Windsor

/win"zeuhr/, n.

1. (since 1917) a member of the present British royal family. Cf. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (def. 1).

2. Duke of. See Edward VIII.

3. Wallis Warfield, Duchess of (Bessie Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson), 1896-1986, U.S. socialite: wife of Edward VIII of England, who abdicated the throne to marry her.

4. Official name, Windsor and Maidenhead. a city in E Berkshire, in S England, on the Thames: the site of the residence (Windsor Castle) of English sovereigns since William the Conqueror. 134,700.

5. a city in S Ontario, in SE Canada, opposite Detroit, Michigan. 196,526.

6. a town in N central Connecticut. 25,204.

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I

City (pop., 2001: 208,402), southern Ontario, Canada.

Located on the southern bank of the Detroit River, opposite Detroit, Mich., U.S., it was settled by French farmers shortly after 1701, when a fort was established at Detroit. It was known first as "the Ferry" and later as Richmond before it was renamed in 1836. With its strategic location opposite Detroit, it became an industrial centre, an important railway terminus, and a busy port in Great Lakes shipping. Its manufactures include motor vehicles and parts, foods and beverages, and medicines. It is Canada's leading port of entry from the U.S.

II

(as used in expressions)

Edward of Windsor

Windsor Castle

Windsor house of

Windsor Wallis Warfield duchess of

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▪ Connecticut, United States

      town (township), Hartford county, north-central Connecticut, U.S. It is a northern suburb of the city of Hartford. Windsor was the site of the first English settlement of any kind in Connecticut—a trading post established in 1633 at the junction of the Farmington and Connecticut (Connecticut River) rivers by a company from the Plymouth colony led by Captain William Holmes. The community was called Matianuck until 1635, when it was permanently settled by Puritans (Puritanism) from Dorchester, Massachusetts, who named it Dorchester. In 1637 it was renamed Windsor for the royal English borough. Windsor, never officially incorporated, originally comprised a much larger area, which included the present town sites of Windsor Locks, East Windsor, South Windsor, Simsbury, Bloomfield, and Ellington. Several colonial buildings remain in the town, including the Joseph Loomis House (1639). Tobacco farming (since colonial times) and brickmaking (until the 1960s) were Windsor's major economic activities. After 1950 the town's traditional farm economy was augmented by light industrial development. Area 30 square miles (77 square km). Pop. (1990) 27,817; (2000) 28,237.

▪ England, United Kingdom

 town, Windsor and Maidenhead unitary authority, historic county of Berkshire, England. Windsor is situated on the south bank of the River Thames and lies to the west of London. The modern town is dominated by Windsor Castle, standing on the outcrop of chalk on which William I the Conqueror (reigned 1066–87) built the original fortress. The castle is in regular occupation as a royal residence and is a conspicuous landmark for travelers approaching nearby Heathrow Airport. A succession of town charters dates from 1277 to 1685. Windsor is today a residential and local service centre, with many commuters to London and to nearby Slough. It has a variety of light metal industries and printing. Almost surrounding the town is the great royal park where, from Saxon times, the kings hunted. Nearby are Eton College and Ascot racecourse. Pop. (2001) Windsor/Eton, 30,568.

▪ New South Wales, Australia

      town, part of the Hawkesbury local government area, New South Wales, Australia, on the Hawkesbury River. In 1794, Major Francis Grose, then acting governor, placed 22 settlers in the riverside district known as Green Hills. In 1810 Governor Lachlan Macquarie founded a township (named for Windsor, Eng.) above flood level on higher ground. The modern town has several buildings dating from the period of initial settlement in the early 19th century. Hawkesbury Agricultural College at Richmond was founded in 1888; the School of Arts, in 1861; and the National School, in 1870. Windsor's manufactures include clothing and plastics. Many workers commute to Sydney, 30 miles (50 km) southeast. Windsor was proclaimed a municipality in 1871. Pop. (2006) Hawkesbury local government area, 60,561.

▪ Ontario, Canada

      city, seat of Essex county, southern Ontario, Canada. Windsor is situated on the left (south) bank of the Detroit River, opposite Detroit, Mich. Settled by French farmers shortly after 1701, when a fort was established at Detroit, the city was known as “the Ferry” and later as Richmond before it was renamed in 1836 for Windsor (New Windsor), Eng. Because of Windsor's strategic location on a navigable waterway opposite the heart of Detroit, the city soon developed into both an important railway terminal and a Great Lakes port, attracting many industries, including several large U.S. branch industrial plants. It annexed the adjoining cities of East Windsor, Walkerville, and Sandwich in 1935 and Riverside in 1966.

      The city is a commercial and manufacturing centre serving a rich farming area that produces fruits, vegetables, corn (maize), soybeans, grain, tobacco, and potatoes. Manufactures include motor vehicles and parts, foods and beverages, medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations, salt, industrial machinery, and other iron and steel products. Windsor is also Canada's leading port of entry from the United States; two tunnels, car ferries, and a suspension bridge connect it with Detroit. The city is the site of the University of Windsor, founded in 1963 when Assumption College (1857) federated into a university, and of St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology. Fort Malden National Historic Park is 16 miles (26 km) south. Inc. village, 1854; town, 1858; city, 1892. Pop. (2006) city, 216,473; metropolitan area, 323,342.

▪ county, Vermont, United States

      county, eastern Vermont, U.S., bounded to the east by New Hampshire (the Connecticut River constituting the border). It consists mostly of a piedmont region that rises to the Green Mountains in the west and slopes to the Connecticut River valley in the east. The county is drained by the White, Black, Williams, and Ottauquechee rivers. Recreational areas include Calvin Coolidge, Ascutney, Quechee Gorge, and Camp Plymouth state parks as well as Green Mountain National Forest; the Appalachian National Scenic Trail crosses the northern part of the county east-west. Largely white pine, county woodlands include Calvin Coolidge, Proctor Piper, Okemo, and Charles Downer state forests.

       Abenaki Indians shared the region with English and French settlers in the 1750s. On July 8, 1777, the constitution of Vermont was adopted at Old Constitution House (c. 1772) in Windsor. The county was created in 1781 and named for Windsor, England. Woodstock succeeded Windsor as the county seat in 1794. Merino sheep, which revolutionized Vermont's woolen industry, were introduced at Weathersfield Bow in 1811. Springfield became an important manufacturing centre in the 1880s. Mormon prophet Joseph Smith (Smith, Joseph) was born in Sharon (1805), and President Calvin Coolidge (Coolidge, Calvin) was born in Plymouth Notch (1872). Windsor, Woodstock, Chester, and South Royalton contain numerous buildings from the 19th century. One of Vermont's oldest public buildings is the Eureka Schoolhouse (built 1785) near Springfield. Other communities are White River Junction, Wilder, and Ludlow.

      Windsor has the largest area of any county in Vermont. Important economic activities include the production of dairy products, machine tools, and plastic products. Area 971 square miles (2,516 square km). Pop. (2000) 57,418; (2007 est.) 56,875.

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