retreated to Reading,
and only 14 days afterwards they got the better of the Saxons in a
fight at Basing in Hampshire, and were again victorious two months
later at Merton. A truce, however, followed and the Danes retired
to London. All this was in the year 871, and during the same year
King Ethelred died and Alfred the Great became king. How King Alfred,
who ruled until 901, eventually defeated the Danes and came to terms
with them is well known, and Berkshire for a time enjoyed peace.
About this time there was a royal residence at Faringdon, for it is
recorded that Edward the Elder died there in 925. His son Athelstan
had a mint at Wallingford, and three coins struck by him at that
place are in the collection at the British Museum. The monastery at
Abingdon had been destroyed by the Danes, and St Ethelwold was told
by King Edred to re-establish it, but the work was not accomplished
until the reign of Edgar. Ethelred the Unready had a mint at Reading.
In 1006 the Danes again appeared in Berkshire and burnt Reading. They
then advanced up the Thames to Wallingford and burnt that town. They
did not, however, remain in the county, but carried their booty
to the sea by way of Winchester. Both Reading and Wallingford were
soon rebuilt. Edward the Confessor struck coins at both these towns,
and there are specimens in the British Museum. The Confessor had a
residence at Old Windsor, and the great Earl Godwin is said to have
died there in a manner attributed to the judgment of God. The King
gave Windsor to the Abbey of Westminster, but William the Conqueror
exchanged it for some land in Essex, and built a castle on the chalk
hill near the Thames where the present Windsor Castle stands. Ever
since the time of the Conqueror Windsor has been a favourite residence
of our Sovereigns.
In 1121 Reading Abbey was founded by King Henry I and the first Abbot
was appointed in 1123. Henry added to the buildings at Windsor, and
his marriage to his second wife Adelais, daughter of Godfrey Count of
Louvain, took place there in 1121. There was at this time a castle
at Wallingford, for it is recorded that Waleran, Earl of Mellent,
was imprisoned there in 1126.
Henry I died in 1135 and was buried in Reading Abbey. On his death
the peace of the county was disturbed by civil war, for the crown
was claimed by Henry's nephew, Stephen of Blois, though he had sworn
to support the cause of Henry's daughter Maud or Matilda. Matilda
had been married twice, and as her first husband was Henry V,
the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, she is known as the Empress
Matilda. War between Stephen and Matilda began in 1139 and spread
over most of England. Windsor and Reading were held for Stephen,
whilst Brian of Wallingford, a great magnate in Berkshire, took the
side of Matilda. Wallingford Castle was besieged by Stephen in 1139
and again in 1145, but without success. A castle at Faringdon built
by Robert Earl of Gloucester was taken and destroyed by Stephen. In
1145 Matilda gave up the contest and retired to France, but in 1152
her son Henry renewed the war and Stephen again besieged Wallingford
and again unsuccessfully. He also besieged Newbury Castle, which
was held by John Marshal of Hampstead Marshall. Eventually in 1153
peace was made at Wallingford--Stephen to be king for life and to be
succeeded by Henry, son of Matilda. Stephen died in the next year,
1154, and Henry was crowned as King Henry II. He possessed himself
of Wallingford Castle and held a Council there in 1155. Henry added
to the buildings at Windsor Castle, and the lower part of the south
side of the Upper Ward dates from his time.
In 1163 a duel or wager of battle was fought between Robert de
Montfort and Henry of Essex on an island in the Thames below Caversham
Bridge. Essex was accused of treachery or cowardice, having thrown
away the standard in a battle at Coleshill. He was defeated in the
duel and was allowed to join the community of Reading Abbey.
On April 19th, 1164, the ceremony of hallowing the Abbey Church at
Reading was performed by Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury,
in the presence of the King. In 1175 Henry held a royal festival at
Reading, and in 1185 we hear of a state ceremony at this town, when
Henry received Heraclius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Henry died in
1189 and was succeeded by his son Richard I. Soon after his accession
Richard left England on a crusade, having appointed the Bishops
of Ely and Durham guardians of the kingdom during his absence. To
his brother John he gave the government of some English districts
and places, including the Honour of Wallingford. After Richard's
departure a quarrel arose between the Bishop of Ely, whose name was
Longchamp, and Geoffrey Archbishop of York, and Longchamp caused
Geoffrey to be arrested. Prince John took the part of Geoffrey and
called a Council at Reading to demand justification from Longchamp,
who was summoned to meet the prince at Loddon Bridge, presumably
the bridge on the Reading and Wokingham road. Longchamp did not
appear, and all the participators in the arrest of the Archbishop
were excommunicated in Reading church. Longchamp eventually retired
to the continent, and John obtained possession of Windsor Castle,
but gave it up to Queen Eleanor until Richard should come back--which
he did in 1194. On Richard's death, in 1199, his brother John became
King. In 1204 he obtained possession of Beckett near Shrivenham,
once the property of the Earls of Evreux, and he probably lived there
at times, for a mandate to the Sheriff of Oxfordshire is dated from
Beckett. In 1213 John held an important ecclesiastical Council at
Reading Abbey. He died in 1216 and was succeeded by his son Henry,
who was in his tenth year. William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, son of
John Marshal already mentioned, was appointed Regent of the kingdom,
and he held the office until his death in 1219.
In the Dean's Cloisters at Windsor may be still seen the crowned
head of Henry painted during his life by William the monk of
Westminster. Henry added largely to Windsor Castle, and the outer walls
and towers of the Lower Ward are to a great extent his work. Disputes
arose between Henry and his barons, and Berkshire was again the scene
of civil war. In 1261 Parliament was summoned to meet at Windsor,
and the castle was fortified by Prince Edward. It was taken in 1263
by Simon de Montfort, and the prince was captured. In time, however,
he escaped and got the better of the barons.
In 1295 Berkshire sent two knights of the shire to Parliament, and
Reading and Wallingford also sent representatives. In 1307 the Templars
were expelled from their Preceptories at Bisham and Templeton. In
the time of Edward II we hear complaints of robbers in Windsor Forest.
Edward III was born at Windsor in 1312, and his tenure of power began
at a Court held at Wallingford in 1326, though his father was not
deposed until the next year. King Edward wished to hold a Round Table
in imitation of King Arthur, and he invited a number of knights both
English and foreign to assemble at Windsor Castle in 1344. No doubt
a splendid tournament took place and others followed in subsequent
years. In 1347 or 1348 a garter with the motto Hony soit qui mal y
pense was worn as a device at jousts at Windsor, and the institution
of the Order of the Garter in all probability took place at Windsor
in 1348, though some authorities give the date as 1349. At Christmas,
1346, the King was at Reading and a great jousting was held in his
honour, and in 1359 John of Gaunt, afterwards Duke of Lancaster, was
married at Reading, and there was a great pageant and a tournament
in which the King and his sons took part.
During the reign of Edward III, William of Wykeham built, or re-built,
the Round Tower and much of the castle at Windsor. The sword of the
King is still preserved there.
In 1327 Abingdon had a little fight of its own. Some of the
townspeople, assisted by the Mayor of Oxford and it is said by some
scholars, attacked the Abbey and drove out the monks, part of the
buildings being burnt and the muniments destroyed. In the end twelve
of the attacking party were hanged and the monks restored.
In 1361 the Black Prince married Joan the Fair Maid of Kent. The
marriage took place at Windsor, and after her husband's death Joan
lived a good deal at Wallingford.
The reign of Richard II, which lasted from 1377 to 1399, was marked
by constant troubles between the King with his favourites on the
one hand and the nobles on the other. In 1387 Radcot Bridge was the
scene of a fight between the King's party of 5000 men under De Vere,
Duke of Ireland, and Henry Earl of Derby (afterwards Henry IV). De
Vere was defeated, and only escaped by swimming down the Thames.
In 1399 Richard's inglorious reign came to an end. He was deposed in
favour of Henry of Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, who became King
as Henry IV.