MiddlesexFew people know much about Middlesex; it is commonly thought of as one large and featureless suburb. Yet it has a history of great interest, crowded with important events and famous characters, from Julius Caesar at Brentford to Winston Churchill at Harrow. Its history also includes minor curiosities of the past--the devil of Edmonton, the witch of Finchley, the miser of Harrow Weald, the highwaymen of Hounslow Heath--amid the varied incidents of local life in places that are now London dormitories. First published in 1953, at the time this book was the most comprehensive history and description of an English county ever attempted in a single volume. Its first part describes the county's natural situation and its earliest history and surveys its economic life, in particular its almost vanished agriculture and its modern industrial development. There are chapters on particular aspects of Middlesex's history, inhabitants, and buildings. The second part--virtually a book in itself--is a lively gazetteer of the places in contemporary Middlesex, from Acton to Yiewsley. The whole work is fully indexed and referenced, and includes tables of population and a detailed bibliography (both updated for this edition), line maps, diagrams, and 48 pages of superb photographs. Michael Robbins had a lifelong love of the county of his birth, and tramped many miles along Middlesex roads while researching and writing this book; he believed there was no other way of getting to know the county. It remains the standard work on the local history of the county--a book for all who know and love Middlesex. |
Contents
THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX | 3 |
EARLIEST HISTORY | 10 |
THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND | 22 |
Copyright | |
13 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
19th century A. S. NS Acton aisle ancient B. J. Armstrong Barnet borough brass Brent Brentford brick bridge building built centre chancel chapel Charles Chiswick church St churchyard cottages district Domesday Duke Ealing Earl early Edgware Edmonton Enfield Enfield Chase England English farm Finchley gardens Gothic Green Greenford ground Hall Hampstead Hampton Court Hanwell Hanworth Harefield Harlington Harrow Hayes Hendon Henry Hertfordshire Heston Highgate Hill Hillingdon History Hornsey Hounslow Heath Ickenham industry inhabitants Isleworth James John Kingsbury land Lane later Little Stanmore lived London Lord Lysons manor house Middlesex Mill modern monument nave Northolt palace Park Pinner Plate railway rebuilt remains river Royal Ruislip settlement Shepperton side South Mimms Southall Southgate Staines Stanwell station Street suburb suburban Sunbury Syon Teddington Thames Thomas Tottenham tower town Twickenham Uxbridge road village Wembley West Drayton Westminster Willesden William wrote