WINCHESTER, the county town of Hampshire, an ancient epis copal city, a municipal and parliamentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated in 51° 4' N. lat., 1° 19' W. long., distant 62 miles S.W. from London by road, and 67 miles by the Loudon and South-Western railway. The population of the city of Winchester in 1351 was 13,704. The livings are in the archdeacoury and diocese of Winchester. The city is governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, of whom one is mayor; and returns 2 members to the Imperial Parlia ment. Winchester Roor-Law Union contains 34 parishes and townships, with an area of 60,544 acres, and a population iu 1851 of 21,164.
Winchester is ono of the most ancient towns iu England ; its origin Is lost in the fables of tradition. The Britons are said to have called it 'Caer Gwent,' or the White City ; the Romans, by whom it was first subdued, named it Yenta Belgarum; the Saxons, who were the next possessors, named it Witanceaster, which has become Wiuchester: in Latin deeds and by the Latin writers it is called Wintonia.
Winchester appears to have flourished under the Romans as long as they remained in the island. The massive walls, composed of flints and mortar, which inclosed the oity, are considered to have been originally built by them. In 6.D. 519 it was conquered by Cerdio the Saxon, who afterwards made it the seat of his government • and it continued to be the capital of the West Saxon kings till Egbert, the first king of the whole heptarchy, was crowned there, and then it may be said to have become the metropolis of England. Though some times plundered and in the possession of the Danes, it continued to be the capital of successive Saxon kings till1013, when Sweyn, the Danish kiog, obtained possession of Englaod, and Winchester became the seat of his government After his death a fierce struggle ensued, and England is said to have been ultimately divided into two kingdoms : London became the capital of Canute, and 'Winchester of Edmund Ironside, till Edmund's death in 1016, when Canute became sole king and Winchester the sole capitaL After the Norman conquest Winchester continued to be the capital, and during the reign of Henry 1. attained the summit of its greatness.
It was surrounded by strong walls; was defended by a castle built by William the Conqueror on the west, and by another, subsequently erected for the residence of the bishop, on the east ; it contained an extensive palace and numerous mansions of the nobility ; a cathedral, three monasteries of royal foundation, and a vary large number of churches: the suburbs extended a mile from the walls in every direc tion. In tho,reigu of Stephen, Winchester began to decliue. While Stephen was a prisoner in Gloucester Castle a contest commenced between his queen and the Empress Matilda, aided by their respective partisans, which was carried on for several weeks in the streets of Winchester, at the termination of which nearly the whole, of the town north of the High-street, the royal palace, the abbey of St. Mary, Hyde Abbey, and about 40 churches, were burnt down or laid in ruins. The death of Stepheu in 1154 put a stop to the calamities of civil warfare. Henry IL resided mach at Winchester ; he rebuilt the palace, and to a considerable extent renewed the city ; but London 'seems to have found more favour in the eyes of subsoqnent kings, and Winchester lost its dignity as capital of the kingdom.
Iu the contests between Henry III. and his barons Winchester suffered eeverely, both parties alternately gaining possession of its castles, and carrying on the work of destruction in the city. From this time Winchester, though partly upheld by the splendour of its cathedral and other eeclealuticatl and scholastic establishmeuts, seems to have deelieed rapidly. 1Vhen Ileury VIII. suppressed the monas teries. the minor establishinents were the first to aufrer in Winchester. Subsequently the priory of St Swithin sou suppreasod, and the greater rut of Its revenues were transferred to the dean and chapter of the cathedral; also Hyde Abbey, which had been rebuilt; St. Mary's Abbey ; and several hospitals.