BRIGHTON, originally Brighthelmstone, a t. and a celebrated watering-place on the sea-coast of Sussex, 501, in. s. of London. It is built on a slope ascending eastward to IL range of high chalk-cliffs (backed by the South Downs), bounding the coast as far as Beachy Head; to the west, these hills recede from the coast, and leave a long stretch of sands. Anciently, Brighthelinstone was a mere fishing-village on a level under the cliff; and more than once it was burnt and plundered by French marauders. It was fortified by Henry VIII., and more strongly by Elizabeth; but the sea proved more dangerous than the French, and now washes over the site of the village of those days. The inroads of the sea in 1699, 1703. and 1705, undermined many cliffs and destroyed many houses. Its further inroads are prevented by a seawall of great strength (60 ft. high, 23 ft. thick at the base, and 2 in. long), extending along the cliffs, and built at the cost of £100,090. The writings of Dr. Russel, a celebrated physician of George II.'s time, first drew pub lic attention to B. as an eligible watering-place, and the discovery of a chalybeate spring in the vicinity increased its popularity. The visit of the prince of Wales in 1782, and his subsequent yearly residence there, finally opened the eyes of the fashionable world to its immense attractions, and B. thenceforth became the crowded resort of a health seeking population. Its progress has been very rapid, and the town is still steadily increasing. B. is for the most part extremely well built, as becomes a favored retreat of wealth and aristocracy. It mostly consists of new and elegant streets, squares, and terraces. The hotels are magnificent. A range of splendid houses fronts the sea for nearly 3 in., including the famous sea-wall, and the beach is easily accessible by gaps in the chalk-cliffs. Formerly, trees were a great rarity in B. ; but within the last thirty years they have been planted both in and around the town, and are now to be seen of considerable size in the North Steyne Inclosures, the Level, and the Queen's park.
Pop. in 1801, 7339; in '21, 24,429; in '51, 65,569; in '71, 90,011. B. returns two mem bers to parliament. The population is greatly increased during the fashionable season by the influx of visitors. The town was incorporated in 1854. Living and house-rent are about a third higher than in London. Near the center of the town is the pavilion or marine palace, a fantastic oriental or Chinese structure, with domes, minarets, and pin nacles, and Moorish stables, begun for the prince of Wales in 1784, and finished in 1827. It is now the property of the corporation of B., and with its fine pleasure-grounds of above seven acres, it is devoted to the recreation of the inhabitants. It stands in the Steyne, an open space between the e. and w. parts of the town. The marine parade, a fine terrace, extends about a m. along the margin of the cliff, between the Steyne and Kemp town, a handsome district on the cast. Westward, there is a similar parade or promenade, extending a great length in front of the more modern part of the town, and here there is daily a large and fashionable concourse. There are two piers—a chain pier on the e., opposite the marine parade. and a broad wooden pier on piles on the w.; both are used for promenading. A magnificent aquarium, 715 ft, in length, was opened in 1872. B. has no maritime trade. It is reputedly a town for recreation and sea-bathing. Its only defect is a want of trees to shade the promenades; the sea-breeze being adverse to the growth of trees. B. possesses several large public hotels, and is more particularly noted for its excellent private hotels or boarding houses, locally known as "mansions." B. is connected with London, and also with the towns along the coast, by railways. From its salubrity, the town abounds in boarding-schools.