BRIGHTON, Municipal, county and parliamentary borough, and seaside resort, Sussex, England, 51m. S. of London by the Southern railway. Pop. of county borough of parliamentary borough, 188,914. Accessibility from the metropolis is the chief factor in its popularity. It is situated on the seaward slope of the south downs ; the position is sheltered and the climate generally mild. The sea-front, one long promenade, overlooks the English Channel and stretches nearly four miles from Kemp Town on the east to Hove (a separate municipal borough) on the west. The extended borough (1927) includes Patcham, Rottingdean, Ovingdean and part of Falmer and Saltdean. Currents in the Channel opposite Brighton tend to drive the shingle eastward, and encroachments of the sea were frequent until the erection of a massive sea-wall, begun about 183o, 6o ft. high, 23 ft. thick at the base, and three ft. at the summit. Romans and Saxons oc cupied the site, but the earliest mention of Brighton (Bristelmes ton, Brichelmestone, Brighthelmston) is the Domesday record that its three manors belonged to Earl Godwin. Two passed to the priories of Lewes and Michelham respectively. The third descended to the earls of Arundel, falling to the share of the duke of Norfolk in 1415, and being divided in 5502 between the families of Howard and Berkeley. Brighton was a large fishing village in 1o86 with a rent of 4,00o herrings. In 134o there were no mer chants, only tenants of lands, but its prosperity increased during the 15th and 16th centuries, and it was assessed at £6 12s. 8d. in There is, however, no indication that it was a borough. In 158o commissioners found that from time immemorial Brighton had been governed by two head boroughs sitting in the borough court, and assisted by a council called the Twelve. This consti tution disappeared before 1772, when commissioners were ap pointed. Brighton became a parliamentary borough in 1832 and was incorporated in 1854. From a fishing town in 1656 it be came, years later, a fashionable resort. Its popularity in creased after the visit of the prince of Wales (see GEORGE IV.) to the duke of Cumberland in 1783, and was ensured by his building the Pavilion in 1784-87. His association with . Mrs. Fitzherbert at Brighton was the starting-point of its fashionable repute. The Pavilion now contains a museum, art-galleries and assembly rooms. Some portions of the former parish church of St. Nicholas remain, but most churches and chapels are modern, and new parishes have been added. There are imposing institu tions contributing to the entertainment of visitors. The aquarium site, with the exception of some fish tanks, was cleared and laid out as gardens in 1925. Preston and Queen's Park are the prin cipal of several public recreation grounds, and Hollingbury Park, a large tract of downland north of the town, was bought before 1914. The race-course at Kemp Town is also the property of the town. Educational establishments are naturally numerous and include Brighton college, ranking as a public school. Building improvements and extensions are being made every year. There are two piers, of which the Palace pier, near the site of the old chain pier (18 23) washed away in 1896, is near the centre of the town, while the West pier is towards Hove. Since 1921, facilities for landing steamer traffic have been improved. There are ex tensive mackerel and herring fisheries and motor engineering works. The parliamentary borough, which includes the parish of Hove, returns two members. The county borough was created in 1888. The municipal borough is under a mayor, 14 aldermen and 42 councillors.