HOUNSLOW, a chapelry (formerly a market-town)
partly in the parish of ISLEWORTH, but chiefly in that of
HESTON, hundred of ISLEWORTH, county of MIDDLESEX,
9 miles (W. S.W.) from London. The population
is returned with the respective parishes. This place,
anciently called Hundeslawe, is situated on the principal
road to the West of England: it consists chiefly of a long
street, extending from east to west, irregularly paved,
but lighted with gas; and the inhabitants are well sup-
plied with water. A priory of friars, of the order of
the Holy Trinity, was founded here in the thirteenth
century, the revenue of which, at the dissolution, was
£80. 15. 0. In 1296, a charter was granted to the
prior, for a weekly jnarket on Thursday, -and an annual
fair; the former has been discontinued for more than
thirty years; but fairs are held on Trinity Monday and
Tuesday, and the Monday following Michaelmas-day,
for the sale of horses, cattle, &c. Adjoining to the
town, on the west, was formerly an extensive heath,
which had been the site of ancient encampments, and
was at different periods a military station, or place of
rendezvous for troops, especially in the reigns of
Charles I. and James II.: the latter monarch was visiting
:his army encamped here, in June 1688, when he
was alarmed by the acclamations of the soldiers, on the
arrival of the news of the acquittal of the " seven
bishops," who had been tried for a supposed libel
against the government. On this heath, about forty
years since, barracks for cavalry were erected, which afford
accommodation for three hundred and sixty men,
with their horses. The buildings consist of a centre
forming the officers apartments, and east and west
wings, with some additional erections, within an enclosure
of nearly four acres in extent; and at a short distance
is the ground for military exercise. The heath
has been enclosed, in -pursuance of an act of parliament
passed in the 53rd of George III., since which many
buildings have been erected here. About two miles to
the south-west of Hounslow are the extensive gunpowder-
mills of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey, which have
been very much improved within the last few years, and
where .a curious pump, worked by wind-sails, raises from
thirty to fifty tons of water in a minute.  Here is also
another gunpowder-mill, and a mill for dressing flax.
Hounslow is within the jurisdiction of a court of requests
for the recovery of debts under 40s., held at
Brentford during the summer half year, and at Uxbridge
during winter. The living is a perpetual curacy,
in the archdeaconry of Middlesex, and diocese of London,
and in the alternate patronage of the Bishop of
London, and the Dean and Canons of Windsor. The ancient
chapel of the priory, which, since the Reformation,
had been used as a. chapel of ease to Heston, was taken
down, and in June 1828, the erection of a new church on
its site was commenced, which was completed in December
1829, at an expense of £5310.10., defrayed partly by the
parliamentary commissioners, and partly by voluntary
contribution; it is a fine edifice in the later style of
English architecture, with a low spire and two turrets;
and it contains one thousand and thirty-five sittings, of
which, four hundred and eighteen are free. Hounslow
is about to be constituted a distinct parish, so far as regards
ecclesiastical affairs. There are places of worship
for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists.