In 1882, and attempt was made by Frederick Charsley to change the name of Slough to Upton Royal. On 20 February 1882 he convened a meeting at the Mechanics' Institute to debate the proposal.

His argument was that the name Slough had negative connotations, leading people to believe that it was a damp place, and that this was putting people off moving here, to the detriment of the town as a whole. His interest in the matter stemmed from the fact that the land he owned was losing value because no-one wanted to build houses on it.

Several notable locals spoke out against the name change, including Henry Darvill, the lord of the manor, James Elliman, and Mr Turner. They argued that it could disrupt mail deliveries, that the name Slough was much older than Charsley claimed and therefore had historic value, and that there wasn't sufficient royal connections to warrant the suffix 'Royal'.

Mr Charsley pressed for a vote to be taken, in which 57 people voted for the name change, 22 voted against it, with over half the attendees abstaining. Charsley considered this to be sufficient grounds to go ahead, as he then produced posters stating 'This town is now called Upton Royal', which he instructed bill-posters to display around the town.

There was considerable reaction to this, not least from the Slough Local Board, who had not been consulted, and several local tradesmen. Charsley remained committed, however, and a petition was eventually submitted to the Queen. It was refused, though, and so the name of the town remains Slough.