Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

MIDDLESEX

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 415 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

MIDDLESEX , a See also:

south-eastern See also:county of See also:England, bounded N. by See also:Hertfordshire, E. by See also:Essex, S.E. by the county of See also:London, S. by See also:Surrey, and W. by See also:Buckinghamshire. The See also:area is 283'3 sq. m., and, excepting See also:Rutland, the county is the smallest in England. The area outside the county of London, or extra-See also:metropolitan area, with which this See also:article is mainly concerned, is 233.8 sq. m. It lies entirely in the See also:basin of the See also:river See also:Thames, which forms its See also:southern boundary. On the See also:east it is separated from Essex by the See also:Lea, the largest See also:northern tributary of the Thames. The other See also:rivers, in See also:order westward, are the Brent, the See also:Crane or' Yedding See also:Brook, and the See also:Colne. The See also:waters ofseveral streams are collected in the artificial Brent See also:reservoir near See also:Hendon, from which the Brent flows with a circuitous course to the Thames at See also:Brentford. The Crane, rising in the high ground near See also:Harrow-on-the-See also:Hill, joins the Thames at Isleworth; and the Colne, which rises on the elevated See also:plain between See also:Hatfield and St Albans (Hertfordshire), traverses a See also:flat valley on the western boundary of the county, where it divides into several channels, and joins the See also:main river at See also:Staines. The highest ground, exceeding 400 ft. at several points, and reaching 503 ft. above Stanmore, is found along the northern boundary, in a See also:line from Stanmore through Elstree, Chipping See also:Barnet and See also:Potter's See also:Bar. Two well-marked lines of heights, detached from the main line, project southward, the eastern from See also:Whetstone through See also:Finchley and See also:Highgate to See also:Hampstead, where, within the county of London, a height of 443 ft. is found on Hampstead See also:Heath; the western being the isolated See also:elevation on which stands Harrow-on-the-Hill. The hills skirting the Lea valley, in the neighbourhood of See also:Enfield, are abrupt, though of no See also:great elevation. Elsewhere the See also:country is very slightly undulating or quite flat, as along the See also:banks of the Thames and Lea.

The Thames, however, beautifies its immediate neighbourhood, and See also:

rich sylvan scenery is not wanting in the higher districts. The greater See also:part of the county was formerly densely forested and sparsely populated, and the name of Enfield See also:Chase, a royal preserve in the See also:north-east, still recalls this See also:condition. In See also:modern times the visible See also:influence of London has spread over practically the entire county. Villages have grown into populous suburbs; large institutions, for which sites adjacent to rather than within the See also:metropolis have been found preferable, are numerous, and the development of suburban railway communications has brought fresh ground within reach of builders. See also:Geology.—The county lies entirely within the structural basin of the Thames, and, as in the neighbouring counties, the See also:general slope of the ground and See also:dip of the strata is towards the south-east. South of an irregular line passing from See also:Uxbridge, north of See also:Hayes, by See also:Hanwell and See also:Ealing to See also:Hyde See also:Park and east of a similar line from the upper See also:side of the Park to See also:Tottenham and on from that point to Enfield, the only visible deposits are the gravels, loams, See also:brick-earths and sands laid down in former times by the Thames, with contributions by the Lea and the Colne. These alluvial deposits rise gradually northward from the Thames and westward from the Lea, in a See also:series of See also:gentle terraces. The earliest portions of London were built upon these terraces, because while they were dry at the See also:surface, See also:water could be obtained by sinking shallow See also:wells. The See also:alluvium has yielded many See also:flint implements and the bones of the See also:mammoth, See also:bear and See also:rhinoceros, great See also:elk and other See also:extinct forms. The loalns are dug for bricks and the See also:gravel for See also:ballast, &c., about See also:West See also:Drayton, Southall, Enfield and Tottenham. The London See also:clay, a marine See also:deposit, is bluish where it has not been turned See also:brown by exposure to the See also:weather. It underlies all the river deposits and rises to the surface north and east of the alluvial boundary indicated above.

It gives rise to the undulating grassy country See also:

round Harrow, Chipping Barnet and Elstree. Below the London clay are the more sandy See also:Reading beds, they may be seen at Harefield and at South Mimms; inliers occur at Pinner and Ruislip. See also:Chalk is only visible on the side of the Colne valley at Harefield, where it is quarried, and at South Mimms. Formerly, the sandy and pebbly Bagshot beds covered all the London clay area, but now only isolated patches remain, such as those on the See also:top of Harrow, Hampstead and Highgate hills. See also:Long after the Bagshot beds were laid down the country was covered by a variety of glacial deposits; such are the pebble gravels of Stanmore Heath and the See also:district north of Barnet, the clay and See also:sand of Finchley, Muswell Hill and See also:Southgate, the chalky See also:boulder clay to be seen at Finchley, Southgate and Potter's Bar. Several deep borings in the London basin prove the existence, beneath the chalk, of beds which do not See also:crop out in Middlesex. The most interesting is that at Meux's Brewery, Tottenham See also:Court Road (about 1146 ft.), which passes through the following formations: gravel and clay, 21 ft.; London clay, 64 ft.; Reading beds, 51 ft.; See also:Thanet sand, 21 ft.; chalk, 655 ft.; upper See also:greensand, 28 ft.; See also:gault, 16o ft.; See also:lower greensand, 64 ft.; Devonian rocks, 8o ft.' See also:Industries, &c.—The See also:climate of some of the high-lying districts is particularly healthy. Little more than one-See also:half the See also:total area of the county is under cultivation; and the See also:grain crops, greatly decreasing, are insignificant. The See also:soil in the north and north-west 1 See " Geology of Part of the London Basin," Mem. Geol. Survey, 2 vols. ; " Soils and Subsoils," See also:ditto; Proceedings of the Geologists' Association.

A large See also:

model of the geology of London is exhibited in the Museum of See also:Practical Geology, Jermyn See also:Street, London. See also:Population and See also:Administration.—The area of the See also:ancient county is 181,320 acres, with a population in 1871 of 2,539,765; in 1891 of 3,251,671; and in 1901 of 3,585,323. At the See also:time of the Domesday Survey the population of Middlesex, exclusive of London, was 2302. The extra-metropolitan area is 149,668 acres, with a population in 1901 of 798,738. The part of the ancient county transferred to the county of London under the See also:Local See also:Government See also:Act 1888 was 31,484 acres in extent, and 771 acres were then transferred to Hertfordshire; while under the London Government Act 1899 the southern part of See also:Hornsey was transferred to London. The area of the administrative county is 148,700 acres. The county contains six hundreds. The municipal boroughs are Ealing (pop. 33,031), Hornsey (72,056). The See also:urban districts are See also:Acton (37,744), Brent-See also:ford (15,171), See also:Chiswick (29,809), See also:Edmonton (46,899), Enfield (42,738), See also:Feltham (5280), Finchley (22,126), Friern Barnet (11,566), Greenford (819), See also:Hampton (6813), Hampton See also:Wick (2606), Hanwell (10,438), Harrow-on-the-Hill (10,220), Hayes (3000), Hendon (22,450), Heston and Isleworth (30,863), Kingsbury (757), Ruislip-Northwood (385o), Southall See also:Norwood (13,200), Southgate (14,993), Staines (6688), See also:Sunbury-on-Thames (4544), See also:Teddington (14,037), Tottenham (102,541), See also:Twickenham (20,991), Uxbridge (8585), Wealdstone (5901), See also:Wembley (4519), See also:Willesden (114,811), See also:Wood See also:Green (34,233). The county is in the See also:jurisdiction of the central criminal court, and the whole extra-metropolitan county is within the metropolitan See also:police district, the name of " Greater London " covering it. There are one court of See also:quarter sessions and eight See also:petty sessional divisions.

The number of See also:

civil parishes is 6o. Middlesex (extra-metropolitan) is wholly in the See also:diocese of London, excepting a small portion in that of See also:Oxford, and includes 153 ecclesiastical parishes or districts, wholly or in part. The extra-metropolitan See also:parliamentary divisions, each returning one member, are Enfield, Tottenham, Hornsey, Harrow, Uxbridge, Brentford and Ealing. See also:History.—The district which is now Middlesex was colonized in the 6th See also:century by an offshoot of the East Saxon tribe, and derived its name from its position between the kingdoms of the East and West See also:Saxons. In a See also:charter dated 704 Middlesex is mentioned by name as a dependency of Essex, but soon after it acknowledged the supremacy of See also:Mercia, and from 748 onwards the Mercian See also:council was held at London, and from 78o onwards at Brentford. In the 9th century Middlesex formed part of tbo n...,oi.,..i, A,-.la +1,a Tla c.t,;.,,, aa, See also:MIDDLETON, EARLS OF is heavy, poor clay; but the rich alluvial soil of the Thames Valley See also:farm for boo, with See also:power to elect a See also:sheriff from among their number, and by charter from See also:John the shrievalty of both London and Middlesex was granted to the See also:mayor and citizens in See also:fee. By charter of 1242 the See also:common pleas for the county of Middlesex were ordered to be held at the See also:stone See also:cross in the Strand. Under a charter of 1447 the See also:lord mayor was authorized to nominate one of the See also:city aldermen as See also:justice of the See also:peace for Middlesex. The six modern hundreds of Edmonton, Elthorne, See also:Gore, Isleworth, Ossulston, and Spelthorne have been scarcely changed since the Domesday Survey, except that Isleworth was then Honeslaw (See also:Hounslow), while in the 12th century hidage a See also:hundred of " Mimes " is mentioned, corresponding with the Domesday hundred of Edmonton. Middlesex has always been included in the diocese of London. The archdeaconry of See also:Middle-See also:sex, which includes part of Essex, is mentioned in 1151, but the Middlesex portion was not subdivided into rural deaneries until 1857, when the deaneries of See also:Fulham, Ealing, Uxbridge, Staines, Hampton, Enfield, Harrow and St Pancras were created. The deaneries of See also:Chelsea, See also:Hammersmith, Hampstead, Hornsey, See also:Kensington, See also:Paddington, St Marylebone, See also:Westminster and Willesden were created later, but Staines was abolished.

In 1215 Middlesex was ravaged by See also:

William, See also:earl of See also:Salisbury, and Falkes de See also:Breaute, and in the same See also:year at See also:Runnimede near Staines John was forced to issue the, Magna Carta. In the Civil See also:War of the 17th century Middlesex supported the Parliamentary cause, joining in 1642 with Hertfordshire and Essex in a See also:petition that the votes of the bishops and popish lords might he disallowed in the See also:House of Lords, and that the forts and castles of the See also:kingdom might be placed in such hands as the See also:Parliament could confide in. See also:Sir Denzil Hollis was defeated by the Royalists at Brentford in 1642, and in 1645 a fruitless treaty between See also:Charles I. and the Parliament was concluded at Uxbridge. Brentford had famous See also:election contests in 1768 and 1769. The woollen and See also:leather industries flourished in Middlesex in See also:Norman times. London was the great See also:place of slaughter, and hides were tanned at Enfield. Bricks were also manufactured from See also:early times, and Heston was noted for its See also:wheat. See also:Paper was extensively manufactured in the 17th century, and much See also:distress was caused in 1636 by a See also:decree prohibiting the See also:purchase of old rags for the Middlesex paper-See also:mills for fear of the See also:plague. In 164o the manufacturers of See also:mohair See also:yarn in Middlesex appealed against a See also:bill prohibiting the wearing of material made of the said yarn during the See also:winter See also:season. In 1655 a certificate of a hundred See also:master tanners and other traders of Middlesex approved an invention for converting raw hides into leather by means of new liquor, with or without See also:oak-bark. Middlesex returned two members to parliament in 1295. (For the See also:representation of London, see LONDON.) r1 A 414 him an earl in 1656.

He returned to England with the, See also:

king in 166o and was appointed See also:commander-in-See also:chief of the troops in See also:Scotland and lord high See also:commissioner to the Scottish parliament, which he opened in See also:January 1661. He was an ardent See also:advocate of the restoration of See also:episcopacy, this being one See also:reason which led to serious dissensions between the earl of See also:Lauderdale and himself, and in 1663 he was deprived of his offices. He was afterwards (1667) See also:governor of See also:Tangier, where he died in See also:June 1674. His eldest son CHARLES, 2ND EARL OF MIDDLETON (c. 1640-1719), held several offices under Charles II. and See also:James II., being See also:envoy extraordinary at See also:Vienna and afterwards See also:joint secretary for Scotland. In 1684 he became an See also:English secretary of See also:state, and with See also:Richard See also:Graham, See also:Viscount See also:Preston, he had the difficult task of managing the House of See also:Commons for James II. He was loyal to James after the king fled to See also:France, although he remained in England, where, as the See also:leader of the moderate See also:Jacobites, he sought to bring about a restoration by peaceful means. In 1693 the earl joined the exiled king at St Germains, where he became his secretary of state; afterwards he held the same See also:office at the court of James See also:Edward, the old pretender, in See also:Flanders and in See also:Lorraine. He was partly responsible for the unsuccessful expedition of the jacobites to Scotland in 1707, and he resigned his office as secretary in 1713. Middleton, who had been created earl of See also:Monmouth by the pretender, died in 1719. His titles had been declared forfeited in 1695, but they were claimed by his son John, who died unmarried about 1746. The earl was a See also:Protestant, although a lukewarm one, until 1701, when he yielded to the dying wish of James II. and joined the See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:Church.

One of Middleton's kinsmen was SIR CHARLES MIDDLETON, See also:

Bart. (1726-1813). Having served in the See also:navy Middleton was See also:comptroller of the navy from 1778 to 1790, " See also:standing out through that See also:period of inept administration as the See also:pillar of the service." In See also:April 1805, at a most See also:critical time, he was, although eighty years of See also:age, appointed first lord of the See also:admiralty by See also:Pitt and was created Lord See also:Barham. It has been usual to regard Barham as a See also:cipher at the admiralty See also:board, but more See also:recent See also:research, especially an examination of the Barham Papers, has proved this to be the See also:reverse of the truth. He enjoyed the See also:absolute confidence of Pitt, and it was his experience, See also:industry and See also:energy which made possible the great See also:campaign which ended at See also:Trafalgar. He resigned office in January 18o6 and died on the 17th of January 1813. His See also:barony passed through his daughter See also:Diana (1762–1823) to the Noels, earls of Gains-See also:borough, by whom it is still held. The Barham Papers are being edited by Sir J. K. Laughton (vol. i. 1907; vol. ii. Ig10).

See also J. S. Corbett, The Campaign of Trafalgar (1910). See A. C. Biscoe, The Earls of Middleton (1876).

End of Article: MIDDLESEX

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
MIDDLESBROUGH 		[next]
MIDDLESEX, LIONEL CRANFIELD, 1ST EARL OF (1575-1645...

Site © 2006 - Net Industries