REIGATE, Surrey, a market-town, parliamentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Reigate, is pleasantly situated In 51' 14' N. lat., 0' 11' W. long., distant 22 miles F.. from Guildford, 21 miles S. by W. from London by road, and 23 miles by the London and South.Eastern railway. The population of the borough of Reigate in 1851 was 4927. The borough returns one member to the imperial Parliament. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry of Surrey and diocese of Winchester. Reigate Poor-Law Union contaios 16 parishes, with an area of 51,276 acres, and a popu lation in 1851 of 14,329. This place was a royal' demesne at the Conquest, and was afterwards granted to the Earl of Warrenne and Surrey. There was a castle here, which was taken from Earl Warrenne by Louis of France and the insurgent barons in 1216. Under the site of the castle court is a spacious cavern, called the Baron's Cave, from a tradition that it was a meeting-place of the barons when consulting on the measures for obtaining Magna Charter The town contains many new houses, and is lighted with gas. The
church is of different dates from the 12th to the 17th century, but is chiefly of perpendicular character ; it has a lofty embattled tower of later date. In a vault under the chancel is buried Lord Howard of Effingham, afterwards Earl of Nottingham, who commanded the English fleet against the Sparnish 'Armada. The Quakers and Inde pendents have places of worship. The Free Grammar school, founded in 1675, has an income from endowment of 451. a year ; it had 31 scholars in 1854, of whom 7 were free. There are also National and Infant schools, a literary institute, and a savings bank. At Red-Hill, near Reigate, is the Agricultural school of the Philanthropic Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, which is under the direction of a chaplain-superintendent. There is a market on Tuesday for corn and provisions. Fairs are held on Whit-Tuesday, September 14th, and December 9th. Sessions for the county and a county court are held in Reigate.