Berkhamsted - History

History

Berkhamsted was the terminating point of the Norman invasion of 1066. Having defeated Harold II and the English at Hastings, William of Normandy led the Norman invading army to circle London crossing the River Thames at Wallingford making for the Anglo Saxon castle at Berkhamsted. Having laid waste to much of the south east of England he was met by Edgar Aetheling (the English heir to the throne), the Archbishop Aldred, the Earl Edwin and the Earl Morcar, who offered the surrender of the English establishment. In Berkhamsted they swore loyalty to William and offered him the crown of England. Thus in Berkhamsted William the Bastard, the Duke of Normandy became William the Conqueror. However, he refused to accept the crown in Berkhamsted saying he would receive the keys to London in Berkhamsted but would accept the crown in London. His coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066 . Following his coronation William granted Berkhamsted to his half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain, who rebuilt the castle which became a Royal Castle and became the favourite country retreat for the Norman and Plantagenet dynasties.

The entry for the town in the Domesday Book in 1086 describes Berkhamsted as being in the Tring Hundred and includes descriptions of vineyards, 26 plough teams and 1 priest. It was valued at £16 a drop of £8 since the Norman invasion.

Berkhamsted received several royal charters. The first, granted by Henry III in 1216, freed the men and merchants of the town from all tolls and taxes wherever they went in England, Normandy, Aquitaine and Anjou. A second charter in 1217 recognised the town's oldest institution, Berkhamsted Market. Originally held on a Sunday it was changed to Monday, again by charter, when St. Peter's Church was built next to the High Street and the new rector objected to the noise. Other towns were forbidden to hold markets within 11 miles of Berkhamsted. Disputes with Aylesbury led to goods from both towns being banned from each other. The market is now held on a Saturday.

In 1618 James I granted the town a charter making the town a borough. But after supporting the Parliamentarians during the Civil War, Berkhamsted lost its charter at the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II.

In 1866 Lord Brownlow of Ashridge House attempted to enclose and privatise Berkhamsted Common with 5' steel fences built by Woods of Berkhamsted and thereby, claim it as part of his estate. Local hero Augustus Smith MP (1804) led gangs of local and hired men from London's East End brought out on the new railway on a specially chartered train to break the fences and protect Berkhamsted Common for the people of Berkhamsted. East End toughs and local Berkhamsted men and women fought that night against Brownlow's men in what became known nationally as the Battle of Berkhamsted Common. Born in Ashlyns Hall in 1804 Augustus Smith constantly fought for the common man. He died having reformed working class education in the Scilly Isles and today is commemorated by the award of the Augustus Smith scholarship for state school students in Berkhamsted.