Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

is a port city on the English Channel

English Channel

The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...

 coast of Hampshire

Hampshire

Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Its history has been influenced by its association with the sea, and its proximity to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, and mainland Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

Roman

Portus Adurni

Portus Adurni

Portus Adurni was a Roman fortress in the Roman province of Britannia. Listed in the Notitia Dignitatum, it is generally accepted as having been located at adjoining Portchester in the English county of Hampshire and was later converted into a medieval castle known as Portchester Castle...

 which later became known as Portchester Castle

Portchester Castle

Portchester Castle is a medieval castle built within a former Roman fort at Portchester to the east of Fareham in the English county of Hampshire. Probably founded in the late 11th century, Portchester was a baronial castle that was taken under royal control in 1154. The monarchy controlled...

, was one of the Saxon Shore Forts and was a major base of the Classis Britannica

Classis Britannica

The Classis Britannica was a provincial naval fleet of the navy of ancient Rome. Its purpose was to control the English Channel and the waters around the Roman province of Britannia...

 and possibly its Headquarters.

Pre-Norman

Although there have been settlements in the area since before Roman times, mostly being offshoots of Portchester

Portchester

Portchester is a locality and suburb 10km northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton, on the A27 main thoroughfare...

, Portsmouth is commonly regarded as having been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors (Jean de Gisors

Jean de Gisors

Jean de Gisors was a Norman lord of the fortress of Gisors in Normandy, where meetings were traditionally convened between English and French kings. It was here, in 1188, a squabble occurred that involved the cutting of an elm....

). 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

Southwick Cartularies

The Southwick Cartularies was an early 13th century chronicle which listed the wealthiest people in England at the time. The chronicle also contained the first ever reference to the city of Portsmouth....

.

However, the Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names gives the Anglo-Saxon

Old English language

Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...

 name "Portesmūða" as late 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

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...

 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".

Norman

In the Domesday Book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 there is no mention of Portsmouth. However, settlements that later went on to form part of Portsmouth are listed. These are Buckland

Buckland, Portsmouth

Buckland is a residential area of the city of Portsmouth in the English county of Hampshire.Buckland, then known as Bocheland, was one of the three settlements on Portsea Island mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Manor of Bocheland was purchased by Jean de Gisors...

, Copnor

Copnor

Copnor is one of the administrative districts of Portsmouth, England, located on the eastern side of Portsea Island. As Copenore, it was one of the three villages listed as being on Portsea Island in the Domesday book....

, Fratton

Fratton, Portsmouth

Fratton is a residential and formerly industrial area of Portsmouth, Hampshire. It consists of mostly Victorian terraced houses, and is typical of the residential areas in the city...

 on Portsea Island

Portsea Island

Portsea Island is a small, flat and low lying island just off the south coast of England. The island is totally within, and contains a large proportion of, the city of Portsmouth. It has the third-largest population of any island in the British Isles, after the mainlands of Great Britain and...

 and Cosham

Cosham

Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering and Bocheland , Frodington and Copenore on the island.The name is of Saxon origin and means "Cossa's homestead"...

, Wymering

Wymering

Wymering is a residential area of the city of Portsmouth in the English county of Hampshire. Unlike the majority of Portsmouth, it is located on the mainland rather than Portsea Island....

 and Drayton

Drayton, Portsmouth

Drayton is a residential area of the city of Portsmouth in the English county of Hampshire. Together with Farlington it makes up one of the administrative districts of the city....

 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

Southwick Priory

Southwick Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons originally founded in Portchester Castle and later transferred to Southwick, Hampshire, England.-Foundation:...

 to build a chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...

. This chapel continued to be run by the monks of Southwick Priory

Southwick Priory

Southwick Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons originally founded in Portchester Castle and later transferred to Southwick, Hampshire, England.-Foundation:...

  until the Reformation

English Reformation

The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....

 after which its possession was transferred to Winchester College

Winchester College

Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...

. The modern Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral

Portsmouth Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Portsmouth, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is the Church of England cathedral of the City of Portsmouth, England and is located in the heart of Old Portsmouth...

 is built on the original location of the chapel.

Growth of the city

In 1194, after King Richard I

Richard I of England

Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...

 (The Lionheart) returned from being held captive by Duke Leopold V of Austria, Richard set about summoning a fleet and an army to Portsmouth, which Richard had taken over from John of Gisors. On May 2, 1194 King Richard I gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter

Royal Charter

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...

 granting permission for the city to hold a fifteen day annual fair (which became known as the Free Market Fair), weekly markets (on Thursdays), to set up a local court to deal with minor matters, and exemption from paying the annual tax ("farm") of £18 a year--instead the money would be used for local matters. The actual physical charter was handed over by the Bishop of Ely William de Longchamps. 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

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

) 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. 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. King John's desire to invade Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

 resulted in the establishment of Portsmouth as a permanent naval base.

In 1212 William of Wrotham

William of Wrotham

William of Wrotham or William de Wrotham was a medieval English royal administrator and clergyman. Although a 13th-century source says that William held a royal office under King Henry II of England , the first contemporary reference to William is in 1197, when he was put in charge of the royal...

 (Archdeacon of Taunton

Taunton

Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....

, Keeper of the King's Ships) started constructing the first docks of Portsmouth. At about the same time Pierre des Roches, Bishop of Winchester

Bishop of Winchester

The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...

, founded Domus Dei

Domus Dei

Domus Dei was an almshouse and hospice established in 1212 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK by Pierre des Roches, Bishop of Winchester....

(Hospital of 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

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

).

During the thirteenth century Portsmouth was commonly used by King Henry III

Henry III of England

Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...

 and Edward I

Edward I of England

Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

 as a base for attacks against France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

In 1265 the city was on the receiving end of a serious raid by the Barons of the Cinque Ports. After scattering the defenders the seized various ships and cargo and burned the town.

By the fourteenth century commercial interests had grown considerably, despite rivalry with the dockyard of nearby Southampton

Southampton

Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

. Common imports included wool

Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

, grain

Cereal

Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...

, wheat

Wheat

Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

, woad

Woad

Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...

, wax

Wax

thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...

 and iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

, however the ports largest trade was in wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 from Bayonne

Bayonne

Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...

 and Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...

.

14th century

In 1313 the town received a charter from Edward II

Edward II of England

Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...

. This is the oldest of the city's charters that is known to have survived

In 1338 a French fleet led by Nicholas Béhuchet 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

Domus Dei

Domus Dei was an almshouse and hospice established in 1212 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK by Pierre des Roches, Bishop of Winchester....

 survived. The population was subjected to rape and slaughter. As a result of this, King Edward III

Edward III of England

Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...

 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

Black Death

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...

. 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

Henry V of England

Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....

 ordered a wooden Round Tower be built at the mouth of the harbour, which was completed in 1426.

In 1450 Adam Moleyns

Adam Moleyns

Adam Moleyns was an English bishop, lawyer, royal administrator and diplomat. During the minority of Henry VI of England, he was clerk of the ruling council of the Regent.-Life:Moleyns had the living of Kempsey from 1433. He was Dean of Salisbury...

 Bishop of Chichester was murdered while in Portsmouth.

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

Reginald Bray

Sir Reginald Bray KG the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under Henry VII, English courtier, and architect of the Henry VII Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey.-Early life:...

, 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

Southsea Castle

Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, also known as Henrician Castles, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island . The castle was built to guard the eastern entrance to the Solent and entrance to Portsmouth Harbour...

. In 1545, he saw his vice-flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 Mary Rose

Mary Rose

The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a...

 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. The role of managing military operations in Portsmouth had previously been the duty of the constable of Portchester Castle.

In 1563 the city was stuck by a plague that killed around 300 people.

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

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

Siege of Portsmouth

The Siege of Portsmouth was the siege of a Royalist garrison in Portsmouth by a Parliamentarian force conducted in the early part of the English Civil War. The siege resulted in Portsmouth falling to Parliament after a little under a month of conflict....

.

In 1665 Charles II of England

Charles II of England

Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...

 ordered Bernard de Gomme

Bernard de Gomme

Sir Bernard de Gomme was a Dutch military engineer. By some he is considered the most important figure in 17th century English military engineering.-Early life:...

 to begin the reconstruction of Portsmouth's fortifications a process which was to take many years.

Portsmouth's overland links to London started to be improved with an early turnpike trust

Turnpike trust

Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...

 being set up to improve the road where it passed Butser Hill

Butser Hill

Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald. Although only high, it qualifies as one of England's...

.

In 1714 the crown purchase the two mills at the entrance to the millpond.

18th century

The first local newspaper in the city was the Portsmouth and Gosport gazette first published in 1745 it continued to publish until around 1790. There was then a 3 year gap before foundation of the The Portsmouth Gazette and Weekly Advertiser. 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.

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

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

Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....

. 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.

From 1808 the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron

West Africa Squadron

The Royal Navy established the West Africa Squadron at substantial expense in 1808 after Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The squadron's task was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa...

, who were tasked to stop 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.

Transport

New transport links were constructed during this century. In 1823 the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal

Portsmouth and Arundel Canal

The Portsmouth and Arundel Canal was a canal in the south of England that ran between Portsmouth and Arundel, it was built in 1823 but was never a financial success and was abandoned in 1855, the company was wound up in 1888...

 along with the Wey and Arun Canal

Wey and Arun Canal

The Wey and Arun Canal is a 23-mile-long canal in the south of England, between the River Wey at Shalford, Surrey and the River Arun at Pallingham, in West Sussex...

 provided an inland waterway route to london. This didn't last long with parts of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal being closed after just 4 years.
Portsmouth gained its first railway link in 1847 with a direct route to London

Portsmouth Direct Line

The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...

 arriving in 1859.

Media

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

Evening Mail

The Evening Mail is the common name of several newspapers, including:*The Birmingham Evening Mail*The Dudley Evening Mail*The North-West Evening Mail*The Nelson Evening Mail *The Dublin Evening Mail...

 which was later renamed to the Southern Daily Mail.

Education and Science

On December 21, 1872 a major scientific expedition, the Challenger Expedition

Challenger expedition

The Challenger expedition of 1872–76 was a scientific exercise that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the mother vessel, HMS Challenger....

, was launched from Portsmouth.

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

20th century

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 experience its first aerial bombardment when a Zeppelin

Zeppelin

A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...

 airship bombed it during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

As a major Naval Base and Dockyard the city was bombed extensively

The Blitz

The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...

 during WW2

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Nazi German  Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

 night-time air raids began on August 24 1940 when 1,320 of high explosive bombs, 38,000 incendiary device

Incendiary device

Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....

s were dropped on the city, damaging The Guildhall, 30 churches, 8 schools, 1 hospital and over 80, 000 homes. 930 people were killed and 1,216 people were injured. While most of the city has since been rebuilt, to this day developers still occasionally find unexploded bombs

Unexploded ordnance

Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...

.

Southsea beach and Portsmouth Harbour were military embarkation points for the D-Day landings on June 6 1944. Southwick House

Southwick House

Southwick House is a manor house of the Southwick Estate located just to the north of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. The house was built in 1800 in the late Georgian style, to replace Southwick Park house. The house is distinct for its two-story foyer lit from a cupola, and a series of...

, just to the north of Portsmouth, had been chosen as the headquarters for the Supreme Allied Commander, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower, during D-Day.

After the war, much of the city's housing stock was damaged and more was cleared in an attempt to improve the quality of housing. Those people affected by this were moved out from the centre of the city to new developments such as Paulsgrove and Leigh Park

Leigh Park

Leigh Park is a large suburb of Havant, in Hampshire, England. It has four electoral wards: Battins, Bondfields, Barncroft and Warren Park ....

.
On 4 July 1968, an estimated 250,000 people witnessed the return of Alec Rose

Alec Rose

Sir Alec Rose was a nursery owner and fruit merchant in England who had a passion for amateur single-handed sailing, for which he was ultimately knighted....

, a greengrocer in Osborne Road, after he completed his single-handed

Single-handed sailing

The sport of single-handed sailing or solo sailing is sailing with only one crewmember . The term is usually used with reference to ocean and long-distance sailing, and particularly competitive sailing....

 circumnavigation in Lively Lady; he was immediately knighted and made a Freeman of the city. 400 motor-boats, yachts, catamarans and canoes welcomed him into harbour.

The University of Portsmouth

University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...

 gained university status in 1992

21st century

In 2003 erection was started of a 552 feet high Spinnaker Tower

Spinnaker Tower

Spinnaker Tower is a –high landmark tower in Portsmouth, England. It is the centrepiece of the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour, which was supported by a National Lottery grant. Its shape was chosen by Portsmouth residents from a selection of concepts...

 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 Tricorn Centre

Tricorn Centre

The Tricorn Centre was a Brutalist shopping, apartment, nightclub and car park complex in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It was designed by Owen Luder and Rodney Gordon and took its name from the site's shape which from the air resembled a Tricorne hat. Constructed in the mid-1960s, it was...

, dubbed "The ugliest building in the UK" was finally demolished after years of delay and wrangling over the cost of doing so, and controversy as to whether it was worth preserving as an example of sixties

1960s

The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...

 Brutalist architecture

Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

.

In 2005, Portsmouth was a focus for Sea Britain, a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary (bicentenary

Anniversary

An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...

) of Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar

Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....

. In particular, in June, there was the massive Fleet Review, by HM Queen Elizabeth II and a mock battle (son et lumière

Son et lumière (show)

Son et lumière , or a sound and light show, is a form of nighttime entertainment that is usually presented in an outdoor venue of historic significance....

) that evening, after dark.

Chronology

Population change

Year	Dwellings	Population	Source
1560		1000 (est)
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 (prel)

• 1181 - Establishment of a chapel by Southwick Priory
  Southwick Priory
  Southwick Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons originally founded in Portchester Castle and later transferred to Southwick, Hampshire, England.-Foundation:...
  
   on the site of the current Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral.
• 1194 - Portsmouth awarded its Royal Charter
  Royal Charter
  A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
  
  
• 1212 - Establishment of docks.
• 1212 - Domus Dei
  Domus Dei
  Domus Dei was an almshouse and hospice established in 1212 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK by Pierre des Roches, Bishop of Winchester....
  
   the first hospital of the city built.
• 1256 - Portsmouth given permission to form a local guild of merchants.
• 1265 - Town sacked and burnt during the Second Barons' War
  Second Barons' War
  The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
  
  .
• 1338 - French invaders burn down most of the town.
• 1348 - The Black Death
  Black Death
  The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
  
   strikes Portsmouth for the first time.
• 1426 - Portsmouth's first permanent defensive works (the Round Tower) completed.
• 1449 - Portsmouth placed under Greater Excommunication as a result of the murder of Adam Moleyns
  Adam Moleyns
  Adam Moleyns was an English bishop, lawyer, royal administrator and diplomat. During the minority of Henry VI of England, he was clerk of the ruling council of the Regent.-Life:Moleyns had the living of Kempsey from 1433. He was Dean of Salisbury...
  
   the Bishop of Chichester
  Bishop of Chichester
  The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
  
  .
• 1495 - Britain's first dry dock
  Dry dock
  A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
  
   built at Portsmouth.
• 1510 - Mary Rose
  Mary Rose
  The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a...
  
   built in Portsmouth dock yard.
• 1527 - Southsea Castle
  Southsea Castle
  Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, also known as Henrician Castles, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island . The castle was built to guard the eastern entrance to the Solent and entrance to Portsmouth Harbour...
  
   built.
• 1545 - Henry VIII sees the Mary Rose
  Mary Rose
  The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a...
  
   sink in the Solent from Southsea Castle
• 1561 - Britain's first state lottery funds further fortifications.
• 1563 - 300 locals die of the plague.
• 1625 - The Plague
  Bubonic plague
  Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
  
   strikes Portsmouth.
• 1729 - Establishment of the Royal Naval Academy
  Royal Naval Academy
  The Royal Naval Academy was established at Portsmouth Dockyard as a facility to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders' intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, education and admission.-Training:In 1773, a shore side...
  
  .
• 1732 - Establishment of Portsmouth Grammar School.
• 1747 - Fort Cumberland
  Fort Cumberland (England)
  Fort Cumberland is a pentagonal artillery fortification erected to guard the entrance to Langstone Harbour, east of the naval port of Portsmouth on the south coast of England. It was sited to protect the Royal Navy Dockyard, by preventing enemy forces from landing in Langstone Harbour and attacking...
  
   built at Eastney.
• 1760 - The modern Landport Gate
  King James's and Landport Gates
  King James's and Landport Gates are two English Heritage sites in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.The ornate gateways were originally access points to Portsmouth through the town walls...
  
   built.
• 1805 - Nelson's
  Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
  Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
  
   fleet sails from Portsmouth for the Battle of Trafalgar
  Battle of Trafalgar
  The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
  
  
• 1806 - Birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
  Isambard Kingdom Brunel
  Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
  
   in Portsmouth.
• 1809 - The town of Southsea
  Southsea
  Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
  
   established.
• 1811 - Introduction of piped water into Portsmouth.
• 1812 - Birth of Charles Dickens in Portsmouth.
• 1834 - Portsmouth hit by earthquake.
• 1835 - The Municipal Reform Act of 1835 abolishes Southampton
  Southampton
  Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
  
  's jurisdiction of the port.
• 1861 - Clarence Pier built
• 1872 - Challenger Expedition
  Challenger expedition
  The Challenger expedition of 1872–76 was a scientific exercise that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the mother vessel, HMS Challenger....
  
   launched from Portsmouth
• 1887 - Arthur Conan Doyle
  Arthur Conan Doyle
  Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
  
   writes A Study In Scarlet
  A Study in Scarlet
  A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new character of Sherlock Holmes, who later became one of the most famous literary detective characters. He wrote the story in 1886, and it was published the next year...
  
   in which Sherlock Holmes
  Sherlock Holmes
  Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
  
   makes his first appearance at 1 Bush Villas, Elm Grove, Southsea, Portsmouth.
• 1890 - Portsmouth Town Hall built.
• 1898 - Portsmouth F.C.
  Portsmouth F.C.
  Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
  
  , the city's principal football
  Football (soccer)
  Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
  
   club was founded.
• 1925 - Peter Sellers
  Peter Sellers
  Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
  
   born in Castle Road, Southsea, Portsmouth
• 1926 - Portsmouth elevated to city status.
• 1929 - Portsmouth F.C. play their first FA Cup Final but lose 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers
• 1932 - Portsmouth Airport opens.
• 1939 - Portsmouth F.C. win FA Cup for the first time
• 1941 - Large areas of the city destroyed in air raids.
• 1944 - Southsea Beach and Portsmouth Harbour used as embarkation points for the D-Day landings invasion force.
• 1949 - Portsmouth F.C. crowned Champions of England for the first time.
• 1950 - Portsmouth F.C. crowned Champions of England for the second time.
• 1966 - The Tricorn Centre
  Tricorn Centre
  The Tricorn Centre was a Brutalist shopping, apartment, nightclub and car park complex in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It was designed by Owen Luder and Rodney Gordon and took its name from the site's shape which from the air resembled a Tricorne hat. Constructed in the mid-1960s, it was...
  
   opened.
• 1966 - HMS Andromeda
  HMS Andromeda (F57)
  HMS Andromeda was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built at HM Dockyard Portsmouth, the last ship to be built at that prestigious dockyard that had built the revolutionary...
  
   is the last warship launched at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard.
• 1968 - Alec Rose
  Alec Rose
  Sir Alec Rose was a nursery owner and fruit merchant in England who had a passion for amateur single-handed sailing, for which he was ultimately knighted....
  
   completes his single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in Portsmouth Harbour
• 1971 - Portsmouth Airport closes after a series of accidents.
• 1974 - Portsmouth becomes a local government district within the county of Hampshire.
• 1976 - The M275 motorway
  M275 motorway
  The M275 is a long, dual three-lane motorway in the county of Hampshire, southern England. It is the principal route for entering and leaving Portsmouth. It continues as the A3 into Portsmouth, and meets the M27 at its northern terminus...
  
   linking southern Portsmouth with the M27
  M27 motorway
  The M27 is a motorway in Hampshire, England. It is long and runs west-east from Cadnam to Portsmouth. It was opened in stages between 1975 and 1983. It is however unfinished as an extension to the east was planned...
  
   and A27
  A27 road
  The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
  
   opens
• 1991 - The nave of Portsmouth's Anglican cathedral completed.
• 1992 - The University of Portsmouth
  University of Portsmouth
  The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
  
   gained university status.
• 1994 - Portsmouth was the start and end point for a stage of the Tour de France
  Tour de France
  The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
  
  .
• 1997 - City of Portsmouth becomes a unitary authority.
• 1998 - Portsmouth hosts the second International Festival of the Sea.
• 1999 - Milan Mandarić
  Milan Mandaric
  Milan Mandarić is a Serbian-American business tycoon who has owned a string of successful businesses and football clubs including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. He currently is the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday...
  
   saves Portsmouth F.C. from administration
• 2000 - Portsmouth suffers flooding due to failure of the emergency water drainage system during heavy rainfall.
• 2001 - MyTV (later renamed PortsmouthTV) launched.
• 2001 - Gunwharf Quays
  Gunwharf Quays
  Gunwharf Quays is an area of Portsmouth, Hampshire, now home to a large shopping centre.- History:The centre opened on 28 February 2001 and is located on the site of the former Royal Navy shore establishment HMS Vernon, renamed HMS Nelson on March 31, 1986...
  
   opened.
• 2001 - Portsmouth hosts the third International Festival of the Sea
  International Festival of the Sea, 2001
  The International Festival of the Sea, 2001 was held at H.M. Naval Base, Portsmouth between 24 and 27 August 2001. It was the third in a series of International Festivals of the Sea held in the United Kingdom since 1996. The event allowed people to walk around the Naval Base, to go on board many...
  
  
• 2003 - The Spinnaker Tower
  Spinnaker Tower
  Spinnaker Tower is a –high landmark tower in Portsmouth, England. It is the centrepiece of the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour, which was supported by a National Lottery grant. Its shape was chosen by Portsmouth residents from a selection of concepts...
  
  , construction begins.
• 2003 - Portsmouth F.C. enters the Premier League for the first time.
• 2004 - The Tricorn Centre
  Tricorn Centre
  The Tricorn Centre was a Brutalist shopping, apartment, nightclub and car park complex in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It was designed by Owen Luder and Rodney Gordon and took its name from the site's shape which from the air resembled a Tricorne hat. Constructed in the mid-1960s, it was...
  
   demolished, with its last shops closed in 2002.
• 2005 - Portsmouth hosts the International Fleet Review
  International Fleet Review
  For a full list of ships present, see List of ships present at International Fleet Review, 2005The International Fleet Review took place on 28 June 2005, as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations to commemorate the 200th year after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.- 2005 Review Line-up :During the...
  
   and fifth International Festival of the Sea
• 2005 - The Spinnaker Tower
  Spinnaker Tower
  Spinnaker Tower is a –high landmark tower in Portsmouth, England. It is the centrepiece of the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour, which was supported by a National Lottery grant. Its shape was chosen by Portsmouth residents from a selection of concepts...
  
   opened on October 18.
• 2006 - The launch of HMS Clyde (P257)
  HMS Clyde (P257)
  HMS Clyde is the ninth ship in the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was launched on 14 June 2006 in Portsmouth Naval Base by VT Group shipbuilders in Portsmouth, England and is the fourth vessel of the River class and the first of a lengthened variety with a larger displacement of 1,850 tonnes and...
  
  marks the return of shipbuilding to the city.
• 2008 - Portsmouth F.C. win FA Cup for the second time.
• 2010 - Portsmouth F.C. enters administration due to mounting debts.

External links

• Timeline
• http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stephen.pomeroy/local/local.htm
• http://www.littlewoodham.org.uk/research/index.htm
• http://www.portsmouth.history.cwc.net/
• http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/geo/research/portsmouth/
• http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/

Museums

• http://www.maryrose.org/
• http://www.flagship.org.uk/
• http://www.portsmouthnaturalhistory.co.uk/
• http://www.portsmouthcitymuseums.co.uk/
• http://www.southseacastle.co.uk/
• http://www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk/
• http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/