READING. 



The church of St. Lawrence was cliicfly erected towards 

 the clofe of the l6th century, and is partly coiillnitted of 

 materials taken from tlie liuildiiigs of the abbey. Among the 

 parts of it, fo pilfered from the monaltery, is a large door- 

 way, wliich is compoled of a circular arch, ornamented 

 with rich mouldings, from which were fufpcnded on each 

 fide the arms of the abbey ; but thefe are now nearly obli- 

 terated. This door-way is likewife ornamented with nichcf, 

 in which llatues formerly itood. The advowlon of the 

 church belongs to St. John's college, Oxford. St. Mary's 

 church is fomevvhat more ancient tluin th.it of St. Lawrence, 

 haying been conllrufted about the year 1547, in the (lead 

 of a previous one, which had gone to decay. Some portions 

 of this building have evidently belonged to an older edifice, 

 particularly a window over the well door, which is in the 

 early pointed ftyle of architedture. St. Giles's church was 

 probably conllrufted .at the commencement of the 12th cen- 

 tury. The tower only is modern, the ancient one having 

 been demolifhed during the civil war. The livings of both 

 the churches laft mentioned arc in the gift of the lord chan- 

 cellor. The principal mceting-houfes for diffenters are the 

 CalviniRic or Independent meeting-houfe in Broad-ltreet, 

 a Baptifl meeting-houfe and a Quaker's meeting-houfe in 

 Cljurch-ftreet, a Methodill chapel in Caftle-llreet, and ano- 

 ther in Minfter-ftreet, a Cudworthian and an Unitarian 

 meeting-houfe in London-ilreet, and a Catholic chapel in 

 Vaftern-lane. Another meeting-houfe for Baptilts has alfo 

 been lately erefted in Sievier-llreet. 



The town-hall and free-lchool form one building ; the 

 free-fchool occupying the ground Itory, and the hall, court- 

 room, and offices, the floor above. The free-fchool was 

 eftablilhed in the reign of Henry VIL, by John Thorne, 

 abbot of Reading, with the funds of a luppreffcd alms- 

 houfe. This Ichool has two fcholarfhips in St. John's col- 

 lege, Oxford, the gift of fir Thomas White, in 1557. 

 Julius Palmer, one of the mailers of this fchool, fell a martyr 

 to his Protellant tenets in 1556. The blue-coat Ichool, 

 which is fo named from the drefs of the fcholars, was 

 founded in 1656, by Mr. Richard Aldworth, who be- 

 queathed 4000/. for the fupport of a mailer, lefturer, and 

 twenty boys. The prefent fchool-houfe is of late ereftion, 

 and confifts of a centre and two wings. Several donations 

 and bequells having been made to this ellablilhment by va- 

 rious perfons, it now ufually fnpports about 48 boys. The 

 green fchool is fituated in Bro.id-llreet, and is appropriated 

 for the education of the daughters of decayed tradefmen, re- 

 fidents in the town, and of orphans, who have been left un- 

 provided for by their parents. The inhabitants of Reading 

 are indebted for the inllitution of this fchool to the Rev. 

 Charles Sturges, the Rev. Dr. Niciiolls,andtheHon. and Rev. 

 W. B. Cadogan, former vicars of the three parilli churches 

 belonging to the town. It is fupported by annual fubfcrip- 

 tion, and the proceeds of different donations and bequeits. 

 In the foundation ichool, founded in 1766, eight male and 

 eiffhteen female children are taujjiit to read. It was inftituted 

 with a legacy left for that purpofe by Mr. Jofeph Neale. 

 The fchool of induftry originated under the patronage of 

 Mrs. Cadogan, for female children, and is fupported by the 

 voluntary contributions of ladies in the town. The Lan- 

 caftrian fchool, eftablilhed in 18 10, is fituated in Southamp- 

 ton-ilreet, and is attended by about 320 boys, who are no- 

 minated by the fubfcribers individually. The fchool for 

 national education was opened in September, 1813. It is 

 founded on the plan of inftruftion recommended by Dr. 

 Bell, and is chiefly fupported by the clergy of the town and 

 county. Both thefe inllitutions are calculated to be highly 

 beneficial to the nfing generation. Befides thefe feminarics of 



education, there are in Reading fevcral Sunday fchuols, all 

 the children attending which receive a fuit of clothes annually, 

 from a fund provided by the bequed of Mr. Edward Simeon, 

 who clothed them in the fame mannerduring his life-time. The 

 theatre of Reading is a neat and convenient building, lately 

 ercfted, under the aft for regulating provincial theatres. 

 The gaol was built in 1793, "" 'he fcite of fome of the 

 abbey ruins. It is a large edifice, and contains commodious 

 apartments for the keeper, a neat chapel, an infirmary, and 

 a room for the reception of the magiftratce, in the centre ; 

 and two wings, one for male, and the other for female pn. 

 foners, with yards, cells for refraftory individuals, &c. 



Befides the above public buildings and eilablifhments, 

 there is a public library lately ellabliflied at Reading, under 

 the name of the " Reading Inftitution ;" alfo a difpenfaiy, 

 which is attended by fome of the medical gentlemen of the 

 town. The houfe is the property of the corporation, and 

 the general expcnces are defrayed by fubfcription. The 

 Oracle may likewife be reckoned among the public buildings 

 ot Reading. This flrudlure was erected by the mayor and 

 burgeifes, in conformity to the will of John Kendrick, who 

 left 7500/. " to build a ftroag houfe of brick, fit and com- 

 modious to fet the poor to work therein." The funds of 

 this charity having been at different periods greatly abufed 

 and mifapplied, the fubjeft has been feveral times before the 

 fupreme courts of juftice. The teftator's objeft, in be- 

 queatliing his large legacy, was the improvement of the 

 woollen trade ; but inftead of this, it was perhaps, the firfl 

 occafion of the decay of that manufadure, by enabling fuch 

 as could obtain its advantages to underfell thofe who were 

 not fo fortunate. The fame complaints are made againft it, 

 with refpeft to the manufadtures now carried on in it, and, 

 as we fufpeft, not without fome (liow of reafon. 



Moiiaftk EJlablifimaits. — As already mentioned, the ear- 

 lieft religious inltitiition at Reading was a nionaftery for 

 nuns, founded by Elfrida, the mother-in-law of Edward 

 the Martyr. This nunnery was founded in 979, and was 

 dellroyed, in 1009, by the Danes. The precife ' fcite on 

 which it ftood is uncertain, but there can be no doubt of its 

 exiflence. It appears from the Domcfday-book, and 

 alfo from Tanner's Notitia, that another nunnery was efta- 

 bhfhed here at a later period, but nothing of its hiftory is 

 known. The abbey, the ruins of which are ftiU fufficient 

 to attefl its extent and importance, was founded by Henry I. 

 in 1 121. It occupied a fpot of ground, equal, if not fupe- 

 rior, to any in Berkfhire for fertility of foil and beauty of 

 lituation. This fpot comprehended about thirty acres, and 

 was environed on three fides by a maffive and lofty wall, 

 and on the fourth by the river Kennet. Exterior to this 

 wall was a piece of ground, about fifty yards wide, (like the 

 pomcerium that furrounded the Roman cities,) which it was 

 not allowable either tc cultivate or build upon. It had four en- 

 trances to it, defended by arched gateways, and having battle- 

 ments on their tops fimilar to thofe on the walls. Within thefe 

 was the outer court, whence another gate-way led into the 

 inner court. Part of this building remains, andis compofed of 

 bricks, chalk, and ftone ; and, from the difTirailarity of ftyles 

 which it exhibits, has evidently undergone many alterations 

 and repairs. Some of it is probably as late as the reign of 

 Henry VIL, though other portions of it are, undoubtedly, 

 of much higher antiquity. The inner court coiidufted to 

 the principal entrance to the abbey, the fituation of which, 

 owing to the ground having been fince built upon, and the 

 confufion occafioned by throwing up the ramparts in the 

 civil war, cannot now be accurately determined. The only 

 entrance on this fide at prefent is through an arched pafiage, 

 opening into the fouth-eall corner of the cloiilers, which is 

 3 R 2 lertainlv 



