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HERTFORDSHIRE [HERrs]

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Originally appearing in Volume V13, Page 400 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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HERTFORDSHIRE [HERrs] , a See also:county of See also:England, bounded N. by See also:Cambridgeshire, N.W. by See also:Bedfordshire, E. by See also:Essex, S. by See also:Middlesex, and S.W. by See also:Buckinghamshire. The See also:area is 634.6 sq. m., the county being the See also:sixth smallest in England. Its aspect is always pleasant, the See also:surface generally undulating, while in some parts, where these undulations See also:form a See also:quick See also:succession of hills and valleys, the woodland scenery becomes very beautiful, as in the upper See also:Lea valley, in the neighbourhood of Tewin near See also:Hertford, and elsewhere. To the See also:north-See also:west and north considerable elevations are reached, a See also:line of hills, facing north-westward with a See also:sharp descent, See also:crossing this portion of the county, and overlooking the fiat lands of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. They continue the line of the Chiltern Hills under the name of the See also:East Anglian See also:Ridge. They exceed Boo ft. near See also:Dunstable, sinking gradually north-eastward. These uplands are generally See also:bare, and in parts remarkably sparsely populated as compared with the See also:home counties at large. In the greater See also:part of the county, however, See also:rich arable lands are inter-mingled with the parks and woodlands of numerous See also:fine See also:country seats, which impart to the county a See also:peculiar luxuriance. Of the See also:principal See also:rivers, the Lea, rising beyond See also:Luton in Bedfordshire,enters Hertfordshire near East See also:Hyde, flows S.E. to near See also:Hatfield, then E. by N. to Hertford and See also:Ware, whence it bends S. and passing along the eastern boundary of the county falls into the See also:Thames below See also:London. It receives in its course the Maran, or Mimram, the Beane, the See also:Rib and the Stort, all joining on the north See also:side; the Stort for some distance forming the county boundary with Essex. The See also:Colne flows through the See also:south-western part of the county, to fall into the Thames at See also:Staines. It receives the Ver, the Bulborne and the See also:Chess.

The Ivel, rising in the N.W. soon passes into Bedfordshire to join the See also:

Great See also:Ouse. To the south of Hatfield, near North Mimms, two streams of moderate See also:size are lost in pot-holes, except in the highest floods: The New See also:River, one of the See also:water supplies of London, has its source near Ware, and runs roughly parallel with the Lea. Most of the rivers are full of See also:fish, including See also:trout in the upper parts (of the Lea and Colne especially), which are carefully preserved. See also:Geology.—The rocks of Hertfordshire belong to the shallow syncline known as the London See also:basin, the beds dipping in a south-easterly direction. The two most important formations are the See also:Chalk, which forms the high ground in the north and west; and the See also:Eocene See also:Reading beds and London See also:Clay which occupy the remaining See also:southern part of the county. On the See also:northern boundary, at the See also:foot of the chalk hills, a small See also:strip of See also:Gault Clay and the Upper See also:Greensand above it falls just within the county. The lowest subdivision of the chalk is the Chalk See also:Marl, which with the Totternhoe See also:Stone above it, lies at the See also:base of the Chalk escarpment, by See also:Ashwell, Pirton and Miswell to See also:Tring. Above these beds, the See also:Lower Chalk, without flints, rises up sharply to form the See also:downs which are the easterly continuation of the Chiltern Hills. Next comes the Chalk See also:Rock, which being a hard See also:bed, lies near the hilltops by Boxrnoor, Apsley End and near Baldock. The Upper Chalk slopes southward towards the Eocene boundary previously mentioned. The Reading beds consist of mottled and yellow See also:clays and sands, the latter are frequently hardened into masses made up of pebbles in a siliceous See also:cement, known locally as Hertfordshire puddingstone. The London Clay, a stiff See also:blue clay which weathers See also:brown, rests nearly everywhere upon the Reading beds.

Outliers of Eocene rocks See also:

rest on the chalk at Micklefield See also:Green, Sarrat, Bedmont, &c. The Chalk is often covered by the Clay-with-flints, a detrital See also:deposit, formed of the remnants of See also:Tertiary rocks and Chalk. Glacial gravels, clays and barns See also:cover a great See also:deal of the whole area, and the Upper Chalk itself has been disturbed at See also:Reed and See also:Barley by the same agency. Chalk was formerly used for See also:building purposes; it is now burned for See also:lime. Reading beds and London clay are dug for brickmaking at See also:Watford, Hertford and Hatfield. Phosphatic nodules have been excavated from the base of tha Chalk Marl at several places along the outcrop; the Marlys worked for cement. See also:Climate and See also:Agriculture: The climate is mild, dry and generally healthy. On this See also:account London physicians were formerly accustomed to recommend the county to persons in weak See also:health, and it was so much coveted by the See also:noble and wealthy as a See also:place of See also:residence that it was a See also:common saying that " he who See also:buys a home in Hertfordshire pays two years' See also:purchase for the See also:air." Of the See also:total area about four-fifths is under cultivation, and of this more than one-third is in permanent pasture. The principal See also:grain See also:crop is See also:wheat, occupying about two-fifths of the area under See also:corn, but gradually decreasing. The varieties mostly grown are See also:white, and they are unsurpassed by those of any See also:English county. Wheatharnpstead on the upper Lea receives its name from the fine quality of the wheat grown in that See also:district. Barley is largely used in the county for malting purposes.

Vetches are grown for the London stables, and the greater part of the permanent grass is used for See also:

hay. There are some very rich pastures on the See also:banks of the Stort, and also near See also:Rickmansworth on the Colne. Some two-thirds of the area occupied by green crops is under turnips, swedes and mangolds, many cows being kept for the See also:supply of See also:milk and See also:butter to London. The quantity of stock is generally small, but increasing except in the See also:case of See also:sheep, of which the See also:numbers have greatly decreased. Of cows the most common breed is the See also:Suffolk variety; of sheep, Southdowns, Wiltshires and a See also:cross between Cotteswolds and Leicesters. In the south-west large quantities of cherries, apples and strawberries are grown for the London See also:market; and on the best soils near London vegetables are forced by the aid of manure, and more than one crop is sometimes obtained in a See also:year. A considerable See also:industry lies in the growth of watercresses in the pure water of the upper parts of the rivers and of the Lea was. included in the Danelaw; in 911 See also:Edward the See also:Elder erected forts on both sides of the river at Hertford. After the See also:battle of See also:Hastings See also:William advanced on Hertford-See also:shire and ravaged as far as See also:Berkhampstead, where the See also:Conquest received its formal ratification. In the sweeping See also:confiscation of estates which followed, the See also:church was generously endowed, the See also:abbey of St Albans alone holding 172 hides, while See also:Count Eustace of See also:Boulogne, the See also:chief See also:lay See also:tenant, held a vast See also:fief in the north-east of the county. Large estates were held by See also:Geoffrey de See also:Mandeville, and the See also:barony of See also:Peter de Valognes, See also:sheriff of the county in ro86, though extending over six counties in the east of England, was returned in 1166 as a Hertfordshire barony. Berkhampstead was the See also:head of an See also:honour carved from the fief of See also:Robert of See also:Mortain. The Hertfordshire estates, however, for the most part changed hands very frequently and the county is noticeably lacking in historic families.

See also:

Edmund See also:Langley, fifth son of Edward III., was See also:born at See also:King's Langley in this county. During the See also:war between See also:John and his barons, William, See also:earl of See also:Salisbury and Falkes de See also:Breaute had the king's orders to ravage Hertfordshire, and in .1216 Hertford See also:Castle was captured and Berkhampstead Castle besieged by See also:Louis of See also:France, who had come over by invitation of the barons. At the See also:time of the rising of 1381 the See also:abbot's tenants See also:broke into the abbey of St Albans and forced the abbot to See also:grant them a See also:charter. During the See also:Wars of the See also:Roses, See also:Henry VI. was defeated at St Albans in 1455; at the second battle of St Albans the earl of See also:Warwick was defeated by See also:Queen See also:Margaret; and in 1471 Edward IV. again defeated the earl at See also:Barnet. On the outbreak of the See also:Civil War of the 17th See also:century, Hertfordshire joined with Bedfordshire and Essex in petitioning for See also:peace, and St Albans again played an important part in the struggle, being at different times the headquarters of Essex and See also:Fairfax. As a shire Hertfordshire is of purely military origin, being the district assigned to the fortress which Edward the Elder erected at Hertford. It is first mentioned in the Saxon See also:Chronicle in rot 1. At the time of the Domesday Survey the boundaries were approximately those of the See also:present See also:day, but part of Meppershall in Bedfordshire formed a detached portion of the shire and is still assessed for See also:land and income tax in Hertfordshire. Of the nine Domesday hundreds, those of Danais and Tring were consolidated about 1200 under the name of Dacorum; the See also:modern See also:hundred of Cashio, from being held by the abbots of St Albans, was known as Albaneston, while the remaining six hundreds correspond approximately both in name and extent with those of the present day. Hertfordshire was originally divided between the dioceses of London and See also:Lincoln. In 1291 that part included in the Lincoln See also:diocese formed part of the archdeaconry of Huntingdom and comprised the deaneries of Berkhampstead, See also:Hitchin, Hertford and Baldock; and the archdeaconry and deanery of St Albans; while that part within the London diocese formed the deanery of Braughing within the archdeaconry of Middlesex. In 1535 the See also:jurisdiction of St Albans had been transferred to the London diocese, the See also:division being otherwise unchanged.

In 1846 the whole county was placed within the diocese of See also:

Rochester and archdeaconry of St Albans, and in the next year the deaneries of Welwyn, See also:Bennington, Buntingford, See also:Bishop Stortford and Ware were created, and that of Braughing abolished. In 1864 the archdeaconries of Rochester and St Albans were See also:united under - the name of the archdeaconry of Rochester and St Albans. Jn 1878 the county was placed in the newly created diocese of Sr Albans, and formed the archdeaconry of St Albans, the deaneries being unchanged. Hertfordshire was closely associated with Essex from the time of its first See also:settlement, and the counties paid a See also:joint See also:fee-See also:farm and were united under one sheriff until 1565; the shire-See also:court being held at Hertford. The hundred of St Albans was at an See also:early date constituted a See also:separate See also:liberty, with See also:independent courts and coroners under the See also:control- of the abbot; it' preserved a separate See also:commission of the peace until 1874, when by See also:act of See also:parliament the county was arranged in two divisions, the eastern division the smaller streams. There are a number of See also:rose-gardens and nurseries. Other See also:Industries.—The manufacturing industries are slight; though the great See also:brewing establishments at Watford may be mentioned, and See also:straw-plaiting, See also:paper-making, See also:coach-building, tanning and See also:brick-making are carried on in various towns. Communications.—Owing to its proximity to the See also:metropolis, Hertfordshire is particularly well served by See also:railways. On the eastern border there is the Great Eastern (See also:Cambridge line) with branches to Hertford and to Buntingford. The See also:main line of the Great Northern passes through the centre by Hatfield, See also:Stevenage and Hitchin, with branches from Hatfield to Hertford, to St Albans and to Luton and Dunstable, and from Ilitchin to Baldock, See also:Royston and so to Cambridge. The Midland passes through St Albans and See also:Harpenden, with a See also:branch to Hemel Hempstead. The London & North-Western traverses the south-west by Watford, Berkhampstead and Tring, with branches to Rickmansworth and to St Albans.

The See also:

Metropolitan & Great Central joint line serves Rickmansworth, and suburban lines of the Great Northern the Barnet district. The existence of these communications has combined with the natural attractions of the county to cause many villages to become large residential centres. Water communications are supplied from Hertford, Ware and Bishop Stortford, southward to the Thames by the Lea and Stort See also:Navigation; and the See also:Grand Junction See also:canal from London to the north-west traverses the south-western corner of the county by Rickmansworth and Berkhampstead. Three' great highways from London to the north See also:traverse the county. The See also:Holyhead Road passes Chipping Barnet, South Mimms and St Albans, quitting the county near Dunstable. The Great North Road branches from the Holyhead Road at Barnet, and passes See also:Potter's See also:Bar, Hatfield, Stevenage and Baldock, with a branch from Welwyn to- Hitchin and beyond. Another road follows the Lea valley to Ware, whence it runs to Royston, being here coincident with the See also:Roman See also:Ermine See also:Street and known as the Old North Road. See also:Population and See also:Administration.—The area of the See also:ancient county is 406,157 acres with a population in 1891 of 220,162, and in 1901 of 250,152. The area of the administrative county is 404,518 acres. The county comprises eight hundreds. The municipal boroughs are: Hemel Hempstead (11,264), Hertford 9322), St Albans, a See also:city (16,019). The other See also:urban districts are: Baldock (2057), Barnet (7876), Berkhampstead (Great Berkhampstead, 5140), Bishop Stortford (7143), Bushey (4564), See also:Cheshunt (12,292), East Barnet Valley (10,094), Harpenden (4725), Hitchin (10,072), See also:Hoddesdon (4711), Rickmansworth (5627), Royston (3517), Sawbridgeworth (2085), Stevenage (3957), Tring (4349), Ware (5573) and Watford (29,327).

The county is in the home See also:

circuit, and assizes are held at Hertford. It has two courts of See also:quarter-sessions, and is divided into 15 See also:petty-sessional divisions. The boroughs of Hertford and St Albans have separate commissions of the peace. The total number of civil parishes is 158. All the civil parishes within 12 M. of, or in which no portion is more than 15 M. from, Charing Cross, London, are included in the metropolitan See also:police district. The county contains 170 ecclesiastical parishes or districts, wholly or in part; it is nearly all in the diocese of St Albans, but small parts are in the dioceses of See also:Ely, See also:Oxford and London. It is divided into four See also:parliamentary divisions—Northern or Hitchin, Eastern or Hertford, See also:Mid or St Albans, Western or Watford, each returning one member. There is no parliamentary See also:borough within the county. See also:History.—See also:Relics of Saxon occupation have been found in Hertfordshire for the most part near St Albans and Hitchin. The diocesan limits show that part of the shire was included in the West Saxon See also:kingdom. The East See also:Saxons, as early as the 6th century, were settled about Hertford, which in 673 was sufficiently important to be the See also:meeting-place of a See also:synod convened by See also:Theodore, See also:archbishop of See also:Canterbury, while in 675 the Witenagemot assembled at a place which has been identified with Hatfield. In the 9th century the district was frequently visited by the Danes; and after the peace of See also:Wedmore the country east being named Hertford, and the western the liberty of St Albans.

These divisions have since been abolished. Hertfordshire has always been an agricultural county, with few manufactures, and at the time of the Domesday Survey its See also:

wealth was derived almost entirely from its rural manors, with their water meadows, woodlands, See also:fisheries paying See also:rent in eels, and water-See also:mills, the shire on its eastern side being noticeably See also:free from See also:waste land. In See also:Norman times the woollen See also:trade was considerable, and the great corn market at Royston has been famous since the reign of See also:Elizabeth. At the time of the Civil War the malting industry was largely carried on, and See also:saltpetre was produced in the county. In the 17th century Hertfordshire was famous for its horses, and the 18th century saw the introduction of several See also:minor industries, such as straw-plaiting, paper-making and See also:silk See also:weaving. In 1290 Hertfordshire returned two members to parliament, and in 1298 the borough of Hertford was represented. St Albans, Bishop Stortford and Berkhampstead acquired See also:representation in the 14th century, but from 1375 to 1553 no returns were made for the boroughs. St Albans regained representation in 1J53 and Hertford in 1623. Under the Reform Act of 1832 the county returned three members. St Albans was disfranchised on account of See also:bribery in 1852. Hertford lost one member in 1868, and was disfranchised by the act of 1885. Antiquities.—Among the See also:objects of antiquarian See also:interest may be mentioned the See also:cave of Royston, doubtless once used as a hermitage; See also:Waltham Cross, erected to See also:mark the spot where rested the See also:body of Eleanor, queen of Edward I., on its way to See also:Westminster for interment; and the Great Bed of Ware referred to in See also:Shakespeare's Twelfth See also:Night and preserved at See also:Rye See also:House.

The principal monastic buildings are the noble See also:

pile of St Albans abbey; the remains of Sopwell See also:Benedictine nunnery near St Albans, founded in 114o; the remains of the priory of Ware, dedicated to St See also:Francis, and originally a See also:cell to the monastery of St Ebrulf at See also:Utica in See also:Normandy; and the remains of the priory at Hitchin built by Edward II. for the See also:Carmelites. Among the more interesting churches may be mentioned those of Abbots Langley and Hemel Hempstead, both of See also:Late Norman See also:architecture; Baldock, a handsome mixed See also:Gothic building supposed to have been erected by the Knights See also:Templars in the reign of See also:Stephen; Royston, formerly connected with the priory of canons See also:regular; Hitchin of the 15th century; Hatfield, dating from the 13th century but in the main later; Berkhampstead, chiefly in the Perpendicular See also:style, with a See also:tower of the 16th century. Sandridge church shows See also:good Norman See also:work with the use of Roman bricks; Wheathampstead church, mainly very fine Decorated, has pre-Norman remains. The remains of See also:secular buildings of importance are those of Berkhampstead castle, Hertford castle, Hatfield See also:palace of the bishops of Ely, the slight traces at Bishop Stortford, and the earthworks at See also:Anstey. Among the numerous mansions of interest, Rye House, erected in the reign of Henry VI., was tenanted by Rumbold, one of the principal agents in the See also:plot to assassinate See also:Charles II. See also:Moor See also:Park, Rickmansworth, once the See also:property of St Albans abbey, was granted by Henry VII. to John de See also:Vere, earl of Oxford, and was afterwards the property of the See also:duke of See also:Monmouth, who built the present See also:mansion, which, however, was subsequently cased with See also:Portland stone and received various other additions. Knebworth, the seat of the Lyttons, was originally a Norman fortress, rebuilt in the time of Elizabeth in the Tudor style and restored the 19th century. Hatfield House is the seat of the See also:marquis of Salisbury; but its earlier history is of great interest, as is that of Theobalds near Cheshunt. Panshanger House, until recently the principal seat of the Cowpers, is a splendid mansion in Gothic style erected at the beginning of the 19th century. The See also:manor of Cashiobury House, the seat of the earls of Essex, was formerly held by the abbot of St Albans, but the mansion was rebuilt in the beginning of the 19th century from designs by See also:Wyatt. Gorhambury House, near St Albans, the seat of the earl of Verulam, formerly the seat of the Bacons, and the residence of the great See also:chancellor, was rebuilt at the See also:close of the 18th century. At See also:Kings Langley and See also:Hunsdon were also former royal residences.

See See also:

Sir H. See also:Chauncy, See also:Historical Antiquities of Hertfordshire (London, 1700, 2nd ed., Bishop Stortford, 1826); N. See also:Salmon, History of Hertfordshire (London, 1728) ; R. Clutterbuck, History and Antiquities of the County of Hertford (London, 1815–1827) ; W. See also:Berry, Pedigrees of the Hertfordshire Families (London, 1844) ; J. E. Cussans, History of Hertfordshire (London, 187o-1881); See also:Victoria County History, Hertfordshire (London, 1902, &c.); see also " Visitation of Hertfordshire, 1572-1634," in Harleian Society's PubI. vol. xvii., and various papers in Middlesex and Hertfordshire Notes and Queries (1895-1898), which in See also:January 1899 was incorporated in the Home Counties See also:Magazine.

End of Article: HERTFORDSHIRE [HERrs]

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