WATFORD, (Hertfordshire) near which the Watling-Street crosses the Colne to St. Albans, is on the E. side of Cashiobury, 2
m. N. of Bushy-Heath, 6 m. S. from St. Albans, 15 cm. 17 mm. from London, and had anciently a ford at the S. end of the T.
The manor was given by the Saxon K. Offa to the abbey of Albans, to which Edw. I. granted its Mt. and Hen. IV. its Fairs.
It bel. to the late D. of Bridgewater, by descent from Ld.-Chanc. Egerton, to whom it was granted by Ja. I. Here was an
almsh. erected in the R. of Eliz. by Bridget countess of Bedford; and besides a ch. sc. for 40 boys, who are both taught
and cloathed, a handsome fr. sc. was built here, in 1709, by Mrs. Eliz. Fuller. The T. consists of one long street, which
in the winter is extremely dirty; for the Coln having two streams here, which run separately to Rickmansworth, 3 m. to the
S. W. and so to Uxbridge, its water at the entrance of the T. is often so swelled by floods, as to be unpassable. The Mt.
is T. Fairs Trinity-Mon, and 2 days after, and Aug. 24. Mich. Heydon gave a lease of Watford-Place, for 100 years, for the
habitation of the vicar, and 4 poor widows; and Sir Charles Morison, Bt. granted 50 l. a year for the maintenance of the
said preacher and alms-women, to be issued out of King's-Langley-Park for ever. The lady Morison also granted 30 l. a
year, for preaching a lecture in Watford-Ch. every T. morning before the Mt.-bell rings. Others of the Morisons have
erected 8 almshs. for so many poor widows, and given them 2 s. a week, 200 faggots, cloth for a gown, and new hats every
year, which is constantly paid and allowed by the E. of Essex, who is lineally descended of the family. The lady Dorothy
Morison also gave 50 l. a year, for putting out poor children of this p. yearly. The Lds. of Cashiobury are interred in
its Ch.