HOUNSLOW is a town, on the Great Western road, 10 miles from Hyde Park corner, and was formed 16 Feb. 1836, into a consolidated chapelry out of Heston and Isleworth parishes for ecclesiastical purposes, Isleworth hundred, Brentford petty sessional division, union and county court district, and in the rural deanery of Ealing, archdeaconry of Middlesex and diocese of London. The streets and adjacent roads are lighted with gas by the Brentford Gas Company, and water is supplied from the Grand Junction works at Brentford. The town is included in the Heston and Isleworth Urban District; the Local Board, formed in 1875, has, under the provisions of the “Local Government Act, 1894” (56 and 57 Vict. c. 73), been superseded by an Urban District Council, consisting of 20 members. There is a station here on a branch of the South Western railway, and there are also two stations on the Metropolitan District railway, one called Heston-Hounslow and the other Hounslow Barracks, the latter being the terminus of the line.

The church of the Holy Trinity, rebuilt in 1835, is an edifice of brick, in the Italian style, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, west porch and a western turret containing a clock and one bell: the church was enlarged by the erection of a chancel in 1856, and was reseated and decorated and three stained windows added in 1880: there are sittings for 1,000 persons. The register dates from the year 1708, but is also partly incorporated in those of Heston and Isleworth. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £275, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of London, and held since 1888 by the Rev. Thomas Harvey Th.A.K.C.L. The parish room, in Montague road, was built in 1887 at a cost of £600, raised by subscription.

St. Paul’s ecclesiastical parish was formed out of the parish of Heston, by Order in Council, Feb. 10, 1871. The church, in Bath road, Hounslow Heath, was built in 1873—74, on a site presented by W. H. Taylor esq. at a cost of £6,000, and is an edifice in the Early English style, from the designs of Messrs. Habershon and Pite, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, south porch, transepts, aisles, and a tower at the south-west angle, with lofty spire, reaching a height of 130 feet and containing a clock and 8 bells: the stained east window, illustrating the principal events in the life of St. Paul, was erected by William H. Ellis esq. to the memory of his mother, who died in 1879: there is a handsome reredos of stone, and the interior of the chancel is richly decorated with mural paintings: a brass eagle lectern was provided in 1897, at a cost of £80: the church affords 550 sittings. The register dates from the year 1874. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £420, with 3 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Bishop of London, and held since 1871 by the Rev. Alfred Ernest Bull B.A. late scholar of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and chaplain to the forces at Hounslow barracks. The vicarage house was built at a cost of £1,600.

St. Stephen’s is an ecclesiastical district formed by Order in Council, May 1, 1877, from the parishes of Isleworth and Heston. The church, in the Parkside and St. Stephen’s roads, close to the London and South-Western railway station, was built in 1875—6, at a cost of £5,200, and is an edifice of red brick with Bath stone dressings, in the Early English style, from designs by Messrs. Habershon and Pite, architects, and consists of apsidal chancel, nave of four bays, with clerestory, transepts, aisles, baptistery, two vestries, south porch and a turret over the chancel arch, containing one bell: the pulpits, reredos and reading desks are all of Bath stone and Devonshire marble: the brass lectern and pulpit desk were given by the Sunday school teachers and scholars; there are five memorial windows in the chancel to the late Misses Gosling, of Whitton park, besides 17 others, chiefly memorials: the reredos is adorned with mosaics placed by his widow and daughter to the memory of the late Col. C. E. Gosling Murray: there are 713 sittings. The register dates from the year 1877. The living is a vicarage, with an annual endowment of £300 granted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, gross yearly value £366, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of London, and held since 1877 by the Rev. Henry Layton M.A. of Queens’ College, Cambridge.

The Catholic church, in Bath road, erected in 1886, and dedicated to SS. Michael and Martin, is an edifice of red brick and will seat 300.

The Wesleyan chapel, in Bell road, a building of yellow brick with stone dressings, was erected in 1879, and has 700 sittings. Providence Baptist chapel, High street, erected in 1871, is a structure of red brick, and has 300 sittings. Zoar Baptist chapel, Staines road, erected in 1853, will seat about 170 persons. The Congregational chapel, Hanworth road, rebuilt in 1835, has 450 sittings. The Primitive Methodist chapel, Staines road, erected in 1874, will seat 350 persons; the Plymouth Brethren meet at the Victoria room, Hanworth road.

The Hounslow Consolidated Chapelry District Burial ground, on the Hanworth road, in the parish of Twickenham, and opened in 1868, is about 2 ½ acres in extent and has two mortuary chapels; it is under the control of a Burial Board of nine members.

The Town Hall was erected in 1857, from a design by Messrs. Nelson and Innes, at a cost of upwards of £3,000, the capital being raised by a limited liability company; here are the offices of the Heston and Isleworth Urban District Council, the Heston and Isleworth School Boards and the Hounslow Burial Board. New offices for the Local Board (now the Urban District Council) were built in 1889, when also the Public Hall was enlarged so as to hold 700 persons, and a new stage with dressing and other rooms added at a total cost of £3,000.

The Odd Fellows’ Hall, at the junction of Hanworth and Inwood roads, erected in the year 1880, is a building of yellow brick with red brick facings, in the Italian style, and consists of a large hall, seating 500 persons, and club and billiard rooms.

The Police Station, in Montague road, was erected in 1886; the Fire Station, in Montague road, in 1891; and the Post Office, at the corner of High street and Holloway street, in 1897.

The Hounslow Constitutional Club, Orchard house, Hanworth road, was opened 1st May, 1887, and contains reading and news rooms, billiard, bagatelle, card, and committee rooms and lavatories. There are now (1898) 140 members.

The Hounslow Polytechnic Institute, in Hanworth road, was built in 1881, and opened February, 1882, as a workman’s club, but in 1892 it was transferred to the Middlesex County Council.

The “Middlesex Chronicle,” a local weekly paper, was established in 1858, and is edited by Mr. G. J. Thomason.

Abutting south-west upon the parish of Isleworth, a miles from Hounslow, are the extensive powder mills generally known as the Hounslow Powder mills; but the works are situated in the parish of Twickenham.

Fairs are held on Trinity Monday and the Monday after Michaelmas Day.

The Hounslow Hospital, in Bell road, erected in 1881 at a cost of about £1,400, is a structure of yellow brick with stone dressings; in 1893 it was enlarged by the addition of two wards, rooms for the staff and offices to each ward, from plans by the late Mr. George Dalton, at a cost of £1,093, including the erection of a mortuary and other works; there are male and female wards, consisting of fourteen beds, an accident ward and apartments for nurses. Out-patients are seen on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 2 to 3 p.m.; in 1897 there were 79 in-patients, 648 out-patients and 68 accidents. The hospital is partly supported by endowment and partly by voluntary contribution.

Heston and Isleworth Urban District Infectious Hospital, Dockwell, off Bath road, was erected in 1881.

The cavalry barracks on Hounslow Heath, on the north of the Staines road, erected in 1793, are about one mile from the centre of the town and will hold 600 men; southwards is an exercising ground of 300 acres. Here are the depots of the Regimental District No. 7, the Royal Fusiliers (City of London regiment), comprising the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions, 7th Foot, and three Militia regiments, and Regimental District No. 57, the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex regiment), which is formed of 4 battalions:-1st Battalion 57th Foot, 2nd Battalion 77th foot, and 2 Militia Battalions; and there are quarters for the 5th and 7th Battalions; of Royal Fusiliers (Royal Westminster and Royal South Middlesex Militia); the 6th Battalion (London Militia) have head quarters at Artillery place, Finsbury, London E C; there are also at Hounslow the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Middlesex regiment (Royal Elthorne and Royal East Middlesex Militia). A special service for the troops is held at St. Paul’s church on Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

Westwards from Hounslow, stretching for 5 miles along the road, was Hounslow Heath, so notorious in the annals of highway robbery, and as recently as 70 years ago there were many gibbets on both sides of the road: Lord North was attacked, and his postillion wounded in 1774; two years later, Mr. Pitt’s secretary, Mr. Northall, was killed in the presence of his wife and child; and about the same time Lord Berkeley shot an assailant, and so late as 1806, one Mr. Steele was slain here by highwaymen: on this heath Gilbert de dare, the “Red Earl of Hertford and Gloucester” encamped in 1267, when leading the men of London against Henry III.: Charles I. is said to have entrenched himself here in 1642, after the battle of Brentford; and in November of the same year the Earl of Essex mustered his forces on the heath; Fairfax, in 1647, made it a general rendezvous, his army numbering about 20,000 men; Charles II. encamped here in 1678, and in 1686 Janies II. assembled here a force of 13,000 men; and in the year following heard with anger the cheers of the soldiers on the acquittal of the seven bishops; Queen Mary II. in 1690, reviewed her troops on the heath, the Duke of Marlborough being present and George III. frequently held reviews here also.

In the 13th century ft priory of Mathurines, or friars of the Holy Trinity, was founded here, the brethren of which occupied themselves in collecting alms for the redemption of captives; the present church of the Holy Trinity is believed to stand on part of the site of the priory chapel. The revenues at the Dissolution were estimated at £80 15s. 0 ¼d. yearly.

The population in 1891 of the ecclesiastical district of Holy Trinity was 4,324; of St. Stephen’s, 5,344; St. Paul’s, 3,195, of which the barracks contained 1,218; rateable value of the parish of Heston, £50,315, and of the parish of Isleworth, £93,956; the population in 1891 for both parishes being 26,271.

There is another Militia Regiment (The 6th Battalion Royal Fusiliers) (Royal London Militia) belonging to the 7th Regimental District, which has head quarters at Artillery place, Finsbury, London E C. Also 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal Fusiliers (late 10th Middlesex Rifles); 2nd Volunteer Battalion Royal Fusiliers (late 23rd Middlesex) & 3rd Volunteer Battalion (late 11th Middlesex).

Territorial Regiment (57th District), The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment), 1st Battalion 57th & 2nd Battalion 77th.

2nd Volunteer Battalion, the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment) (C & D Companies); Capt. Arth.

There are also two other Volunteer Regiments belonging to the 57th Regimental District, viz:-3rd Middlesex & 17th North Middlesex Rifles.

A regiment of light cavalry with detachments at Kensington & Hampton Court is usually quartered here Places of Worship, with times of services.

Holy Trinity, High st. Rev. Thos. Harvey Th.A.K.C.L. vicar; Rev. Aaron E. Suffrin B.A. curate; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 8 p.m.; Fri. 11.30 a.m. & all festivals.

St. Paul’s, Bath road, Rev. Alfred Ernest Bull B.A. vicar; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

St. Stephen’s, St. Stephen’s road, Rev. Henry Leyton M.A. vicar; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Baptist (Zoar), Stainetf road, Rev. J. Curtis; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Baptist (Providence), High street, Rev. James Edward Barnes; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Congregational, Hanworth road, Rev. Leonard McCrea; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Primitive Methodist, Staines road, Rev. Geo. Crickmay; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Plymouth Brethren (at Victoria Room), Hanworth road, 6.30 p.m.

Wesleyan, Bell road, Rev. John Havelock Thompson; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Catholic, Bath road, Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan, priest; 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; holy days, 9.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Fri. 6 p.m.

Catholic services are given in the garrison chapel at the barracks on Sundays at 8.30 a.m.; holy days, 8.30 a.m.; the Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan officiates as Catholic chaplain to the forces.

Wesleyan Service is given in the garrison chapel at the barracks on Sundays at 11 a.m.; the Rev. John Havelock Thompson officiates as Wesleyan chaplain to the forces.

Mission Hall, Staines road; 11 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Mon. & Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Gospel Hall, Hanworth road, W. E. Whittaker; 11 a.m. & 6.45 p.m.; Tues. 7.30 p.m.

Mission Room, Fair street, 6.30 p.m.; Mon. 7.30 p.m.

Salvation Army Barracks, Inwood road; 11 a.m. & 3 & 7 p.m.; week nights, 8 p.m.

Schools

Hounslow National, School lane (boys, girls & infants), girls’ school enlarged in 1881 & infants’ school erected; the schools will now hold 400 boys, 240 girls & 242 infants; average attendance, 220 boys, 204 girls & 203 infants.

Board School (under the Isleworth School Board), Grove road, opened for infants in 1895 & for boys & girls in 1896: it will hold 230 boys, 226 girls & 228 infants; average attendance, 200 boys, 208 girls to 217 infants.

Board School (under the Heston School Board), Barrack road, enlarged by the board for 241 boys, 212 girls & 138 infants; average attendance, 175 boys, 180 girls & 138 infants.

SS. Michael & Martin Catholic (mixed), Bath road, built in 1886, for 209 children; average attendance, 207.