WALLINGFORD, Berkshire, is market-town, municipal and parlia mentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated on the right hank of the Thames, in 51° 36' N. lat., 1° 7' W. long., distant 46 mile, W. by N. from London by road, and 50 miles by the Great Weatern railway. The population of the municipal borough of Wallinsford In 1851 was 2819 ; that of the parliamentary borough was 8064. The borough is governsd by 4 aldermen and 12 councillors, of whom one is mayor; and retnrna one member to the Imperial Parliament. The living* are in the archdeacoury of 13erks and diocese of Oxford. 'Wallingford Poor-Law Union contains 28 parishes and townships, with an area of 40,800 acres, and a population in 1851 of 14,112.
Wallingford was probably a Roman station. [Renesurne.] There was • castle here at the time of the Conquest belonging to Wigod, a Saxon noble. In 1067 Robert D'Oyley, a Norman baron, who had married Wigod'a only daughter, built a strong castle at Wallingford. In 1153, Henry, son of the Empress Maud, besieged a fort which Stephen had erected at Crowmpirsh, on the opposite side of the Thanes, and Stephen coming to its relief, n penes was concluded between the rival parties. In the civil war of Charles L, the castle was retarded as a post of importance near the close of the war it surrendered to Fairfax and was afterwards demolished. Scarcely any portion of the remains. In the town are portions of
several ancient buildings. A Benedictine priory was founded here in the reign of William 1.
Wallingford bias a remarkably neat and respectable appearance. The principal 'treats are paved, and lighted with gas. The atone bridge, which hero crosses' the Thames, connects the town with Crow marsh-street. There are three churches, St. Mary's, St. Leonard's, and St. Peter's. St. Mary's, the principal church, is an ancient erne tare of early English character. St. Leonard's was rebuilt in great degree after the siege in 1616, in which it had sustained great injury ; it has recently been restored and enlarged ; this church is a fine specimen of Norman architecture. St. Peter's was also ruined in the siege, rand remained le ruins more than a century; it has a spire of very singular form, erected at the expense of Sir William Blackstone, the author of the ' Commentaries,' when the church was restored about SO years back. Sir W. Blacktone is buried in the church. There are chapels for Independents, Baptists, end Primitive Methodists. National schools, a mechanics institute, and a savings bauk. The chief trade of the place is in corn, flour, malt, and coal. Friday is the market-day ; a fair is held yearly on September 20t11. A county court is held. Wnllingford is n borough by prescription.