History of Portsmouth

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Portsmouth is an island port city situated on Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire, England. Its history has been influenced by its association with the sea, and its proximity to London, and mainland Europe.

Roman

Saxon Shore forts and was a major base of the Classis Britannica
and possibly its Headquarters.

Pre-Norman

Although there have been settlements in the area since before Roman times, mostly being offshoots of Portchester, Portsmouth is commonly regarded as having been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors (Jean de Gisors). Most early records of Portsmouth are thought to have been destroyed by Norman invaders following the Norman Conquest. The earliest detailed references to Portsmouth can be found in the Southwick Cartularies.[1]

However, the Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names gives the Anglo-Saxon name "Portesmūða" as late as the 9th century, meaning "mouth [of the harbour called] Portus" (from Latin). In Anglo-Saxon times a folk etymology "[harbour] mouth belonging to a man called Port" arose, which caused a statement in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that in 501 AD "Port and his 2 sons, Bieda and Mægla, came with 2 ships to Britain at the place which is called Portsmouth". It has been suggested that this is more likely to refer to the area around Portchester.[1]

Medieval

Norman

In the

Drayton
on the mainland. At this time it is estimated the Portsmouth area had a population not greater than two or three hundred.

While in the primary diocese of Portsea there was a small church prior to 1166 (now St Mary's in Fratton) Portsmouth's first real church came into being in 1181 when John of Gisors granted an acre (4,000 m2) of land to Augustinian monks at the Southwick Priory to build a chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket. This chapel continued to be run by the monks of Southwick Priory until the Reformation after which its possession was transferred to Winchester College. The modern Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral is built on the original location of the chapel.[1] The original grant referred to the area as Sudewde however a later grant a few years later used the name Portsmouth.[1]

Growth of the city

In 1194, after he returned from being held captive by Duke

William de Longchamps.[2]
The present location of the charter is currently unknown but its text survives, as when later royal charters were granted to the city reaffirming and extending its privileges large parts of the original charter were quoted verbatim.

As a crescent and an eight-point star (as appear on the city's coat of arms) were to be found on both the seals of King Richard and William de Longchamps it is commonly thought that this may have been the source of them, although there is no known documentary evidence for this.

King Richard later went on to build a number of houses and a hall in Portsmouth.[3] The hall is thought to have been at the current location of the Clarence Barracks (the area was previously known as Kingshall Green).

In 1200 King

John issued another charter to Portsmouth reaffirming the rights and privileges awarded by King Richard.[3] Acquiring this second charter cost Portsmouth ten marks and a type of riding horse known as a Palfrey.[3] King John's desire to invade Normandy resulted in the establishment of Portsmouth as a permanent naval base.[4]

In 1212

St Nicholas) which performed its duties as an almshouse and hospice until 1540 when like other religious buildings it was seized by King Henry VIII
.

During the 13th century, Portsmouth was commonly used by King Henry III and Edward I as a base for attacks against France.

In 1265, the city was on the receiving end of a serious raid by the

Barons of the Cinque Ports.[5] After scattering the defenders, they seized various ships and cargo and burned the town.[5]

By the 14th century, commercial interests had grown considerably, despite rivalry with the dockyard of nearby

woad, wax and iron, however the port's largest trade was in wine from Bayonne and Bordeaux
.

14th century

In 1313, the town received a charter from Edward II.[6] This is the oldest of the city's charters that is known to have survived.[6]

In 1338, a French fleet led by

arrived at Portsmouth docks flying English flags before anyone realised that they were a hostile force. The French burned down most of the buildings in the town; only the local church and Domus Dei survived. The population was subjected to rape and slaughter. As a result of this, King Edward III
gave the remaining townsfolk exemption from national taxes so that they could afford to rebuild the town.

Only ten years after this devastation, the town for the first time was struck by the plague known as the Black Death. In order to prevent the regrowth of Portsmouth as a threat, the French again sacked the city in 1369, 1377 and 1380.

15th century

In 1418, King Henry V ordered a wooden Round Tower be built at the mouth of the harbour, which was completed in 1426.

In 1450, Adam Moleyns Bishop of Chichester was murdered while in Portsmouth.[7]

Tudor period

Portsmouth in the early Tudor period

Through the Tudor period, Portsmouth's fortification's were subject to almost continuous reworking. Under King Henry VIII the Round Tower was rebuilt out of stone and a Square Tower was raised. It was at this time that Robert Brygandine and Sir Reginald Bray, with the support of the king, commenced the building in Portsmouth of the country's first dry dock. In 1527 with some of the money obtained from the dissolution of the monasteries Henry VIII built the fort which became known as Southsea Castle. In 1545, he saw his vice-flagship Mary Rose founder off Southsea Castle, with a loss of about 500 lives, while going into action against the French fleet. It was during the Tudor period that the town gained its first military governor.[8] The role of managing military operations in Portsmouth had previously been the duty of the constable of Portchester Castle.[8]

In 1563, the city was struck by a plague that killed around 300 people.[9]

It was also in the Tudor period that two mills were built at the end of the creek just above the town.[10] The creek later developed into the body of water known as the mill pond.[10]

Stuart period

During the English Civil War, the city was initially held by the royalist faction before falling to parliament after the Siege of Portsmouth in September 1642.[11]

In 1665, Charles II of England ordered Bernard de Gomme to begin the reconstruction of Portsmouth's fortifications a process which was to take many years.[12]

Portsmouth's overland links to London started to be improved with an early turnpike trust being set up to improve the road where it passed Butser Hill.[13]

In 1714, the crown purchased the two mills at the entrance to the millpond.[10]

18th century

The First Fleet memorial in Portsmouth.

The first local newspaper in the city was the Portsmouth and Gosport Gazette. First published in 1745 it continued to publish until around 1790.[14] There was then a 3-year gap before foundation of The Portsmouth Gazette and Weekly Advertiser.[14] The final newspaper to begin publication in the 18th century was the Portsmouth Telegraph; or, Mottley's Naval and Military Journal which was first published in 1799.[14]

In 1774, the two mills at the entrance to the millpond were rebuilt as one mill known as the Kings's mill.[10]

On 13 May 1787 the First Fleet of ships left Portsmouth Harbour bound for Australia, taking the first British settlers there. They would arrive in Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. A memorial, officially unveiled by HM The Queen on 11 July 1980, commemorates the First Fleet, with a similar memorial in Sydney, New South Wales.[15]

Modern

HMS Warrior

19th century

Naval

Admiral Nelson left Portsmouth for the final time in 1805 to command the fleet that would defeat the larger Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar.[16] The Royal Navy's reliance on Portsmouth led to the city becoming the most fortified in Europe, with a network of forts circling the city.[citation needed
]

From 1808, the

slave trade
, operated out of Portsmouth.

The King's mill burned down in 1868 and over the next decade land was reclaimed from the millpond until it ceased to exist.[10]

Transport

New transport links were constructed during this century. In 1823, the

direct route to London arriving in 1859.[13]

Media

In 1802, The Portsmouth Gazette and Weekly Advertiser was purchased by the Portsmouth Telegraph and ceased publication.[14] The Portsmouth Telegraph then went through 3 rapid name changes, before settling on the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle.[18] In 1850, the Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette (often known simply as the Portsmouth Times) began publication.[14][19] The Evening News began publication in 1877 and came under common ownership with the Hampshire Telegraph in 1883.[14] In 1884, the Portsmouth Times gained a sister paper called the Evening Mail, which was later renamed the Southern Daily Mail.[14]

Education and science

On 21 December 1872, a major scientific expedition, the

Challenger Expedition
, was launched from Portsmouth.

While an extensive number of subscription libraries were formed in Portsmouth in the early part of the 19th century, Portsmouth trailed many other cities in the provision of public libraries, with the first not being opened until 1884.[20]

20th century

A partial roadmap of part of Portsmouth in 1948
Gosport in 1960

The city in the form of Portsmouth Corporation Transport purchased the private horse-drawn tram lines in 1901. The Stanhope Road drill hall was opened by Lord Northbrook in March 1901.[21]

In 1904, the boundaries of Portsmouth were extended to finally include the whole of Portsea Island. The boundaries were further extended in 1920 and 1932, taking in areas of the mainland.

In 1916, the city experienced its first aerial bombardment when a

First World War.[22]

Council housing was built on a large scale from the 1920s onwards, with families from inner city slums being rehoused on new estates including Paulsgrove
, mostly in the north of Portsmouth.

Portsmouth was elevated from Town to City status on 21 April 1926.[23]

The Portsmouth Blitz

As a major

high explosive bombs and 38,000 incendiary devices were dropped on the city, damaging the Guildhall, 30 churches, eight schools, one hospital and over 80,000 homes. 930 people were killed and 1,216 people were injured. The extensive bombing of housing in Portsmouth resulted in even greater need for new private and council housing in the city. While most of the city has since been rebuilt, to this day developers still occasionally find unexploded bombs
.

D-Day

Southsea beach and Portsmouth Harbour were military embarkation points for the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. Southwick House, in Southwick five miles to the north of Portsmouth, had been chosen as the headquarters for the Supreme Allied Commander, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower, during D-Day.

Return of Lively Lady

On 4 July 1968, an estimated 250,000 people witnessed the return of Alec Rose, a greengrocer in Osborne Road, after he completed his single-handed circumnavigation in Lively Lady; he was knighted immediately and made Freeman of the City of Portsmouth. 400 motor-boats, yachts, catamarans and canoes welcomed him into harbour.

The University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth gained university status in 1992, having held polytechnic status since 1969.

21st century

In 2003 erection was started of a 552 feet high Spinnaker Tower sited at Portsmouth Harbour, and celebrating the city's maritime tradition. Completed in 2005, the tower has twin concrete legs meeting at half height to form a single column from which steel sails are mounted; an observation deck at the top provides a view of the city and harbour for tourists.

In late 2004, the

Brutalist architecture.[24]

In 2005, Portsmouth was a focus for

Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. In particular, in June, there was the massive Fleet Review, by HM Queen Elizabeth II and a mock battle (son et lumière
) that evening, after dark.

Portsmouth Harbour, taken from Gosport showing Portsdown Hill in the centre and the city of Portsmouth on the right including the home of the Royal Navy, HMNB Portsmouth.

Chronology

The full timeline to Portsmouth's rich maritime history.

Population change
Year Dwellings Population Source
1560 1000 (est) [25]
1801 5310 32,160 1801 census
1811 6852 40,567 1811 census
1821 8627 45,048 1821 census
1831 9410 50,389 1831 census
1841 9886 53,032 1841 census
1851 12,825 72,096 1851 census
1861 15,819 94,799 1861 census
1871 19,013 112,954 1871 census
1881 22,701 127,989 1881 census
1891 29,353 159,251 1891 census
1901 36,368 188,133 1901 census
1911 231,165 1911 census
1921 247,343 1921 census
1931 249,300 1931 census
1951 233,545 1951 census
1961 68,618 215,077 1961 census
1971 197,431 1971 census
1981 175,382 1981 census
1991 177,142 1991 census
2001 186,700 2001 census
2011 238,137 2011 census
2021 251,169 2021 census

Pre-18th century

Medieval Portsmouth

  • 1181 – The chapel of Southwick Priory is established on the site of the current Portsmouth Cathedral.
  • 1194 – 2 May: Portsmouth is awarded its royal charter (town status) by Richard I.
  • 1212
    • The
      docks
      are established.
    • Domus Dei, which is the first hospital of the city, is built on the site of the Royal Garrison Church.
  • 1256 – Portsmouth is given permission to form a local guild of merchants.
  • 1265 – The town is sacked and burnt during the Second Barons' War.
  • 1338 – French invaders burn down most of the town.
  • 1348 – The Black Death strikes Portsmouth for the first time.
  • 1426 – The Round Tower, which is Portsmouth's first permanent defensive works, is completed.
  • 1449 – Portsmouth is placed under Greater
    Excommunication as a result of the murder of Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester
    .

Tudors and 17 century

18th and 19th centuries

1700 to 1849

1850 to 1899

20th century

1900 to 1949

  • 1901:
  • 1911 – The National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Museum opens, which later merge and is renamed Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
  • 1912:
  • 1916 - Portsmouth experiences its first aerial bombardment when a Zeppelin airship bombed it during World War I.
  • 1918 – Southsea Lifeboat Station closes.
  • 1922:
    • dry docked
      in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard after it was at risk of collapsing into the harbour after it was left to rot for many decades.
    • Southsea Common is purchased by Portsmouth City Council, who then lay it out with gardens, bowling greens, and tennis courts.
  • 1924 – 15 October: The
    2nd World War, which was unveiled by the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
    , on 29 April 1953.
  • 1925:
    • Peter Sellers is born in Castle Road in Southsea, Portsmouth.
    • The orchestral
      orchestral score
      is then published in 1928.
  • 1926 – 21 April: Portsmouth is elevated to city status.
  • 1927 – The Anglican parish church of St Thomas of Canterbury is elevated to the status of Portsmouth Cathedral.
  • 1929 – Portsmouth F.C. play in their first
    FA Cup Final, but they lose 2–0 to the Bolton Wanderers
    .
  • 1932 – Portsmouth Airport opens, which then closes in 1971 after a series of accidents.
  • 1934 – The first trolleybuses operate in Portsmouth.
  • 1936 – Portsmouth Corporation Transport runs the trams for the last time.
  • 1939 – Portsmouth F.C. win the FA Cup for the first time.
  • 1941 – Large areas of the city are destroyed in air raids, which results in the deaths of 930 people. Then in 1944, Southsea Beach and Portsmouth Harbour used as embarkation points for the
    D-Day landings
    invasion force.
  • 1949 – Portsmouth F.C. are crowned as the Champions of England for the first time, and then for the second time in 1950.

1950 to 1999

21st century

2000 to 2019

  • 2000
    • January: The Millennium Walk opens from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to Clarence Pier via Gunwharf Quays and the Hot Walls to celebrate the new millennium.
    • 3 December: The SR.N4 hovercraft 'Princess Anne' passes Portsmouth on its way to the Hovercraft Museum in nearby Lee-on-the-Solent. Her sister craft, the 'Princess Margaret', passes a few days later.
    • Portsmouth suffers flooding due to the failure of the emergency water drainage system during heavy rainfall.
  • 2001
  • 2003
  • 2004 – The Tricorn Centre is demolished after the last shops were closed in 2002.
  • 2005
  • 2006 – The launch of HMS Clyde marks the return of shipbuilding to the city.
  • 2008 – Portsmouth F.C. win the FA Cup for the second time, but they then enter administration in 2010 due to mounting debts.
  • 2011 – The census taken this year shows that Portsmouth's population density is 11 times greater than that of London's, making it the most densely populated city in the UK.
  • 2014 – 28 August: HMS Illustrious (R06), which is the 5th ship and 2nd aircraft carrier to bear the name, is decommissioned in Portsmouth, where she spends the rest of her retirement. Then in 2016, she gets towed away to Turkey, where she's scrapped.
  • 2015
    • June: The Land Rover BAR building is completed in Old Portsmouth after Olympic sailor
      Ineos Team UK
      in 2014 and base themselves in Portsmouth.
    • July: The Spinnaker Tower is first sponsored by Emirates and is renamed the Emirates Spinnaker Tower, but they cause an outrage after they announce that the tower was going to be painted red. It was instead painted blue on the base and gold on the main structure.
  • 2016 – Portsmouth's Hot Walls are converted into artist's studios and a cafe after having been abandoned and left empty for a few decades.
  • 2017
    • 22 February: A World War 2 bomb containing 131 kg of 'high explosives' is found in Portsmouth harbour during its dredging work, and it is then towed out to sea to be detonated in the Solent.
    • 7 December: HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is the first of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, is commissioned in Portsmouth after being sponsored by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Being 280 m long, she is the largest-ever ship to enter Portsmouth Harbour.
  • 2018 – Portsmouth's Wightlink terminal undergoes a major upgrade in preparation for the arrival of its newest ship, '
    Victoria of Wight
    ', which started service between Portsmouth and Fishbourne on 26 August of that year.
  • 2019
    • 5–9 June: Portsmouth celebrates the 75th anniversary of the
      RAF aircraft and the Red Arrows
      .
    • 10 December: HMS Prince of Wales, which is the sister ship of HMS Queen Elizabeth and the second of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, is commissioned in Portsmouth after being sponsored by Queen Camilla. Being 280 m long, she is the largest-ever ship to enter Portsmouth Harbour alongside her sister ship.
    • Plans are announced to expand Portsmouth International Port so it can accommodate larger ferries and a larger number of cruise ships.

2020 to 2039

  • 2020
    • 23 March: Portsmouth goes into lockdown with the rest of the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allows the sea to become crystal clear for the first time in many decades.
    • 24 August: The D-Day landing craft
      D-Day museum
      to add to its collection.
    • 7 September: The construction of the Southsea
      Coast Defense
      Scheme, which is to redevelop a 2.8 mile (4.5 km) stretch of coastline, begins. Upon its completion in 2026, it will be the largest-ever coastal defence project to be led by a local authority in the UK.
    • 5 November: Portsmouth joins the rest of the UK in a nationwide lockdown that lasts until 2 December in an attempt to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.
    • 23 November: Portsmouth City Council announces that the Spinnaker Tower will return to its original white colour in the spring and summer of 2021 after the original sponsorship by Emirates ended on 30 June of this year.
    • 20 December: Portsmouth moves to Tier 4 restrictions after being in Tier 3 since 2 December.
  • 2021
    • 4 January: The Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that Portsmouth, along with the rest of the UK, will go into another nationwide lockdown to control the new variants of COVID-19 from 6 January, which will last at least until the Spring. Then on 22 February, he announces plans to bring the UK, including Portsmouth, out of lockdown, with restrictions being fully lifted by 21 June.
    • 6 February: Portsmouth council plans to reclaim land from sea for 2,000 new homes in Tipner West, which are then halted on 18 October.
    • 30 March: The repainting of the Spinnaker Tower into its original white begins, which is then completed on 20 July.
    • 14 June:
      • Plans to end COVID-19 restrictions are delayed by 4 weeks to 19 July due to a sharp rise of the Delta variant.
      • Plans are announced for Fratton Park stadium to undergo a £10m revamp, making it the first major change to it since 1997.
    • 22 June: Scarlet Lady of Virgin Voyages makes her maiden sailing into Portsmouth, making her the largest cruise ship to enter Portsmouth Harbour and the first of 4 sister ships. She then makes her maiden voyage on 6 August for round-the-UK cruises over a 6-week period. She then leaves Portsmouth for the last time on 3 September on her way to New York City.
    • 19 July: COVID-19 restrictions in England, including Portsmouth, come to an end after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirms this on 12 July.
    • 19 October: Plans are announced to redevelop the side of the former Tricorn Centre into shops and thousands of new homes after Portsmouth council agreed to purchase the land.
    • 28 October: Horse Sand Fort is brought for £715,000 by business Mike Clare, who has previously transformed two of the other Palmerston forts into luxury hotels.
    • 8 December: Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces plan B of COVID-19 restrictions due to a sharp increase of the Omicron variant.
  • 2022
  • 2023
    • 3 February: Portsmouth International Port is ahead of the UK schedule to provide shore power facilities.
    • 10 February: The first part of the Southsea Coastal Schemes opens to the public.
    • 2 April: The Mary Rose museum announce plans for a 4D cinema experience of the wreck's lifting of 1982.
    • 26 April: It is announced that HMS Prince of Wales is to be 'cannabilised' in Glasgow for the refurbishment of HMS Queen Elizabeth after a major mechanical failure. Her operational programme is due to restart in the Autumn of this year.
    • 28 April: Sailors and marines' rigorous coronation rehearsals take place in Portsmouth ahead of the coronation of King Charles III on 6 May.
    • 4 May: Plans for Portsmouth's tallest building, a 38-story skyscraper with flats, shops and commcercial units, are withdrawn.
    • 5 May: It is announced that Macmillan Cancer Support is to become the new presenting partner for the Spinnaker Tower from June. Unlike the Emirates sponsorship, only a logo will be painted on the bottom section of one of the legs.
    • 18 May: The first steps are taken towards the renovation of Hilsea Lido, which will be closed until 2025 in time for its 90th anniversary.
    • 19 May: The Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke is set to return home to Portsmouth after spending 4 years in Devonport following a major overhaul.
    • 20 May:
      • Royal Navy jobs are created in Gosport as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirms £320m contracts to service offshore patrol ships.
      • It is announced that TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 3 will come into Portsmouth Harbour throughout the summer starting on 26 May. At 293.8 metres long, she will be the largest ship ever to enter the harbour.
    • 4 August: HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth Harbour after 9 months of essential repair work.
    • 14 August: Portsmouth-born Lawrence Churcher, who is the last surviving Royal Navy Dunkirk veteran, dies a few days short of his 103rd birthday.
    • 22 August: Work to put in 8,900 solar panels at The Lakeside North Harbour business park starts.
    • Portsmouth's mainline railway services continue to be affected as the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) rail strikes continue into this year.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Quail 1994, pp. 1–2
  2. ^ a b c Quail 1994, pp. 14–18
  3. ^ a b c Quail 1994, p. 19
  4. ^ Quail 1994, p. 27
  5. ^ a b Patterson, B.H. (1985). A Military Heritage A history of Portsmouth and Portsea Town Fortifications. Fort Cumberland & Portsmouth Militaria Society. p. 1.
  6. ^ a b Webb et al. 1997, p. 121
  7. ^ Webb et al. 1997, pp. 101–102
  8. ^ a b Webb et al. 1997, p. 73
  9. ISBN 1-85265-111-3
    .
  10. ^ a b c d e Webb et al. 1997, p. 12
  11. ISBN 0-901559-33-4
    .
  12. ^ Corney, Arthur (1968). Southsea Castle. Portsmouth City Council. pp. 15–17.
  13. ^ a b Webb et al. 1997, pp. 95–96
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Webb et al. 1997, pp. 97–99
  15. ^ "Memorials and Monuments in Old Portsmouth (Australian Settlers)". Memorials in Portsmouth website. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  16. ^ "Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson 1758–1805". Portsmouth City Council's Economy, Culture and Community Safety. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  17. ^ a b Cuthbert, Ted (1988). Portsmouth's Lost Canal. Environmental Education Project.
  18. ^ "British Newspapers". bl.uk.[dead link]
  19. ^ "No.8 Newspapers in West Sussex" (PDF). Local History Mini-Guide to Sources. West Sussex County Council. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  20. ^ Webb et al. 1997, pp. 163–164
  21. ^ "Portsmouth". The Drill Hall Project. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  22. ^ "The Dockyard at War". Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  23. ^ "1926 - Portsmouth Created a City (Dockyard Timeline)". Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020.
  24. ISBN 978-0-9562498-0-7
    .
  25. ^ Patterson, A., 1976. Portsmouth. A History, Bradford-on-Avon.
  26. ^ a b c d Britannica 1910.

Further reading

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