Eton, Berkshire

Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. It has a population of 4,980. Eton was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974. Since 1998 it has been part of the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead.

The town is best known as the location of Eton College, a famous public school.

Origin of the name
The name 'Eton' derives from Old English Ēa-tūn, = River-Town, i.e. Town on the River Thames.

People

 * George E. Davis, founding father of Chemical Engineering, was born here.
 * Edmund Bristow (1787-1876), artist, was born here and lived his whole life in the Windsor area.

Politics
On a Parish level, the town is represented by seven councillors in the Eton Town Council, a body which also includes seven other councillors representing the nearby town of Eton Wick.

On Borough level, the town is part of the Eton and Castle electoral ward and is currently represented by one councillor (George Fussey of the Liberal Democrats) in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Nationally, since 1997 the ward has formed part of the UK Parliamentary constituency of Windsor and is currently represented by Adam Afriyie of the Conservative Party.

Between 1983 and 1997, the town was part of the UK Parliamentary constituency of Windsor and Maidenhead which was continually held by the Conservative Party during this period.

Before 1983, the town was within the boundaries of the UK Parliamentary constituency of Eton and Slough. This was consistently held by the Labour Party from its creation in 1945 to its redistribution in 1983, except between 1964 and 1966 when it was briefly held by the Conservative Party.