READING, red'ing. A municipal, Parlia mentary, and county borough, the capital of Berkshire, England. on the Kennet, near its confluence with the Thames, 36 miles west of London (Slap: England, E 5). The town is ir regular in plan, hut well built, and has fine build ings.which include a municipal block with two town halls, clock tower, free library, valuable museum, concert hall, etc. Other buildings are the assize courts, the grammar school. founded. in 1445, the University Extension College, and Sutton's Abbey Hall. Reading has interesting churches, and the remains of a magnificent Bene dictine abbey, founded in 1121 by Henry I.. whose burial place it became. Of its three parks the Palmer Park forms a fine recreation ground. The town owns valuable real estate, water, abat toirs, and markets; maintains bathing places, libraries, museum, art gallery. sewage farm, and provides technical instruction. It has an
important trade in corn and agricultural pro duce; famous seed farms and hisenit manufac tories, iron works and foundries, breweries, and manufacture: of silks, ribbons, velvets, paper, and sauce. The town was of importance in 871, when the Danes made it their headquarters. Domesday mentions it as Radynges. Stephen built a castle which was destroyed by Henry 11. Nine parliaments were held within the abbey. which Henry VIII. converted into a palace. In 1643 Reading surrendered to the Parliamentari an:, who destroyed the abbey palace. Popula tion, in 1891, 60.054; in 1901. 72.214. Consult: Coates. and _Lillie/I/it ies of Reading (London, 18101; Dora n, History of the Borough and Castle of Beading (lb.. 1832) ; Jones. Sketches of Reading: Historical, Archa•ological, and Drseriptire 1870).