Reading, Berkshire from the "Readingas", an Anglo-Saxon tribe whose name means "Reada's People" in Old English, or less probably the Celtic "Rhydd-Inge", meaning "Ford over the River". In late 870, an army of Danes invaded the kingdom of Wessex and set up camp at Reading. On 4 January 871, in the first Battle of Reading, King Ethelred and his brother Alfred the Great attempted unsuccessfully to breach the Danes' defences. The battle is described in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", and that account provides the earliest known written record of the existence of Reading. The Danes remained in Reading until late in 871, when
George Ashdown 1906, Ashdown was selected as the Conservative Party's candidate for the resulting by-election. As the opposition Liberal Party did not nominate a candidate by the close of nominations on May 18, Ashdown was acclaimed to office on that date. Ashdown ran again in the 1907 election, but was defeated by Benjamin McConnell of the Liberals. Following his defeat, he retired from the Morden store in 1911, returning to Winnipeg and working in real estate and as manager of his brother's store. He died in Winnipeg on May 14, 1939. George Ashdown George Ashdown (April 8, 1851 - May 14, 1939)