British Boroughs originated as Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman towns from the ninth century. The Anglo-Saxon invaders who arrived in Britain in the fifth to seventh centuries were farmers, not interested in repairing the roads or maintaining the Roman towns which fell into partial disuse. The Angle-Saxons at first regarded towns as 'the defences of slavery and the graves of freedom... the work of giants seen from afar'. However, when the Vikings from Scandinavia overran the east and north of the country in the ninth century, they turned to town life in the area which they conquered, the Danelaw. The commercial life of York, their headquarters from 876, was revived by Vikingenterprise, the Roman walls of Chester were rebuilt by a Viking chief, and the East Midlands came under the jurisdiction of the five newly-created Scandinavian boroughs of Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Stamford and Lincoln.
The Angle-Saxons, under their kings Alfred the Great and Edward the Elder, not to be outdone, also created boroughs similar to those of the Scandinavian invaders, at places such as Northampton, Huntingdon, Bedford and Tamworth, and despite many setbacks, re-conquered all the territory which the Scandinavians had acquired. In 1066, the Normans in their turn came to Britain as conquering invaders, and also built new boroughs and enlarged old ones.
The Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and Norman borough had varied functions. It was foremost a defended place or strong point surrounded by an earthen bank of oval or square shape, or by the patched-up wall of an older Roman town. In each new borough, the King settled a permanent garrison with ample reserves, sustained by landowners on whom was laid the obligation of defending the borough in time of need. In return for this, the borough and its burgesses were protected by the King's special peace. The borough was also a trading centre, with a market place and often a mint for coins. When King Edward the Elder ordained that all buying and selling should take place in a market town in the presence of a town-reeve, he ensured the concentration of trading in the growing boroughs. The borough was also an administrative centre. Indeed, many British modern counties came into being as the territories allocated by the King to the support of the defences and trading facilities of a borough, e.g. Nottinghamshire was the support for the county town of Nottingham, as its name shows. Research Boroughs
The Independent Labour Party was inaugurated at Bedford on January 14th 1893. It was established with the object of bringing the trade unions of the country into the political arena as a distinct organisation for securing the direct representation of labour in Parliament, without any regard either to Liberalism or Toryism. Ironically, the Labour Party is today strongly criticised for the influence the trade unions have over it, with many people in Britain wishing to sever the links between the party and the unions. Research Labour Party
Lord Lambourne is an English species of apple raised by the Laxton brothers of Bedford. The fruit is sweet and juicy with a good flavour and ready to pick and eat in late September. Research Lord Lambourne
Charles Grey (Earl Grey) was a British soldier. He was born in 1729 and died in 1807. A major-general, he accompanied Howe from England in 1775, surprised and defeated General Wayne's force near the Schuylkill on September the 20th, 1777, had a command at Germantown and Tappan, and destroyed the shipping and stores at New Bedford in 1778.
Charles Grey (Ear Grey) was an English statesman. He was born in 1764 and died in 1845. The eldest son of Charles Grey, the first earl Grey, he was educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge. In 1786 he was returned to parliament as member for Northumberland. On the accession of the Grenville ministry in 1806, Charles Grey, now Lord Howick, was made first lord of the admiralty, and on the death of Fox succeeded him as secretary for foreign affairs and leader of the House of Commons. The death of his father in 1807 raised him to the House of Peers, and from this period up to 1830 he beaded the opposition in the Lords, and especially opposed the proceedings against Queen Caroline. On the accession of William IV and the retirement of the Wellington ministry, Earl Grey was summoned to office. The great event which marks his administration is the passing in 1832 of the first reform bill. In 1834 Earl Grey resigned, and was succeeded by LordMelbourne. The remainder of his life was chiefly spent in retirement. Research Charles Grey
Charles Piazzi Smyth was a British astronomer. He was born in 1819 at Naples and died in 1900. Educated at BedfordGrammar School, he became assistant at the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope in 1835. While at the Royal Observatory he observed the great comets of 1836 and 1843, and in 1845 was appointed astronomer royal for Scotland. He carried out a number of important researches into spectroscopy and introduced the use of the rain band into meteorology. Research Charles Smyth
The Duke of Bedford (John of Lancaster) was an English prince and soldier. He was born in 1389 and died in 1435. He was the third son of Henry IV by his first wife, Mary of Bohun. He was created Duke of Bedford in 1414 by his brother, Henry V. After Henry's death in 1422 he became regent of England; and in the struggle for the French crown which followed the death of Charles VI he commanded the English army in France, proclaiming Henry VI, a child of nine months, at Paris and defeated the French at Verneuil in 1424. His success was checked by the rise of Joan of Arc - whom he had executed - and the desertions of the dukes of Brittany and Burgundy. Research Duke of Bedford
Henry V was King of England from 1413 to 1422. He was born in 1386 at Monmouth and died in 1422 of dysentery. Soon after his accession, Henry V restored their estates to the Percies, and liberated the Earl of March, but in other respects based his internal administration upon that of his father. He laid claim to the French crown.
Henry V landed near Harfleur in August, 1415, and though its capture cost him more than half his army he decided to return to England by way of Calais. A large French army endeavoured to intercept him at the plain of Agincourt, but was completely routed in October, 1415. A year later the French were defeated at sea by the Duke of Bedford. In 1417 the liberal grants of the Commons enabled Henry once more to invadeNormandy with 25,000 men.
The assassination of the Duke of Burgundy, which induced his son and successor to join Henry, greatly added to his power, and the alliance was soon followed by the famous Treaty of Troyes signed on May the 21st, 1420, by which Henry engaged to marry the PrincessCatharine, and to leave Charles VI in possession of the crown, on condition that it should go to Henry and his heirs at his decease.
Henry V returned in triumph to England, but on the defeat of his brother, the Duke of Clarence, in Normandy by the Earl of Buchan, he again set out for France, drove back the army of the dauphin, and entered Paris. A son was at this time born to him, and all his great projects seemed about to be realized, when he died of dysentry at Vincennes in August, 1422, at the age of thirty-four, and in the tenth year of his reign. He was succeeded by his son Henry VI. Research Henry V
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Abbreviations
Research Boroughs
