HARTFORD, (Hertfordshire) the Shire T. 20 cm. 23 mm. from London, stands on the r. Lea, was of some note in the time of the ancient Britons, and the E. Saxon Ks. often kept their courts here. In 673, here was a synod. K. Alfred built a castle here, by which the Danish vessels were destroyed, that came up from the Thames by its r. as far as Ware, where the Danes had erected a fort, from which they made frequent sallies to plunder and destroy the country. The manor of this T. was all along the K's. of whom both the T. and castle were formerly held in capite. The Barons took the latter from K. John, but K. Hen. III. recovered it. K. Edw. III. gave the T. a charter for Mts. on Th. and S. and in his grant of it to John of Gaunt, it is called the honour of Hartford. The chief bailiff was then allowed by the K. 20 s. a year for his livery-gown, and the porter of the castle who was put in by the K. had of him 2d. a day for his wages. It sent members to Pt. in the R. of Edw. I. but after the 7th of Hen. V. on the petition of the bailiff and burgesses to be excused by reason of their poverty, that privilege was discontinued, till the 22d of James I. K. Hen. VI. who kept his Easter here in 1429, ordained by his charter confirming their Mt. that no other should be kept on the same days, within 7 m. on pain of having the goods seized by the bailiffs of Hartford. This manor being then part of Q. Margaret's jointure, the courts were held in her name, and she appointed a horse Fair to be kept in what part of the T. the bailiff and constables thought fit. The standard of weights and measures was fixed here in the R. of Hen. VII. and Q. Mary I. made this a corp. by the name of bailiffs and burgesses, of whom the latter were to be 16 by her charter, which also granted the T. 3 Fairs, viz, the eve- day and morrow of Passion-Sunday, June 24, and Oct. 29. In the 25th and 35th of Q. Eliz. Michaelmas-term was kept here, by reason of the plague at both times in London; and that Q. who sometimes resided in its castle, and declared the Bor. as parcel of her duchy of Lancaster, granted it a new charter, by the stile of a bailiff, 11 capital burgesses, and 16 assistants, with a Mt. on S. 2 yearly Fairs, viz. on Lady-day and Midsummer-day, in St. Andrew's p. and 2 other Fairs in the T. on Passion-Sunday, and one for all sorts of cattle on the 29th of October, paying only 1 l. 6 s. 8 d. K. James I. granted it a new charter, with the stile of mayor, burgesses, and commonalty, to have 10 capital burgesses, and 16 assistants, the mayor to be chose out of the former, by both of them; and a Fair was then appointed here on May-day. The castle was enjoyed in the last R. by Sir Will. Cowper, Bt. as it has been since by his successors, and it was repaired and beautified by the late Spencer Cowper, Esq; C. J. of Chester. Here was once a mon. founded by William the Conqueror's nephew, which, since the Diss. has passed through several families to the Harrisons. Here were 5 Chs. which are reduced to two. In St. Andrew's there is a seat not only for the mayor and ald. but another for the governors of Christchurch hos. in London, who have erected a fair house in the T. to receive such children as wanted either health or room in that hos. and they have built a gallery in the Ch. wherein 200 of their children may be accommodated. The T. in short, stands pleasantly, in a sweet air and dry vale, is now governed by a mayor, high-steward, who is generally a nobleman, a recorder, 9 ald. a townclerk, chamberlain, 10 cap-burgesses, and 16 assistants, and has 2 serjeants at mace. The chief commodities of its Mt. are wheat, malt, and wool; and it is said to send 5000 quarters of malt to London weekly by the r. Lea. Besides the above-mentioned, here are two Fairs on Sept. 8 and Nov. 6, and two others for cattle, viz. the S. fortnight after Easter, and the M. following, and its Midsummer Fair is chiefly for horses. This T. had the honour of giving title of Earl formerly to the Strongbows, but the honour ceased for many years, till Hen. VIII. revived it in Edward Seymour, brother to one of his Q's whose descendants have enjoyed it ever since, with that of D. of Somerset. Here is a handsome free grammar-sc. besides 3 ch. scs. but the splendour of the T. is much diminished since the N. road from London was turned through Ware; but in the T. is still kept the Co. gaol, and the gaol-delivery in the castle.