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The first evidence for Reading as a settlement dates from the 8th century, where the town came to be known as Readingum. The name comes from the Readingas, an Anglo-Saxon tribe whose name means "Reada's People" in Old English. [2] The name Reada is thought to literally mean "The Red One." [3] [4]
- Saxon Reading
- Reading in The Middle Ages
- Reading in The 16th Century
- Reading in The 17th Century
- Reading in The 18th Century
- Reading in The 19th Century
- Reading in The 20th Century
- Reading in The 21st Century
- A Timeline of Reading
Reading began life as a Saxon settlement. Reading was originally called Reada ingas, which means the people of Reada. Reada was a Saxon leader who settled in the area with his tribe in the 6th century. The early settlement was probably in the area of St Marys Butts. (In the Middle Ages this road was called Old Street, so even then it was old). Its ...
The Normans built a wooden castle in Reading. It was later replaced by a stone castle. The king demolished the castle in 1152, fearing it might fall into the hands of his enemies. n also gave land west of the town and the rents from 29 houses in Reading to Battle Abbey in Sussex. The land was later given to Reading Abbey but a lane called Battle La...
In the early 16th century manufacturing cloth was still the mainstay of Reading’s economy. A writer said ‘The town stands chiefly by clothing’. n In 1538-40 Henry VIII dissolved Reading Abbey, the Grey Friars, and St John the Baptist Hospital. The last Abbot was hanged outside the abbey gates for refusing to recognize Henry as head of the Church of...
Reading underwent a major change in the 17th century. For centuries the wool trade had been the main industry. In the 17th century it declined and by the early 18th century was no longer a major industry in the town. A merchant named James Kendrick left money in his will to erect a building where the poor could be employed in making cloth. This bui...
In the early 18th century a writer said ‘the town of Reading contains about n900 houses (which would give it a population of about 4,500), large streets, but ordinary buildings wherein is the greatest market for corn in England. At about the same time another writer said that Reading ‘is very pleasantly situated, is large, but nothing near so famou...
At the time of the first census in 1801 Reading had a population of just under 10,000. By the standards of the time, it was quite a large town. In the 19th century, new industries grew up. In 1807 John Sutton a corn and seed merchant founded Suttons Seeds. In 1822 Joseph Huntley opened a biscuit bakery. Huntley and Palmer later became an important ...
In 1909 Reading gained its first cinemas. In 1911 the boundaries were extended again to include Caversham and Tilehurst. In 1920 the first council houses were built in Shinfield Road. Reading University opened in 1926. An aerodrome opened in Woodley in 1931. During the Second World War Reading was considered a ‘safe’ town (one unlikely to be bombed...
In the 21st century Reading is still a flourishing town. A Visitors Centre opened in 2001. In 2023 the population of Reading was 161,000.
871 The Danes capture the settlement at Reading 1006 The Danes burn Reading 1086 Reading has a population of about 600 1125 Henry I builds Reading Abbey 1320 Reading has a population of around 1,300 1500 Making cloth is the main industry in Reading 1539 Henry VIII closes Reading Abbey 1550 Reading has a population of around 2,000 1619 The first wir...
Nov 28, 2022 · How did Reading become a 'Silicon city'? In 1945, Reading stood on the brink of the digital age. From the 1950s, new jobs in manufacturing, public transport, construction, retail, and the newly-founded NHS attracted young workers especially from Ireland, India, Pakistan, and the Caribbean. The new generation settled and started families, making ...
Apr 25, 2020 · Reading is traditionally accepted as being Saxon for " (Place of) Readda's People". The name itself could be from the Celtic Rhydd-Inge or 'Ford by the Water Meadows' which ties in with...
4. What did the Vikings do when they came to England? 5. What is the origin of the name ‘Reading’? 6. How did Battle Hospital get its name? Part 3 7. What impact did the building of the Abbey in 1121 have on Reading? 8. Why did Henry VIII decide break away from the Catholic Church? 9. What was ‘Peter’s pence’? Part 4 10.
The name probably derives from Readingas, an Anglo-Saxon tribe whose name means “Reada’s People”. Reading was actually founded around the 6th century by Saxon people who had travelled up the Rivers Thames and Kennet finding it a suitable place to settle as it was possible to ford the River Kennet.
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Oct 25, 2022 · The pronunciation of Reading as 'Red-ing' provides a clue to its Saxon origins. Historians believe its name links to a group or tribe of early Saxons, the Rēadingas in Old English, who settled here in the 500s AD.
