Hertford, first documented in AS 673, grew up beside a shallow ford across
the River Lea, and was founded in 912-913 as a royal borough by Edward the
Elder, who built twin fortifications on either side of the river. The
surrounding country was named after it, and William the Conqueror built a motte-and-bailey
castle, which later became a royal palace. But medieval Hertford suffered a
reversal of fortunes when its lucrative monopoly of road and river tolls was
taken by Ware, prompting a bitter feud which continued down the centuries, and
the town went into economic decline.
From the end of Tudor times, Hertford and its environs began to attract the
wealthier upper class, some building grand mansions and parks and acquiring
great influence. The external and internal conflicts of the 17th centuries were
accompanied by the first stirrings of Nonconformism, but the contrasts between
rich and poor were deepening. As population and poverty grew, Victorian Hertford
experienced a great outpouring of charitable activity, educational and religious
outreach. Modernisation began with the coming of the railway, but progress was
hampered by intractable social problems in the slums of Bircherley Green.
Both world wars impacted heavily on the county, its proximity to London
bringing numerous bombing raids, but post-war Hertford developed as a popular
commuter town, spoilt only by the building of a diverse relief road in the
1960s. Population has grown slowly, from about 10,000 in the early 1900s to over
24,000 today, and there is still an enduring sense of community and a high
quality of life in this immensely attractive, busy and vibrant place.
The author's detailed yet accessible exploration of its long history places
the emphasis on the lives of the ordinary people. This well written, fully
illustrated, chronological account is a significant contribution to the
published history of Hertford.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. 'Henceforward there was a church'
2. 'The Royal Borough of Heretforde Burg'
3. Most robbed of her glory'
4. The chiefest towne of all the Shire'
5. 'An antient towne endowed w'th many priveleges'
6. 'Beautified with divers new houses lately erected'
7. 'Poor desolate Hertford'
8. 'Much irritation and dissension'
9. 'One of the most pleasantly situated county towns in England'
10. 'An extraordinary and delicate charm'
Select Bibliography
Index
