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WINDSOR (properly NEw WINDSOR)

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 715 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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WINDSOR (properly NEw WINDSOR) , a municipal See also:borough of See also:Berkshire, See also:England, and a See also:parliamentary borough extending into See also:Buckinghamshire. Pop. (19o1) 14,130. The See also:town, which is famous for its royal See also:castle, lies on the See also:west (right) See also:bank of the See also:Thames, 2, m. W. of See also:London by the See also:Great Western railway, which serves it with a See also:branch See also:line from See also:Slough. It is also the See also:terminus of a branch of the London & See also:South-Western railway. Here the Thames, from an easterly course, sweeps first nearly northward and then south-eastward. The castle lies at the See also:north-eastern edge of the town, on a slight but commanding See also:eminence, while the massive See also:round See also:tower in the centre, on its artificial See also:mound, is conspicu-W ~ Gastlestte. ous from far over the See also:flat See also:land to the See also:east, north and west. The site of the castle is an irregular parallelogram measuring about 63o yds. by 180. On the west the walls enclosing the " See also:lower See also:ward," with the Clewer, Garter, See also:Salisbury and See also:Henry III. towers, overlook Thames See also:Street and High Street, from which the " See also:hundred steps " give See also:access to the ward on the north, and the Henry VIII. gateway, opening from Castle See also:Hill, on the south. This ward contains St See also:George's See also:Chapel in the centre, with the See also:Albert Memorial Chapel on the east and the Horseshoe Cloisters on the west. To the north are the deanery and the See also:canon's residences, for the See also:foundation attached to the royal chapel has the privileges of a " royal See also:peculiar," the See also:dean being exempt from episcopal See also:jurisdiction.

To the south are the guard-See also:

room and the houses of the military knights, or pensioners. The round tower occupies the "See also:middle ward" ; on its See also:flag-See also:turret the See also:Union See also:Jack or the Royal See also:Standard is hoisted according as the See also:sovereign is absent or See also:present. The buildings in the " upper ward," east of this, See also:form three sides of a square; the See also:state apartments on the north, the private apartments on the east and the visitors' apartments on the south. Along the north See also:side of the castle extends the north See also:terrace, commanding, from its position above a steep slope, splendid views across the See also:river to See also:Eton on the Buckinghamshire side, and far over the valley. The east terrace, continuing the north, overlooks the gardens in front of the private apartments, and the south terrace wontinues farther, as far as the George IV. gateway. The See also:Home See also:Park lies adjacent to the castle on the south, east and north. The Great Park extends south of Windsor, where the land, rising gently, is magnificently timbered with the remnant of the old royal See also:forest. The See also:village of Old Windsor (in distinction from which the name of New Windsor is given to the borough) lies by the river, south of the Home Park. To the west of Windsor itself the village of Clewer has become a suburb of the town. As See also:early as the See also:time of the See also:Heptarchy a stronghold of some importance existed at Windsor, the great mound, which is moated, circular and about 125 ft. in See also:diameter, being a remnant of this See also:period. See also:William the Conqueror was attracted by the forest as a See also:hunting preserve, and obtained the land by See also:exchange from See also:Westminster See also:Abbey, to which See also:Edward the See also:Confessor had given it. Thereafter the castle became what it remains, the See also:chief See also:residence of the See also:English sovereigns.

The Conqueror replaced the See also:

primitive wooden enclosure by a See also:stone See also:circuit-See also:wall, and the first See also:complete round tower was built by Henry III. about 1272, but 1ldward III. wholly reconstructed it on a more massive See also:scale, about 1344, to form a See also:meeting-See also:place for his newly established See also:order of Knights of the Garter. He selected this spot because, according to a See also:legend quoted by the chronicler See also:Froissart, it was on the See also:summit of the mound that See also:King See also:Arthur used to sitsurrounded by his Knights of the Round Table. The bulk of the existing round tower is of Edward's time, but its walls were heightened and the tall flag-turret added by the See also:court architect, See also:Sir See also:Jeffrey Wyatville, in the reign of George IV. In addition to the Round Tower, Henry III. had constructed See also:long lines of circuit-walls, crowned at intervals with smaller towers. He also built a great See also:hall (the present See also:chapter library) and other apartments, together with a chapel, which was afterwards pulled down to make room for the chapel of St George. The beautiful little dean's See also:cloister preserves a portion of Henry's See also:work in the south wall, a contemporary portrait of the king appearing in distemper on one of the See also:arches. Another chapel was built by him and dedicated to his favourite See also:saint, Edward the Confessor. This graceful See also:building, with an eastern See also:apse, is now called the Albert Memorial Chapel; some of Henry III.'s work still exists in the lower See also:part of its walls, but the upper part was rebuilt in 15os—15o3 by Henry VII., who intended it as a See also:burial-place for himself and his line, before the began the chapel which bears his name and contains his See also:tomb at Westminster Abbey. Some years later the unfinished chapel was given by Henry VIII. to See also:Cardinal See also:Wolsey, and for long after it was known as " Wolsey's tomb-See also:house." Wolsey engaged a Florentine sculptor named Benedetto, probably a son or See also:nephew of Benedetto da Maiano (d. 1497), also a Florentine artist, to make him a costly tomb of See also:marble and gilt See also:bronze, with a recumbent effigy at the See also:top, no doubt similar in See also:design to See also:Torrigiano's tomb of Henry VII. at Westminster. The See also:rich bronze work of Wolsey's tomb was torn off and melted by order of the See also:Commonwealth in 1642, and the See also:metal was sold for the then large sum of '600. In 18o5 the See also:black marble See also:sarcophagus, stripped of its bronze ornaments, was moved from Windsor and used as a See also:monument over See also:Nelson's See also:grave in the See also:crypt of St See also:Paul's.

Though Wolsey's tomb-house was roofed in and used for See also:

mass by See also:James II., the stone vaulting was not completed until the whole chapel was fitted by Sir See also:Gilbert See also:Scott as a memorial to Albert, See also:Prince See also:Consort. Its See also:internal walls were then lined with rich See also:marbles, and decorated with reliefs by See also:Baron Triqueti. The See also:cenotaph of the Prince Consort stands before the See also:altar, with the tombs of Prince See also:Leopold, See also:duke of See also:Albany, and the duke of See also:Clarence; the last erected by King Edward VII., who was himself buried here in May 191o. In a vault beneath the chapel George III. and members of his See also:family are buried. The chapel of St George is one of the finest examples of Perpendicular See also:architecture in England, comparable with two other royal chapels, that of King's See also:College at See also:Cambridge and that of Henry VII. at Westminster, which are a little later in date. The building was begun by Edward IV., who in 1473 pulled down almost the whole of the earlier chapel, which had been completed and filled with stained See also:glass by Edward III. in 1363. The See also:nave of St George's was vaulted about the See also:year 1490, but the See also:choir groining was not finished till 1507; the See also:hanging pendants from the See also:fan vaulting of the choir See also:mark a later development of See also:style, which contrasts strongly with the simpler lines of the earlier nave vault. In 1516 the See also:lantern and the See also:rood-See also:screen were completed, but the stalls and other fittings were not finished till after 1519. The chapel ranks next to Westminster Abbey as a royal See also:mausoleum, though no king was buried there before Edward IV., who See also:left directions in his will that a splendid tomb was to be erected with an effigy of himself in See also:silver. Nothing remains of this except part of the wrought See also:iron See also:grille which surrounded the tomb, one of the most elaborate and skilfully wrought pieces of iron-work in the See also:world, said to be the work of Quintin See also:Matsys. The next sovereign buried here was Henry VIII.,who directed that his See also:body should be laid beside that of Jane See also:Seymour, in a magnificent bronze and marble tomb. The tomb was never completed, and what existed of its metal-work was probably melted down by the Commonwealth.

No trace of it remains. See also:

Charles I. was buried here without service in 1649. Above the dark See also:oak stalls hang the historic insignia of the Knights of the Garter, their swords, helmets and See also:banners. On the stalls themselves appear a remarkable See also:series of enamelled See also:brass plates commemorating knights of the order. Many tombs and memorials are seen in the' See also:chantry chapels. The deanery, adjoining the dean's cloister, is dated 1500, but the See also:Winchester tower to the north-east of it is the work of the famous See also:prelate and architect William of Wykeham, who was employed by Edward III. on the greater part of this See also:extension and alteration of Henry III.'s work. The Horseshoe cloisters were restored in Tudor style by Sir Gilbert Scott. The See also:Norman See also:gate on the north side of the round tower was rebuilt by Wykeham. The site of the upper ward was built upon by Henry II., and, to a greater extent, by Edward III., but only in the See also:foundations and lowest See also:storey are remains of so early a period to be found. The buildings were wanting in homogeneity until their reconstruction was undertaken by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville under the direction of George IV., for Charles II. was unable to carry out a similar intention, perhaps fortunately, as Sir See also:Christopher See also:Wren proposed drastic alterations. Charles, however, completed the so-called See also:Star Building, named from the See also:representation of the star of the Order of the Garter on the north front. Here the state apartments are situated.

They include the See also:

throne room, St George's Hall, where meetings of the Order of the Garter are held, the See also:audience and presence See also:chambers, and the See also:grand reception room, adcrned with Gobelins tapestries, and the guard-room with See also:armour. All these chambers contain also splendid pictures and other See also:objects of See also:art; but more notable in this connexion are the picture See also:gallery, the See also:Rubens room or king's See also:drawing-room, and the magnificent See also:Van Dyck room. The ceilings of several of the chambers were decorated by See also:Antonio Verrio, under the direction of Charles II. In the royal library, which is included among the private apartments, is a See also:fine collection of drawings by the old masters, including three volumes from the See also:hand of Leonardo da See also:Vinci. Here is also a magnificent series of eighty-seven portraits by See also:Holbein, highly finished in See also:sepia and See also:chalk, representing the chief personages of the court of Henry VIII. There are, moreover, examples by See also:Michelangelo and See also:Raphael, though the series attributed to these masters are not accepted as genuine in their entirety. South of the castle, beside the Home Park, is the Royal See also:Mews. Within the See also:bounds of the park is See also:Frogmore (q.v.), with the Royal The parks. Mausoleum and that of the duchess of See also:Kent, and the royal gardens. An oak-See also:tree marks the supposed site of See also:Herne's Oak, said to be haunted by the See also:ghost of " Herne the See also:hunter," a forest-See also:ranger who hanged himself here, having fallen under the displeasure of See also:Queen See also:Elizabeth (See also:Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, See also:Act iv. sc. 4). A splendid See also:avenue, the Long Walk, laid out in the time of Charles II. and William III., leads from George IV.'s gate on the south side of the castle straight into the See also:heart of the Great Park, a distance of 3 M.

Another fine and still longer straight avenue is Queen See also:

Anne's Ride, planted in 1707. Among various buildings within the park is See also:Cumberland See also:Lodge, built by Charles II. and taking name from the duke of Cumberland, who commanded the victorious royal troops at the See also:battle of See also:Culloden in 1746, and resided here as chief ranger. At the See also:southern boundary of the park is a beautiful artificial See also:lake called See also:Virginia See also:Water, formed by the duke. Windsor Forest formerly extended far over the south of Berk-See also:shire, and into the adjacent See also:county of See also:Surrey, and even in 1790 still covered nearly 6o,000 acres. It was disafforested by an act of 1813. A few old houses remain in the town of Windsor, but the greater part is modernized. The See also:church of St See also:John the Baptist Windsor was rebuilt in 1822, but contains some fine examples town. of Grinling See also:Gibbons's See also:wood-See also:carving. There are statues of Queen See also:Victoria, unveiled in the first See also:Jubilee year, 1887, and of Prince Albert (189o). The town hall was built in 1686 by Sir Christopher Wren, who represented the borough in See also:parliament. The town was formerly celebrated for the number of its inns, of which there were seventy in 165o. The most famous were the " Garter" and the " See also:White See also:Hart," the first of which was the favourite of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff, and is frequently mentioned in The Merry Wives of Windsor. The borough is under a See also:mayor, 6 aldermen and 18 councillors.

See also:

Area, 2717 acres. See also:History.—Windsor (Wyndeshour, Wyndsore, Windlesore) was probably the site of a See also:Roman See also:settlement, two Roman tombs having been discovered at Tyle-Place See also:Farm in 1865, while a Roman See also:camp and various antiquities were unearthed at St Leonard's Hill in 1705. The early history of Windsor centres round the now unimportant village of Old Windsor, which was a royal residence under Edward the Confessor; and See also:Robert of See also:Gloucester relates that it was at a See also:fair feast which the king held there in 1053 that See also:Earl See also:Godwin met with his tragic end. By the Confessor it was granted to Westminster Abbey, but was recovered in exchange for two other manors by William I., who erected the castle about 2 M. north-west of the village and within the See also:manor of Clewer, round which the later important town of New Windsor was to grow up. The earliest existing See also:charter of New Windsor is that from Edward I. in 1277, which was confirmed by Edward II. in 1315–1316 and by Edward III. in 1328. This constituted it a See also:free borough and granted to it a gild See also:merchant and other privileges. The same king later leased it as See also:fee farm to the burgesses on See also:condition that they "did See also:justice to merchants, See also:denizen and See also:alien and to the poor." The town does not seem to have been prosperous, and the fee-farm See also:rent was reduced by several succceeding sovereigns. In 1439 extensive privileges were accorded to the burgesses by Henry VI., and Edward IV. in 1467 granted a charter of See also:incorporation under the See also:title of the " mayor, bailiffs and burgesses." Further confirmations of existing privileges were granted by Edward IV. in 1477, by Henry VII. in 1499, by Henry VIII. in 1515 and by Edward VI. in 1549. A fresh charter was granted by James I. in 1603, and the renewal of this by Charles II. in 1664 incorporating the town under the title of the " mayor, bailiffs and burgesses of the borough of New Windsor," remained the governing charter until 1835. By the charter of Edward I. the county See also:gaol was fixed at Windsor, but on the See also:petition of the men of Berkshire it was removed thence to a more central town in the reign of Edward II. New Windsor sent two members to parliament from 1302 to 1335 and again from 1446 to 1865, omitting the parliaments of 1654 and 1656; by the act of 1867 it lost one member. The See also:market is of See also:ancient date, and in 1273 the See also:abbess of Burnham is said to hold markets at Burnham and See also:Beaconsfield to the See also:prejudice of the market at Windsor.

Edward IV. in 1467 granted a fair on the feast of St Edward the Confessor, and the charter of 1603 mentions a Saturday market and three yearly fairs. No fairs are now held, but the Saturday market is still maintained. Windsor See also:

bridge is mentioned in the reign of Edward I.; the present structure See also:dates from 1822. The town has never had an important See also:industry, but has depended almost entirely upon the castle and court. The See also:political history of Windsor centres round the castle, at which the Norman See also:kings held their courts and assembled their See also:witan. Robert See also:Mowbray was imprisoned in its dungeons in 1095, and at the See also:Christmas court celebrated at Windsor in 1127 See also:David of See also:Scotland swore See also:allegiance to the empress Maud. In 1175 it was the See also:scene of the ratification of the treaty of Windsor. The castle was bestowed by See also:Richard I. on See also:Hugh, See also:bishop of See also:Durham, but in the next year was treacherously seized by Prince John and only surrendered after a See also:siege. In 1217 Ingelram de Achie with a See also:garrison of sixty men gallantly held the fortress against a See also:French force under the See also:count de See also:Nevers. It was a. centre of activity in the Barons' See also:War, and the meeting-place of the parliament summoned by Henry in 1261 in rivalry to that of the barons at St Albans; two years later, however, it surrendered to See also:Simon de See also:Montfort. The See also:appeal of high See also:treason against See also:Thomas Mowbray, duke of See also:Norfolk, was heard by Richard II. in Windsor Castle in 1398. During the See also:Civil War of the 17th See also:century the castle was garrisoned for the parliament, and in 1648 became the See also:prison of Charles, who spent his last Christmas within its walls.

See J. E. See also:

Tighe, See also:Annals of Windsor (1858); Victoria County History: Berkshire.

End of Article: WINDSOR (properly NEw WINDSOR)

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