143-742: The Royal Berkshire Militia was an auxiliary military regiment in the county of Berkshire in Southern England . From their formal organisation as Trained Bands , in 1572 and their service during the Armada Crisis and in the English Civil War , the Militia of Berkshire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. The regiment provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties and acting as
286-671: A Troop of 24 horsemen on 12 September 1542 for King Henry VIII 's campaign in Scotland that culminated in the Battle of Solway Moss on 24 November. Two years later the town sent 13 horsemen and 20 foot to serve in the Siege of Boulogne . Henry also issued orders for home defence: the county forces were to be mustered under the Lord Lieutenant , assisted by the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of
429-464: A 100% win record. In 2010–11 the club finished bottom of National League 2S, with a single win and twenty-nine defeats. The club was founded in 1928 and in 1996 moved to a new purpose-built ground at Monks Lane, which has since hosted England U21 fixtures. The Bracknell Bees Ice Hockey Club are former national champions, who play in the English Premier League . Slough Jets also play in
572-674: A call for volunteers to transfer from the militia: six officers and 333 privates of the Berkshires volunteered, but according to regulations only four officers and 263 men could be accepted. However, another call in October for volunteers for the campaign in Holland led Captain Holdsworth and 150 men to transfer to the 15th Foot . When the Supplementary Militia were stood down another 150 men left
715-573: A division alongside regular troops while providing a reserve in case of French invasion of South East England. The regiment returned to Reading for the winter on 17 November. In February 1779 two companies were sent to quarters in Oxfordshire, one at Banbury and the other at Woodstock . In April the men reaching the end of their engagements were marched hime, and replaced by newly-balloted men. The regiment also had to provide escorts to groups of prisoners from Reading Gaol who were being impressed into
858-515: A few barons , the great officers of state and royal household , and clerks, secretaries and other special counsellors (often friars and literate knights ). It was capable of drafting legislative acta —administrative orders issued as letters patent or letters close . During the reign of Henry III ( r. 1216–1272 ), a major theme of politics was the composition of the king's council. Barons frequently complained that they were inadequately represented, and efforts were made to change
1001-608: A formed regiment, though many transferred to the Regular Army. Napoleon abdicated in April 1814 and it appeared that the wars were over. In September the English militia regiments in Ireland were ordered back to their home counties to be disembodied. The RBM marched from Tuam to Newry and then embarked for Liverpool in two ships on 29–30 September. Having concentrated after landing, the regiment
1144-673: A major draw; the highlight is the Ascot Gold Cup . The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run in July. Newbury Racecourse is in the civil parish of Greenham , adjoining the town of Newbury. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 32 Group 1 races, the Lockinge Stakes . It also hosts the Ladbrokes Trophy , which
1287-609: A number of other militia regiments while King George III and the Royal Family were in residence during September. The regiment was reviewed by the king on two occasions. In October the Berkshires went into winter quarters in Portsmouth, with the Flank (Grenadier and Light) companies at Winchester until they joined the main body in June 1799. A manpower crisis in the Regular Army in June 1799 led to
1430-567: A rich history in horse racing, the well drained, spongy grass, open downs and long flats make the Lambourn Downs ideal for training racehorses. This area of West Berkshire is the largest centre of racehorse training in the UK after Newmarket , and is known as the 'Valley of the Racecourse'. Reading F.C. is the only Berkshire football club to play professional football . Despite being founded in 1871,
1573-485: A series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. An adjutant and drill sergeants were to be provided to each regiment from the Regular Army , and arms and accoutrements would be supplied when
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#17328866347811716-659: A small depot at Reading, and embarked for Corfu under the command of Lt-Col Bacon. The bulk of the regiment sailed aboard the Saldhana , while two companies sailed with the 3rd Middlesex Militia aboard the Great Tasmania . During the regiment's time in Corfu it lost about 50 men to Cholera , with about the same number of wives and children. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris on 30 March 1856, and on 16 May regular battalions returning from
1859-430: A smaller council the curia was in constant session and in direct contact with the king. Originally, important legal cases were heard coram rege (Latin for "in the presence of the king himself"). But the growth of the royal justice system under Henry II ( r. 1154–1189 ) required specialization, and the judicial functions of the curia regis were delegated to two courts sitting at Westminster Hall :
2002-590: A source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army . It later became a battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment , and prepared thousands of reinforcements for the fighting battalions of the regiment in World War I . After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953. The English militia was descended from the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd , the military force raised from
2145-604: Is Walbury Hill at 297 m (974 ft). To the north of the Kennet are the Berkshire Downs . This is hilly country, with smaller and well-wooded valleys: those of the Lambourn , Pang , and their Thames sub-tributaries. The open upland areas vie with Newmarket, Suffolk for horse racing training and breeding centres and have good fields of barley, wheat, and other cereal crops. Berkshire’s surface can be divided into three bands:
2288-532: Is a ceremonial county and non-metropolitan county , one of four currently in England that have no council covering their entire area; rather it is divided into six unitary authorities. Berkshire County Council existed from 1889 until its abolition in 1998. The ceremonial county has a Lord Lieutenant and a High Sheriff . The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire is Andrew Try, and the High Sheriff of Berkshire for 2018/19
2431-473: Is a ceremonial county in South East England . It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London to the east, Surrey to the south-east, Hampshire to the south, and Wiltshire to the west. Reading is the largest settlement and the county town . The county has an area of 1,263 km (488 sq mi) and a population of 911,403. The population
2574-718: Is a centre for rugby union football . The Premiership team London Irish were for 20 years tenants at the Madejski Stadium before their move back to SW London at a new stadium in Brentford. Newbury's rugby union club, Newbury R.F.C. (the Newbury 'Blues'), is based in the town. In the 2004–05 season, the club finished second in the National Two division earning promotion to National One. Newbury had previously won National Four South (now renamed as National Three South) in 1996–97 with
2717-672: Is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Berkshire at current basic prices published by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British pounds sterling . Reading has a historical involvement in the information technology industry, largely as a result of the early presence in the town of sites of International Computers Limited and Digital . These companies have been swallowed by other groups, but their descendants, Fujitsu and Hewlett-Packard respectively, still have local operations. More recently Microsoft and Oracle have established multi-building campuses on
2860-471: Is concentrated in the east, the area closest to Greater London, which includes the county's largest towns: Reading (174,224), Slough (164,793), Bracknell (113,205), and Maidenhead (70,374). The west is rural, and its largest town is Newbury (33,841). For local government purposes Berkshire comprises six unitary authority areas: Bracknell Forest , Reading , Slough , West Berkshire , Windsor and Maidenhead , and Wokingham . The historic county included
3003-564: Is home to the Slough Ladies 1XI who play in the Women's Premier League, with five adult teams. In 2016, Bracknell and Wokingham Hockey Clubs merged to form South Berkshire Hockey Club. The team plays at Cantley Park in Wokingham and occasionally at Birch Hill, Bracknell. Other hockey teams in the county include Tadley, Yateley, Maidenhead, Windsor, and Newbury & Thatcham Hockey Clubs. Berkshire
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#17328866347813146-549: Is home to the central Waitrose distribution centre and head office, which is on a 70-acre (280,000 m ) site on the Southern Industrial Estate. Waitrose has operated from the town since the 1970s. The town is also home to the UK headquarters of Honda and BMW . Newbury is home to the world headquarters of the mobile network operator Vodafone , which is the town's largest employer with over 6,000 people. Before moving to their £129 million headquarters in
3289-573: Is home to the following universities: the University of Reading (which includes the Henley Business School ), Imperial College ( Silwood Park Campus), and the University of West London . It is also home to The Chartered Institute of Marketing , prestigious independent schools Ludgrove School , Eton College and Wellington College , and several grammar schools including Reading School , Kendrick School and Herschel Grammar School . See
3432-496: Is mostly based in the urban areas to the east and centre of the county: the largest towns here are Reading , Slough , Bracknell , Maidenhead , Woodley , Wokingham , Windsor , Earley , Sandhurst , and Crowthorne . West Berkshire is much more rural and sparsely populated, with far fewer towns: the largest are Newbury , Thatcham , and Hungerford . In recent years, Berkshire has seen consistent population growth, particularly in urban areas like Reading and Slough. Between 2011-21,
3575-710: Is said to be the biggest handicap race of the National Hunt season apart from the Grand National . Windsor Racecourse , also known as Royal Windsor Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Windsor . It is one of only two figure-of-eight courses in the United Kingdom. (The other is at Fontwell Park ). It abandoned National Hunt jump racing in December 1998, switching entirely to flat racing. Lambourn also has
3718-644: Is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. Berkshire was one of the southern counties called upon to send troops to suppress the Rising of the North in 1569. Although the militia obligation was universal, this assembly confirmed that it was impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man. After 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the Trained Bands (TBs), who were mustered for regular training. The Armada Crisis in 1588 led to
3861-611: Is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 13 of the UK's 35 annual Group 1 races. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family , being approximately 6 mi (10 km) from Windsor Castle , and owned by the Crown Estate . Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year, comprising sixteen flat meetings held between May and October. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains
4004-571: The Council of State . From now on the term 'Trained Band' began to disappear in most counties. The Berkshire TBs were reunited into a single regiment in 1650 and Christopher Whichcote, who had been Governor of Windsor Castle for Parliament, was appointed as its colonel. During the Scottish invasion of the Third English Civil War in 1651, English county militia regiments were called out to supplement
4147-452: The Court of King's Bench and the Court of Common Pleas . By 1237, the curia regis had formally split into two separate councils–the king's council and Parliament ; though, they had long been separate in practice. The king's council was "permanent, advisory, and executive". It managed day to day government and included the king's ministers and closest advisers. Its members always included
4290-614: The Crimea , the militia began to be called out for home defence. The Royal Berkshires were embodied at Reading on 1 January 1855, and the men were billeted in the town. About 700 men volunteered for the Line regiments, but by active recruiting the regiment was kept up to strength. Meanwhile the whole regiment volunteered for overseas garrison duty and in July was accepted to serve in the Ionian Islands . In September it went by train to Portsmouth, leaving
4433-565: The English Premier League winning the title in 2007. Slough Jets also won the play-offs in 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10 & 2011–12. They also won the EPIH Cup in 2010–11. Slough Jets have been in the EPIHL since 1999. Phoenix Reading Hockey Club, based at Reading University, has six adult teams and a large junior development section. Reading Hockey Club and Sonning Hockey Club are situated close to each other near Blue Coats School. Slough Hockey Club
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4576-582: The Flag Institute in 2017. All of the county is drained by the Thames. Berkshire divides into two topological (and associated geological) sections: east and west of Reading . North-east Berkshire has the low calciferous (limestone) m-shaped bends of the Thames south of which is a broader, clayey, gravelly former watery plain or belt from Earley to Windsor and beyond, south, are parcels and belts of uneroded higher sands, flints, shingles and lightly acid soil and in
4719-569: The House of Lords and the House of Commons , together with leading churchmen, judges, diplomats and military leaders. The Privy Council of England was a powerful institution, advising the sovereign on the exercise of the royal prerogative and on the granting of royal charters . It issued executive orders known as Orders in Council and also had judicial functions. In 1708, the Privy Council of England
4862-673: The Kingdom of Great Britain , the English privy council was abolished by the Parliament of Great Britain and thereafter there was one Privy Council of Great Britain sitting in London. Nevertheless, long after the Act of Union 1800 the Kingdom of Ireland retained the Privy Council of Ireland , which came to an end only in 1922, when Southern Ireland separated from the United Kingdom, to be succeeded by
5005-525: The Labour Party ) with employed executives, whereas Labour Party local councillors run both Bracknell Forest and Reading , with Slough being run by the Conservative Party . After the 2024 United Kingdom general election , 5 of the elected Members of Parliament (MPs) were Labour, 3 Lib Dem and one conservative. The prime minister between 2016–19, Theresa May represented Maidenhead . This
5148-617: The List of places in Berkshire , List of settlements in Berkshire by population and the List of civil parishes in Berkshire Privy Council of England The Privy Council of England , also known as His (or Her ) Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council ( Latin : concilium familiare, concilium privatum et assiduum ), was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England . Its members were often senior members of
5291-641: The New Model Army . In August the Berkshire Militia was ordered to a rendezvous at Oxford, leaving one of its companies to garrison Windsor Castle. The Berkshire Militia Horse Troop was present at the Battle of Worcester and was commended for its service in the charge. Under the Commonwealth and Protectorate the militia received pay when called out, and operated alongside the New Model Army to control
5434-462: The Privy Council of Northern Ireland . The sovereign, when acting on the council's advice, was known as the " King-in-Council " or "Queen-in-Council". The members of the council were collectively known as "The Lords of His [or Her] Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council", or sometimes "The Lords and others of ..."). The chief officer of the body was the Lord President of the Council , one of
5577-471: The Staffordshire Militia who were guarding prisoners there. The remaining companies were sent from Reading to Hilsea Barracks , Portsmouth, a notoriously sickly site and much disliked by militia regiments unlucky enough to be stationed there. Illness was so widespread that the remaining fit junior officers had to do double duty, which irritated them to the point of resignation. In October the regiment
5720-612: The Thames : Slough, Eton, Eton Wick, Wraysbury, Horton, and Datchet. In the heart of the county Reading's northern suburb Caversham is also on that bank, but rises steeply into the Chiltern Hills . Two main tributaries skirt past Reading, the Loddon and its sub-tributary the Blackwater draining parts of two counties south, and the Kennet draining part of upland Wiltshire in the west. Heading west
5863-454: The Thames Valley from the Hannington TV transmitter. Those parts of Berkshire closest to London such as Maidenhead , Windsor and Slough , receive BBC London and ITV London from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter. The county’s local radio stations are BBC Radio Berkshire , Heart South and Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire . Berkshire hosts more Group 1 flat horse races than any other county. Ascot Racecourse
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6006-483: The Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . Early in 1793 the Royal Berkshires were quartered in towns along the South Coast of England. On 6 March, while commanding a detachment escorting French prisoners from Rye to Dover , Lieutenant the Earl of Barrymore died when the fusil he was carrying went off as he boarded his carriage. In July the regiment joined a large encampment at Broadwater Common, Waterdown Forest, outside Tunbridge Wells , one of several established in
6149-406: The county borough of Reading . Boundary alterations in the late 19th century and early 20th century were relatively rare, but included ceding the parts of the borough of Oxford south of the Thames in 1889, and gaining Caversham from Oxfordshire in 1911. The administrative county's full legal name was "Berks" rather than "Berkshire" until 1967, when the government changed the name to Berkshire at
6292-401: The Berkshire Trained Band Horse comprised 59 Cuirassiers (armoured men) and 31 Harquebusiers (armed with carbines ). The Berkshire TBs were embodied in 1640 when a large force was called out for the Second Bishops' War . The county was ordered to send 600 men overland to join the army mustering at Newcastle upon Tyne . Sergeant-Major-General Sir Jacob Astley was appointed colonel of
6435-402: The Berkshire and Oxfordshire contingents. Once again, it seems that many of the trained bandsmen nationwide escaped service and raw substitutes were sent in their place. The deputy lieutenants of Berkshire encountered difficulty in raising the necessary money and men: only about 120 men from the Radley area came forward of the 240 due from Abingdon Division. Further, many of the men sent from
6578-400: The Chilterns, and often contain layers of chalk rock. Less consolidated Palaeogene clays , sands , gravels and silts of the Lambeth , Thames and Bracklesham Groups overlie these rocks in some areas. These hills, and the valleys that surround them, were shaped by the rivers Kennet , Lambourn , Pang and Enborne , and the Quaternary sands and gravels they brought with them and (in
6721-627: The Crimea relieved the militia in the Ionian Islands. The RBM sailed for home aboard the Imperador on 26 May, arriving at Spithead on 11 June. It returned to Reading and was disembodied on 4 July. For this service the regiment received the Battle honour Mediterranean , awarded on 9 June 1856. When the Indian Mutiny broke out the following year, militia regiments were once again called out to release regulars for service there. The Royal Berkshires were embodied on 30 September 1857 and served at North Camp, Aldershot , until they were disembodied on 7 May 1858. Thereafter, annual training (21 or 27 days)
6864-399: The Government created the Supplementary Militia, a compulsory levy of men to be trained in their spare time, and to be incorporated in the Regular Militia in emergency. Berkshire's quota was fixed at 749 men, but no additional regiments were formed. In January 1797 the Berkshire Militia sent a training cadre of two officers, two sergeants, a drummer and nine rank and file to Wokingham to train
7007-410: The Great was born in Wantage , also now in Oxfordshire. Windsor Castle , which would become the official country residence of the British monarch , was built after the Norman Conquest . The county has been the site of several battles, particularly during the First English Civil War , when Reading and Wallingford were besieged two battles took place at Newbury, in 1643 and 1644 . The proximity of
7150-415: The Great 's campaign against the Danes included the battles of Englefield , Ashdown and Reading . Newbury was the site of English Civil War battles: the First Battle of Newbury , at Wash Common in 1643, and the Second Battle of Newbury , at Speen in 1644. Donnington Castle was reduced to a ruin in the aftermath of the second battle. Another Battle of Reading took place on 9 December 1688. It
7293-429: The Isle of Wight once more. There was a general muster of the militia in 1685 during the Monmouth Rebellion . As the Royal army under the Earl of Feversham advanced into the West Country to meet the rebels, the Berkshire Militia at Reading, supported by the Oxfordshire Militia , secured his lines of communication. However, King James II had lost much of his support when William of Orange invaded in 1688: although
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#17328866347817436-418: The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, the 2nd Duke of St Albans , was ordered to bring the county regiment, including the troop of horse, up to full strength and efficiency. Afterwards, the militia passed into virtual abeyance during the long peace that followed, although a few counties (not Berkshire) were called out during the Jacobite Rising of 1745 . Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War
7579-432: The Market Place in Newbury. The American War of Independence broke out in 1775, and by 1778 Britain was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The militia were embodied in March 1778, and on 1 June the Berkshires under Col Vansittart were ordered to Coxheath Camp near Maidstone in Kent , which was the army's largest training camp. Here the completely raw militia were exercised as part of
7722-402: The Netherlands. However, the counties usually conscripted the unemployed and criminals rather than the Trained Bandsmen – in 1585 the Privy Council had ordered the impressment of able-bodied unemployed men, and the Queen ordered 'none of her trayned-bands to be pressed'. Replacing the weapons issued to the levies from the militia armouries was a heavy cost on the counties. With the passing of
7865-425: The Parliamentarian army. During the latter stages of the First Civil War, Col John Barkstead was appointed Parliamentary Governor of Reading 12 August 1645, and the town had to support the cost of his regiment. As Parliament tightened its grip on the country it passed legislation to reorganise the militia. New Militia Acts in 1648 and 1650 replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or
8008-457: The Peace (JPs). On the death of King Edward VI Reading supplied a detachment of 10 men to support Queen Mary I against the rebellion of the Duke of Northumberland , and later to attend the coronation. The legal basis of the militia was updated in Mary's reign with two acts of 1557 covering musters ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 3) and the maintenance of horses and armour ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 2). The entry into force of these acts in 1558
8151-430: The Privy Council of England for more than a hundred years after the Union of the Crowns. By the end of the English Civil War , the monarchy, House of Lords and Privy Council had been abolished. A new government, the English Commonwealth , was established. The remaining house of Parliament, the House of Commons , instituted a Council of State to execute laws and to direct administrative policy. The forty-one members of
8294-426: The Protector's Privy Council; its members were appointed by the Lord Protector, subject to Parliament's approval. In 1659, shortly before the restoration of the monarchy , the Protector's Council was abolished. Charles II restored the royal Privy Council, but he, like previous Stuart monarchs, chose to rely on a small committee of advisers. In 1708, one year after the Treaty and Acts of Union of 1707 created
8437-555: The Queen's bodyguard comprised 230 horsemen. After the defeat of the Armada, the army was dispersed to its counties to avoid supply problems, but the men were to hold themselves in readiness. A further Spanish invasion alert in 1599 led to a partial mobilisation, with Reading furnishing 140 men. In the 16th Century little distinction was made between the militia and the troops levied by the counties for overseas expeditions, and Berkshire supplied levies almost every year from 1585: by 1602, 469 had been sent to Ireland, 480 to France, and 675 to
8580-509: The RBM volunteered for this service. The men sailed from Plymouth between 29 April and 7 May, landing at Cobh of Cork on 12 May. They marched through Midleton to Athlone where they were quartered until the summer, receiving at least one draft of recruits from Reading. On 16 August the regiment left Athlone for Galway . A year later they were stationed at Tuam . A number of the Berkshire Local Militia also volunteered for overseas service in December 1813, but they were too late to be accepted as
8723-471: The Reading Division told Astley they 'would not fight against the Gospel' or be commanded by 'Papists', and would march no further. After his Berkshire and Oxfordshire men disbanded themselves, Astley continued to the Scots Border to take up command of the King's infantry. Further efforts by the Lord Lieutenant , the Earl of Holland , raised a Troop of horse in Berkshire, but the men of the Vale of White Horse were particularly reluctant to serve. Control of
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#17328866347818866-476: The Reading company for the first time. The regiment was embodied for permanent service on 26 July when the country was on high alert for a French invasion. The Berkshires were ordered to quarters in Marlborough , Hungerford and Devizes , but Sir Willoughby Aston was so keen to drill the men together that he persuaded the townsfolk of Devizes to billet the whole regiment for a few days. In October it went into winter quarters at Winchester Barracks . In June 1760
9009-419: The Royal Family's summer residences, including the Berkshires. The Royal Berkshire Militia (RBM) left Kent on 30 October for Chelmsford in Essex, and by 28 December was at Stoke Barracks at Ipswich . During the summer of 1805, when Napoleon was massing his 'Army of England' at Boulogne for a projected invasion, the regiment, with 611 men in 10 companies under the command of Lt-Col Thomas William Ravenshaw,
9152-613: The UK headquarters is still based there. Bracknell is a base for high-tech industries, with the presence of companies such as Panasonic , Fujitsu (formerly ICL ) and Fujitsu-Siemens Computers , Dell , Hewlett-Packard , Siemens (originally Nixdorf ), Honeywell , Cable & Wireless , Avnet Technology Solutions and Novell . Firms spread into the surrounding Thames Valley or M4 corridor , attracting IT firms such as Cable & Wireless , DEC (subsequently Hewlett-Packard ), Microsoft , Sharp Telecommunications , Oracle Corporation , Sun Microsystems and Cognos . Bracknell
9295-592: The UK headquarters of Mars, Incorporated are based in Slough . The European head offices of major IT companies BlackBerry , CA Technologies , are in the town. The town is home to the National Foundation for Educational Research , which is housed in The Mere. Other major brands with offices in the town include Nintendo , Black & Decker , Amazon , HTC , SSE plc and Abbey Business Centres . Dulux paints were manufactured in Slough by AkzoNobel , which bought Imperial Chemical Industries in 2008. Manufacturing ceased in 2018 with operations moving elsewhere, however
9438-434: The White Horse is now within the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire. The original Local Government White Paper would have transferred Henley-on-Thames from Oxfordshire to Berkshire: this proposal did not make it into the Bill as introduced. On 1 April 1998 Berkshire County Council was abolished under a recommendation of the Banham Commission , and the districts became unitary authorities . Unlike similar reforms elsewhere at
9581-405: The advance guard of the Royalist army through Berkshire, when the Parliamentarians evacuated Reading on 4 November. However, Windsor rejected his summons on 7 November and he continued towards London, joining the King's main body west of the City, where the Parliamentarian Army, supported by the LTBs, blocked the Royalists' advance on London at the Battle of Turnham Green on 13 November. Berkshire
9724-542: The area after which it was named). The heaths and woodland south and east of Bracknell are mostly covered by (Eocene) Bracklesham Group sands and clays, and Quaternary sands, silts and gravels. After the Thames broke through the Goring Gap that river and its tributaries the Loddon , Emm Brook , Blackwater and (to some extent) Wey shaped the geography of eastern Berkshire but have not yet eroded away its Eocene cover. According to 2003 estimates there were 803,657 people in Berkshire, or 636 people/km . The population
9867-417: The area to the west of Reading and the western edge of the Chiltern Hills . The lower (early) Cretaceous rocks are sandstones and mudstones (now visible only on the slopes of Walbury Hill ) whilst those of the upper (late) Cretaceous are the various formations that comprise the Chalk Group . In Berkshire, White Chalk Formation beds tend to be shallower than those further west ( Wiltshire ) or those in
10010-543: The army. In May the seven companies at Reading were dispersed across Oxfordshire to Henley-on-Thames , Nettlebed , Wallingford and Bensington , then in June it was concentrated again at Reading and marched to Essex , to be quartered at Romford , Ilford and Hare Street until their summer camp at Adarley Common was ready. In March 1780 the regiment provided detachments to escort Spanish prisoners as far as Woodstock on their journey from Portsmouth to Shrewsbury , and then in May five companies were sent to Winchester to relieve
10153-443: The body to circumvent the courts and Parliament. For example, a committee of the council – which later became the Court of the Star Chamber – was during the fifteenth century permitted to inflict any punishment except death, without being bound by normal court procedure. During Henry VIII's reign, the sovereign, on the advice of the council, was allowed to enact laws by mere proclamation. The legislative pre-eminence of Parliament
10296-542: The case of the Kennet) left behind when they changed course. The early Eocene London Clay (Thames Group) generally gets thinner as we proceed westwards, though the thickness of beds can vary considerably over short distances. Where rivers have cut through these beds Lambeth Group layers are found (notably, the Palaeocene Reading Formation , used for brick-making since Roman times but now increasingly scarce in
10439-604: The church bells were rung to greet the local regiment. From Taunton the regiment sent detachments to Bridgwater with prisoners of war, and to the coast defences at Berry Head , Torbay , Brixham and Fishcombe Battery . In the winter of 1806–7 the regiment was around Portsmouth, in Colewort Barracks and at Portsea . Its spent the summer of 1807 in Sussex at Steyning and Blatchington Barracks , with men quartered in Lewes , and in 1808
10582-549: The club did not join the Football League until 1920, and first played in the top tier of English football in the 2006–07 season . Newbury was home to A.F.C. Newbury , which was one of only two football clubs to be sponsored by Vodafone (the other being Manchester United ). In 2006 Vodafone ended its sponsorship of the club, following which the club collapsed. A local pub team from the Old London Apprentice took over
10725-480: The council were elected by the Commons; the body was headed by Oliver Cromwell , the de facto military dictator of the nation. In 1653, however, Cromwell became Lord Protector , and the Council was reduced to between thirteen and twenty-one members, all elected by the Commons. In 1657, the Commons granted Cromwell even greater powers, some of which were reminiscent of those enjoyed by monarchs. The council became known as
10868-652: The council's membership. At the Oxford Parliament of 1258 , reformers forced a reluctant Henry to accept the Provisions of Oxford , which vested royal power in an elected council of fifteen barons. However, these reforms were ultimately overturned with the king's victory in the Second Barons War . The council of Edward I ( r. 1272–1307 ) played a major role in drafting and proposing legislation to Parliament for ratification. Powerful sovereigns often used
11011-734: The country. In 1655 a Maj Butler was appointed to command the militia of Berkshire, Huntingdonshire , Northamptonshire and Rutlandshire . After several periods of service, the Berkshire Militia Horse were finally stood down in January 1660. After the Restoration of the Monarchy , the English Militia was re-established by the Militia Act 1661 under the control of the king's lords lieutenant,
11154-587: The county and flowing past Slough and Windsor . The south-east of the county contains Swinley Forest , a remnant of Windsor Forest now used as a forestry plantation . There is evidence of prehistoric settlement on the Berkshire Downs, including the Iron Age Uffington White Horse , now in Oxfordshire. In the Anglo-Saxon period the region was contested by Mercia and Wessex , and Alfred
11297-598: The county council's request. Berkshire received the title "Royal County" in 1957 due to the presence of Windsor Castle. The area has historical ties to royalty dating back to the Norman Conquest, when William the Conqueror established Windsor as a royal residence. On 1 April 1974, Berkshire's boundaries changed under the Local Government Act 1972 . Berkshire took over administration of Slough and Eton and part of
11440-548: The county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits. Berkshire was given a quota of 560 men to fill, and by the end of 1758 the Lord Lieutenant, the 3rd Duke of St Albans , had appointed Sir Willoughby Aston, 5th Baronet of Wadley , as colonel, Arthur Vansittart as lieutenant-colonel, and the Reading MP John Dodd as major. The Berkshire Militia was issued with its arms on 6 June 1759, when Maj Dodd exercised
11583-578: The county's downlands , south and east of which the London Clay spans almost the whole county, and in the south-east corner sandy Palaeogene heath covers the London Clay. This is an oversimplification, however. A gently folded succession of sedimentary rocks dating from the Cretaceous period, with some surviving Palaeogene cover and extensive Quaternary deposits, characterise the downlands, which cover
11726-670: The defence cordon along the Kent coast. It was quartered in Deal and Sandwich for the winter, then was part of a great camp at Hythe in 1795. The next winter was spent in quarters in the Isle of Thanet . In 1796 the regiment marched into the West Country and was stationed around Totnes in Devon . In a fresh attempt to have as many men as possible under arms for home defence in order to release regulars, in 1796
11869-555: The different counties bribed or bullied the conducting officers to release them. Captain William Lower led his Berkshire company through Brackley in Northamptonshire , where they met several mutineers from Daventry who told them tales of being sold into slavery. Lower promised that his men would not be forced to take a single step outside the kingdom, but they refused to believe him and threatened to beat out his brains. The men of
12012-547: The directories company Hibu . The insurance company Prudential has an administration centre in the town. PepsiCo and Holiday Inn have offices. As with most major cities, Reading also has offices of the Big Four accounting firms Deloitte , Ernst & Young , KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers . The 110-year old charity, Berkshire Vision is also located within Reading city centre. The global headquarters of Reckitt Benckiser and
12155-420: The east of the county to London led to development from the nineteenth century, when Slough became an industrial centre and Bracknell was designated a new town . Software development and high-tech industry dominate the economy in the east, but the west remains an agricultural region. According to Asser 's biography of King Alfred , written in 893 AD, Berkshire takes its name from a wood of box trees , which
12298-487: The economy of Slough in east Berkshire. Abingdon Abbey once had dairy-based granges in the south-east of the county, Red Windsor cheese was developed with red marbling. Some Berkshire cheeses are Wigmore, Waterloo and Spenwood (named after Spencers Wood ) in Riseley ; and Barkham Blue, Barkham Chase and Loddon Blewe at Barkham . Local news and television programmes are covered by BBC South and ITV Meridian for
12441-532: The encampment on Lenham Heath . At the end of the summer, it was quartered in Kentish villages from 31 October, with headquarters at Tunbridge Wells . On 24 June 1782 it was ordered back to Coxheath Camp where it spent the summer. In November it was ordered to quarters in villages around Rochester and Gillingham , but then returned to winter quarters in Newbury in early December. A peace treaty having been agreed in Paris,
12584-566: The first annual training in 1809, there were disturbances among some of the new local militia units. At Reading the men were incited to lay down their arms by members of the Reading Loyal Volunteers, who had been drinking after the King's birthday parade. Meanwhile the RBM continued its movements around the country. By July 1809 the regiment was at Great Yarmouth , and by the end of November 1810 it
12727-409: The first contingent of the supplementary militia for 20 days. The process was repeated at other Berkshire towns such as Wantage and Wallingford until the whole quota had undergone training. Later, many of the supplementaries were recruited into the Regular Army. On 1 October 1797 the Berkshire Militia went into winter quarters at Bristol, where Lt-Col Francis Sykes was involved in a duel in which he
12870-528: The former Eton Rural District from Buckinghamshire. The northern part of the county came under governance of Oxfordshire , with Faringdon , Wantage and Abingdon and their hinterland becoming the Vale of White Horse district, and Didcot and Wallingford added to South Oxfordshire district. 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron still keep the Uffington White Horse in their insignia, even though
13013-536: The freemen of the shires under command of their Sheriff . It continued under the Norman kings . The force was reorganised under the Assizes of Arms of 1181 and 1252 , and again by King Edward I 's Statute of Winchester of 1285. In addition to the ams and armour kept by householders under these statutes, there are records from 1488–89 of a 'Town Guard' of six men maintained by the Berkshire town of Reading . Reading provided
13156-479: The ground temporarily and now compete in the Hellenic Football League as Newbury F.C. There are several amateur and semi-professional football clubs in the county. These include Maidenhead United , Slough Town , Hungerford Town , Thatcham Town , Ascot United , A.F.C. Aldermaston , Sandhurst Town , Windsor F.C. , Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C. , Bracknell Town F.C. and Reading City . Reading
13299-467: The invasion-threatened South East of England. The whole camp moved to Ashdown Forest at the beginning of August and then to Brighton for two weeks before returning to Broadwater Common. The camps were broken up on 29 October and the regiment went into winter quarters at Romsey in Hampshire . In the spring of 1794 the Berkshire Militia marched to camp at Eastbourne , and then spent the summer as part of
13442-423: The lords lieutenant were ordered to call out the militia there seems to have been general apathy, while senior military commanders and James's own family deserted him. The skirmish at Reading on 9 December involved not the militia but individual citizens firing from upstairs windows in support of William's troops. The militia were kept at a high level of efficiency during the subsequent reign of William III. During
13585-431: The men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell 's military dictatorship, and almost the whole burden of home defence and internal security was entrusted to the militia. The Berkshire Militia was re-established in 1661. Following the Act of Uniformity 1662 , it became part of
13728-516: The militia was disembodied in March 1783. From 1785 to 1791 the militia carried out 28 days' annual training, but to save money only two-thirds of the men were actually called out each year. As the international situation deteriorated in late 1792, the militia began to be embodied. Two thirds of the Berkshires were assembled at the Forbury, Reading, on 18 December, and a week later orders were issued to call out
13871-618: The militia's duties to enforce the Act against Dissenters . At the end of October 1662 the Berkshire lieutenancy was ordered to employ their civil and military powers to suppress dissenting conventicles and to arrest the teachers. The Second Anglo-Dutch War broke put in 1665 and when the Royal Navy was defeated at the Four Days' Battle in June 1666 the militia were ordered to be ready to assemble. In July selected county regiments were embodied to protect
14014-480: The mobilisation of the trained bands on 23 July. The previous April Berkshire had mustered 3120 able-bodied men, of whom 1000 were trained and a further 930 untrained men were 'pioneers'. In addition the county fielded 10 'lances' (heavy cavalry), 180 light horse, and 35 ' petronels ' (the petronel was an early cavalry firearm). The Berkshire TBs were present at the camp at Tilbury where Queen Elizabeth I gave her Tilbury speech on 9 August. The Berkshire contingent of
14157-464: The north of the Bagshot Formation , north of Surrey and Hampshire . Swinley Forest (also known as Bracknell Forest), Windsor Great Park , Crowthorne and Stratfield Saye Woods have many pine, silver birch, and other lightly acid-soil trees. East of the grassy and wooded bends a large minority of East Berkshire's land mirrors the clay belt, being of low elevation and on the left (north) bank of
14300-559: The outskirts of Reading. Other technology companies with a presence in the town include Huawei Technologies , Agilent Technologies , Audio & Design (Recording) Ltd , Bang & Olufsen , Cisco , Comptel , Ericsson , Harris Corporation , Intel , Nvidia , Rockwell Collins , Sage , SGI , Symantec , Symbol Technologies , Verizon Business , Virgin Media O2 , Websense , Xansa (now Sopra Steria ), and Xerox . The financial company ING Direct has its headquarters in Reading, as does
14443-513: The outskirts of the town in 2002, Vodafone used 64 buildings spread across the town centre. As well as Vodafone, Newbury is also home to National Instruments , Micro Focus , EValue , NTS Express Road Haulage, Jokers' Masquerade and Quantel . It also is home to the Newbury Building Society , which operates in the region. In Compton , a small village, roughly 10 miles from Newbury , a chemical manufacturing company called Carbosynth
14586-555: The parts of Oxfordshire south of the River Thames , which formed its northern border, but excluded Caversham and Slough . The Berkshire Downs , a chalk downland and area of outstanding natural beauty , occupy the west of the county. They are the source of the River Kennet , which flows east through Newbury before meeting the Thames at Reading. The Thames then forms Berkshire's northern border, flowing past Maidenhead, before entering
14729-489: The permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during a renewed period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training
14872-416: The population increased by 6.7%, largely due to migration and economic opportunities in the region. Reading has experienced significant growth due to its reputation as a technology and business hub. In 1831, there were 146,234 people living in Berkshire; by 1901 the population had risen to 252,571 (of whom 122,807 were male and 129,764 were female). Below were the largest immigrant groups in 2011. Berkshire
15015-490: The reduced, but equally large, part of the county extends further from the Thames which flows from the north-north-west before the Goring Gap ; West Berkshire hosts the varying-width plain of the River Kennet rising to high chalk hills by way of and lower clay slopes and rises. To the south, the land crests along the boundary with Hampshire ; the highest parts of South-East and Eastern England taken together are here. The highest
15158-725: The regiment left barracks to join an encampment outside Winchester where they were brigaded with the 34th Foot and the Gloucestershire , Bedfordshire , Dorsetshire and Wiltshire Militia, all under the command of Lieutenant-General the Earl of Effingham . This training camp was broken up in October, when the Berkshire Militia were marched in two divisions to quarters at Hungerford and Ilsley , and Newbury and Speen respectively. The following month it moved into its winter quarters, with five companies at Reading and two each at Wallingford and Oakingham (Wokingham). On 18 March 1761 Col Aston
15301-560: The regiment marched to Ashford Barracks in Kent, which they shared with the 2nd Royal Surrey Militia , Meanwhile the Berkshire Supplementary Militia was called out for internal security duty in Berkshire. On 15 October the regiment moved to Shorncliffe Camp , then from 1 December spent the winter at Walmer Barracks and North Infantry Barracks, Deal . On 23 April 1804 the King conferred the title 'Royal' on 12 militia regiments, several of which had served at Weymouth during
15444-508: The regiment passed through Derby in wagons to be deployed across Lancashire , at Liverpool, Preston , Blackburn and Colne Barracks. In November 1812 the regiment was transferred to South West England where corn riots had broken out around Plymouth . It was stationed at Somerton and then Bideford before going into Millbay Barracks at Plymouth for the winter. Legislation passed in 1798 and 1811 permitted English militia regiments to serve in Ireland for periods of two years, and in 1813
15587-489: The regiment was marched back to Reading and the following month went into winter quarters at Newbury. In March 1762 the regiment went back to Winchester, this time to guard French prisoners of war , returning to Newbury in April. On 15 April 1762 Lt-Col Vansittart took over from Sir Willoughby Aston as colonel of the regiment, and Maj Dodd was promoted to replace him. The senior captain, William Mackworth Praed, accused Dodd of impeding his anticipated promotion to major, but Dodd
15730-411: The regiment, so that ballots had to be held to maintain its strength: by July 1800, while at Netley Camp outside Southampton , it was only 500 strong, half the numbers in 1798. In September a detachment escorting French prisoners at Winchester was diverted to help deal with bread riots at New Alresford . After wintering at Portsmouth the regiment returned to Weymouth in June 1801, where the Royal Family
15873-547: The reign of Elizabeth I , gaining political experience, so that there were real differences between the Privy Council of the 1560s and that of the 1600s. Elizabeth I was succeeded by James I , who was already King James VI of Scotland. James' accession marked the Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland; however, the two kingdoms continued to have separate privy councils. The Privy Council of Scotland continued in existence along with
16016-594: The reign of the House of Normandy , the English monarch was advised by a curia regis ( Latin for "royal court"), which consisted of magnates , clergy and officers of the Crown . This body originally concerned itself with advising the sovereign on legislation, administration and justice. At certain times, the curia was enlarged by a general summons of magnates (the "great council" or magnum concilium in Latin), but as
16159-417: The remainder and to hold a ballot to fill vacancies. Hence the militia was already embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. However, the colonel, the Earl of Radnor , found that the fines levied in Berkshire on balloted men who did not wish to serve were not enough to hire volunteer substitutes, and in 1794 he proposed to keep repeating the ballot for each vacancy until it
16302-599: The same time, the non-metropolitan county was not abolished. Signs saying "Welcome to the Royal County of Berkshire" exist on borders of West Berkshire, on the east side of Virginia Water , on the M4 motorway , on the south side of Sonning Bridge , on the A404 southbound by Marlow, and northbound on the A33 past Stratfield Saye . A flag for the historic county of Berkshire was registered with
16445-513: The surgeon were deemed to be 'effective', and it was not until 1855 that the regiment was fully officered. The revived regiment's first training took place at the Forbury, Reading, from 11 November to 1 December 1852, and a period of 28 day's training was carried out in each of the next two years. In 1855 men were selected to form the Grenadier (No 1) and Light (No 8) companies. War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to
16588-573: The threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century, though there was a great muster in 1614 and the Berkshire TBs continued to carry out annual exercises. Later, King Charles I attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect Militia' answering to the king rather than local control. In 1638 the Berkshire Trained Band consisted of 1100 men, of whom 680 were musketeers and 420 'corslets' (armoured pikeman), while
16731-551: The threatened coastline. Three well-equipped companies (300 men) of the Berkshire Militia under Maj Peacock were sent to reinforce the Isle of Wight . The British victory at the St. James's Day Battle on 25–26 July removed the threat and the militia were sent home, However, when the Dutch raided the Medway the following year, Berkshire sent three companies and a troop of horse under Lt-Col Saunders to
16874-455: The trained bands was one of the major points of dispute between Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War . However, with a few exceptions neither side made much use of the trained bands during the war beyond securing the county armouries for their own full-time troops, many of whom were recruited from their ranks. Open warfare between the King and Parliament broke out in the autumn of 1642. Lieutenant-Colonel John Venn , MP ,
17017-448: The winter of 1689–90, the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, the Duke of Norfolk , reported that the regiment of foot, consisting of 900 men in 9 companies, had good arms and were all clothed in grey, and there were 3 Troops of horse of between 50 and 60 men each, 'All which Militia have been lately settled and mustered in pursuance of their Majesties' commissions'. The following June the whole militia
17160-505: Was Graham Barker. The six unitary councils formed a joint Berkshire Prosperity Board in February 2024 and submitted an expression of interest in forming a non-mayoral combined authority in September 2024. As of the 2023 local elections, Liberal Democrat groups of local councillors run the unitary authorities of West Berkshire , Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham (in coalition with
17303-507: Was abolished and replaced by the Privy Council of Great Britain . According to the Oxford dictionary the definition of the word "privy" in Privy Council is an obsolete one meaning "Of or pertaining exclusively to a particular person or persons; one's own", insofar as the council is personal to the sovereign. During the reign of Elizabeth I , the council is recorded under the title "The Queens Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Council". During
17446-492: Was acquitted of unsoldierlike conduct by a Court-martial held at Reading. The regiment spent June to October 1762 at its usual summer camp at Winchester. Peace negotiations were now under way (leading to the Treaty of Paris in February 1763) and the militia was disembodied in November 1762. From 1766 to 1777 the Berkshire Militia was regularly mustered for its 28 days' training each year, alternately at The Forbury , Reading, and
17589-469: Was again in residence for the summer. Peace negotiations were now under way, and in December the Berkshire Militia returned to Reading. They marched out to Weymouth again in early 1802, but after the Treaty of Amiens was signed in March they were disembodied at Reading on 24 April. However, the peace was shortlived and the militia were called out again in 1803. The Berkshires were embodied at Reading on 30 March. After newly balloted men had been incorporated,
17732-606: Was at Hailsham Barracks. While the Regular Militia were the mainstay of national defence during the Napoleonic Wars, they were supplemented from 1808 by the Local Militia, which were part-time and only to be used within their own districts. These were raised to counter the declining numbers of Volunteers, and if their ranks could not be filled voluntarily the militia ballot was employed. Berkshire raised three regiments: At
17875-596: Was at the great Prisoner-of-war camp at Norman Cross . Luddite riots began around Nottingham in November 1811, and the RBM was sent to the city from Weeley Barracks in Essex to reinforce the Local Militia and Volunteer Cavalry. 'Frame-breaking' by the rioters continued around the city despite the military presence. The disturbances spread across Northern England early in 1812, and the regiment sent detachments in February to maintain order in Manchester and Liverpool . In April
18018-564: Was called Bearroc (a Celtic word meaning "hilly"). This wood, perhaps no longer extant, was west of Frilsham , near Newbury . Much of the county's early history is recorded in the Chronicles of the Abingdon Abbey , which at the time of the survey was second only to the crown in the extent and number of its possessions, such as The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay . The abbot exercised considerable judicial and administrative powers, and his court
18161-471: Was called out after the Battle of Beachy Head , and the Berkshires joined a camp of 25,000 men at Portsmouth . The 1697 militia returns show that the Berkshire Militia were commanded by Norfolk as colonel, with 977 foot in 10 companies under Lt-Col Paul Coulston, and 175 horse in 3 troops under Captain-Lieutenant Edmund Sayer. The militia were embodied in response to the Jacobite rising of 1715 : on 25 October
18304-1017: Was carried out each year from 1859 to 1866. As an experiment in May 1867 the annual training was held at Aldershot in conjunction with the regulars stationed there. The Royal Berkshires, together with the 1st and 2nd Royal Surrey , the Oxfordshire and the Hampshire Militia formed a brigade attached to the Aldershot Division. The camp ended with a field day and was considered a success, being repeated in subsequent years. The RBM attended again in 1868 and 1870–75, usually forming part of 3rd Brigade. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. Berkshire The Royal County of Berkshire , commonly known as simply Berkshire ( / ˈ b ɑː r k ʃ ɪər , - ʃ ər / BARK -sheer, -shər ; abbreviated Berks. ),
18447-535: Was commissioned to raise an Auxiliary TB regiment, apparently of 3 companies, to garrison Reading. The following month the Royalists demolished the fortifications of the town and withdrew to their main base at Oxford , where Neville's regiment continued to serve. At the Second Battle of Newbury on 27 October 1644, Major John Blagrave of Reading commanded the 300-strong Berkshire detachment of horse under Col Dalbier in
18590-630: Was composed of men from the Royal Berkshires while many other fought in the ranks of the Royal Horse Guards . It was not until September 1815 that the Royal Berkshire Militia finally arrived at Reading. The regiment was disembodied on 14 March 1816. After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and
18733-405: Was endowed with the privileges of the hundred court and freed from liability to interference by the sheriff. Berkshire and Oxfordshire had a common sheriff until the reign of Elizabeth I , and the shire court was held at Grandpont . The assizes were formerly held at Reading, Abingdon, and Newbury, but by 1911 were held entirely at Reading. Berkshire has been the scene of notable battles. Alfred
18876-479: Was filled. The French Revolutionary Wars saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the British Isles ), which the regular army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by
19019-473: Was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: Berkshire's new militia quota was set at 777 men in eight companies. Of the officers still listed for the regiment only the colonel, John Blagrave, Lt-Col Charles Bacon, Major John Leveson-Gower of Bill Hill, one captain, one ensign and
19162-432: Was fought over continually in the subsequent campaigns in the Thames Valley – Reading changed hands several times – and effectively each side drew a regiment of TBs from the county for garrison duty. Berkshire TB detachments fought on both sides at the First Battle of Newbury on 20 September 1643, after which the Royalists regained Reading. In April 1644 Colonel Sir Richard Neville , the Royalist High Sheriff of Berkshire,
19305-418: Was founded, in 2006. Since 2019, it has merged with a Swiss company called Biosynth AG to form a key global organisation within the fine chemical industry and operates under name Biosynth Carbosynth . Biosynth Carbosynth, along with its acquired companies, vivitide and Pepscan rebranded to Biosynth in 2022. London Heathrow Airport , in the neighbouring London Borough of Hillingdon, is a major contributor to
19448-411: Was not restored until after Henry VIII's death. Though the royal council retained legislative and judicial responsibilities, it became a primarily administrative body. By the end of the six year reign of Edward VI in 1553, the council consisted of forty members. but the sovereign relied on a smaller committee, which later evolved into the modern Cabinet . The council developed significantly during
19591-407: Was ordered to return to Reading for disembodiment, but the order was countermanded and it remained at Liverpool during the winter, at St Domingo House Barracks and Fort Barracks. Early in 1815 Napoleon returned from Elba , sparking off the short Waterloo campaign . Large numbers of embodied militiamen volunteered for the Regular Army, and it was said that a whole Troop of the 7th Hussars at Waterloo
19734-492: Was ordered to send two of his companies by the fastest route from Reading to Witney in Oxfordshire in support of the civil magistrates in suppressing riots. In April the regiment was sent out of Reading while elections were held there, and then concentrated once more to march back to Winchester. Here they camped near the Hessian troops along with the Wiltshire, Dorset, North and South Gloucestershire and South Hampshire Militia, once again under Effingham's command. In October
19877-454: Was sent with a detachment of 12 companies of the London Trained Bands (LTBs) to secure Windsor Castle for Parliament. Holland raised the Berkshire TBs for Parliament, and they and the Surrey TBs soon arrived to take over garrisoning the castle under Venn. Venn's permanent regiment, recruited in London and officered by former LTB officers, arrived to garrison Windsor on 29 October. After the inconclusive Battle of Edgehill Prince Rupert led
20020-429: Was slightly wounded. In February 1798 the Berkshire Supplementary Militia was called out for training, and in May half of them (374 men) were drafted into the main body at Bristol, bringing it up to a strength of 12 companies. The regiment was relieved at Bristol on 9 June when it marched into Dorset , to barracks in Poole and Weymouth (6 companies each). On 27 August the whole regiment concentrated at Weymouth, joining
20163-416: Was still stationed at Ipswich as part of Maj-Gen John Robinson's brigade. While at Ipswich the regiment took part in a grand review on Rushmere Heath before the Commander-in-Chief , the Duke of York . From Ipswich the regiment went back to Walmer on 28 August, where it provided working parties for Dover. It then marched to Taunton in Somerset . On the way it passed through Reading on 30/31 October, where
20306-450: Was the only substantial military action in England during the Glorious Revolution and ended in a decisive victory for forces loyal to William of Orange . Reading became the new county town in 1867, taking over from Abingdon , which remained in the county. Under the Local Government Act 1888 , Berkshire County Council took over functions of the Berkshire Quarter Sessions , covering the administrative county of Berkshire, which excluded
20449-429: Was widely dispersed across Oxfordshire for winter quarters. For the General Election held that autumn, no less than 43 officers and 8 other ranks claimed leave in order to go home to vote. In April 1781 the regiment marched from Oxfordshire to be quartered in villages north and east of London, then in May it went through the city to quarters around Sevenoaks and Maidstone in Kent, finally being sent on 6 June to join
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