History of Southampton
Encyclopedia
Southampton
is a city in Hampshire
, England
. The area has been settled since the stone age. Its history has been affected by its geographical location, on a major estuary on the English Channel
coast with an unusual double high-tide, and by its proximity to Winchester
and London
; the ancient and modern capitals of England.
Southampton became an important port in medieval times, experiencing several hundred years of fluctuating fortunes until it was expanded by the Victorians.
As a centre of commerce, an industrial town and an important military embarkation point, Southampton was a strategic target for the Luftwaffe
and was severely damaged in World War II
.
Post-war re-development and the need to accommodate 20th century innovations such as the motor car has significantly altered the character of Southampton.
tools. Evidence of a Stone Age
settlement has been found at Priory Avenue, St Denys.
Bronze Age
objects have been found on Southampton Common
, particularly by grave-diggers working in the cemetery and during the construction of the reservoir. Further Bronze Age
finds have been made near Cobden Bridge.
Iron Age
earthworks have been found at Lordswood and Aldermoor and evidence of Iron Age
buildings has been found in the City Centre.
Antonine Itinerary VII
documents the Roman
settlement of Clausentum in Roman Britain
as being 20 miles (32.2 km) West of Noviomagus Reginorum (Chichester)
and 10 miles (16.1 km) from Venta Belgarum (Winchester)
.
In about 1770, John Speed claimed that Clausentum was in the area that is now known as Bitterne Manor
. In 1792, the Rev. Richard Warner investigated those claims and found a ditch, a bank and some Roman coins. Since then, this site has been investigated further and is generally accepted as the site of Clausentum, but there is no universal agreement. Reference to modern maps show Bitterne Manor
to be 25 miles (40.2 km) from Chichester
. Wickham
is at the junction of two Roman Roads and is a better fit to the distances documented in Antonine Itinerary VII
. The case for Clausentum being situated at Bitterne Manor
is based on archaeological evidence and the geography of the site (nestled inside a sharp bend in the River Itchen) which clearly allowed it to be turned into a good defensive position.
But the fact that there was a Roman
settlement at what is now Bitterne Manor
is not disputed. Archaeological finds at what is believed to be Clausentum show the site to be an important trading port with some significant buildings. Traces of a Roman Road
on a line running from Bitterne Manor
to Wickham
have also been found.
The Romans abandoned the settlement circa 410, when Roman Britain
ended.
moved the centre of the town across the River Itchen
to what is now the St Mary's area. The settlement was known as Hamwic and or Hamtun, the two names co-existed and described the same area but were used in different contexts. By the middle of the 11th century, the area is described as South Hamtun by Anglo Saxon Chroniclers. References to St. Mary's Church
also appear in 11th century documents. Hamwic is referred to as a market in the account of the life of St. Willibald
, written by an Anglo-Saxon nun named Hygeburg
in the late 8th century.
Excavations have revealed a section of the street plan of Hamwic and uncovered one of the best collections of Saxon artifacts in Europe. These collectively show that Hamwic was a planned town, that it became an important port and traded with the continent and was a Royal administration centre. Hamwic was the site of the Royal Mint for several Anglo Saxon Kings (AD 786-858) until it was moved to Winchester later in the 9th Century.
Hamwic is also believed to have been a point of departure for slaves (being sent to the market at Rouen) and pilgrims, like St. Willibald
to important European cities like Rome.
Archaeological evidence shows evidence of 10th century settlements and a defended enclosure in what was later to become the Medieval walled town.
The Viking King Canute the Great
defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready
in 1014 and was crowned in Southampton. His fabled attempt to "command" the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton.
until the early 12th Century) and Normandy
.
The Domesday Book
indicates that Southampton already had distinct French and English quarters at the time of the Norman Conquest and that the King owned a number of properties upon which rent was payable.
Archaeological evidence has dated the foundation of St. Michael's Church
at 1070 and the church was dedicated to St. Michael
, patron saint of Normandy
.
An Augustinian priory was founded at St. Denys, on 364 acres (1.5 km²) of land granted by Henry I
, the last of the Norman Kings, in 1127. St. Denys Priory continued as a religious house until its suppression in 1536.
Henry II, the first King of the House of Plantagenet
, was a regular visitor to Southampton and established Southampton Castle
. The Castle was principally used to store the King's wine. Surviving remains of 12th Century merchants houses such as King Johns House and Canutes Palace are evidence of the wealth that existed in the town at this time. Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of other houses of similar stature.
By the 13th century, Southampton had become a leading port and was particularly involved in the trade of French wine and English wool
. The Wool House
was built in 1417 as a warehouse for the medieval wool trade with Flanders
and Italy
. This building is in use today as the Maritime Museum, and can be found near Town Quay. It includes an exhibition concerning the RMS Titanic.
By 1173, the St Mary Magdalen leper Hospital was established to the north of the town. St Julians Hospital, otherwise known as Gods House Hospital, was founded around 1196 by Gervase 'le Riche'. The Franciscan friary
was later built alongside Gods House hospital. Bowls
was first played regularly on the green adjacent to God's House Hospital in 1299. The green
still exists. It is the world's oldest surviving bowling green
.
The town was sacked
in 1338 by the French, including the pirate Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality
of Monaco
. After this attack, the city's walls - parts of which date from 1175 - were extensively improved and reinforced. Lacking proper finance for the construction of a full defensive wall, the townsfolk reached a compromise solution, which involved joining the existing exterior walls of existing merchant houses together to form part of the defensive structure. The city walls include God's House Tower, built in 1417, the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Over the years it has been used as home to the city's gunner, the Town Gaol and even as storage for the Southampton Harbour Board. Today, it is open as the Museum of Archaeology. The walls were finally completed in the 15th century. A large part of the town's walls remain today.
The Black Death
reached England in 1348 via the merchant vessels that regularly visited Southampton at that time.
The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street below the Bargate within the old walls is where in 1415, immediately prior to King Henry V of England
's departure from Southampton to the Battle of Agincourt
, the ringleaders of the 'Southampton Plot
', Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham
and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton
, were tried and found guilty of high treason, before being summarily executed outside the Bargate
.
During the Middle Ages
, shipbuilding
became an increasingly important industry and was to remain so for centuries to come. The city became a county corporate
in 1447.
Southampton's economic fortunes fluctuated during the Tudor period. From 1492 to 1531, all exports of tin and lead were required to pass through Southampton. Trade with the Channel Islands increased. In 1554 Southampton was granted a monopoly on the export of wool to the Mediterranean and on the import of sweet wine. At other times during this period, the port was in decline, mainly because trade was shifting to London. Southampton was also a convenient port for the buccaneers that plundered Spanish ships in the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean.
The development of Hurst, Calshot, Cowes and Netley castles along Southampton Water and the Solent, by Henry VIII in about 1540, meant that Southampton was no longer so dependent upon its fortifications.
In 1553, the Free Grammar School of the Mayor Baliffs and Burgesses of the Towne and County of Southampton was granted letters patent by King Edward VI, establishing the new school and thus fulfilling the legacy of William Capon
who left money for that purpose in his will. The schools survives as King Edward VI School, Southampton
.
The port was the original point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower
in 1623. A memorial can be found on Town Quay. Since that time it has been the last port of call for millions of emigrants who left the Old World to start a new life in the USA, Australia
, Canada
, New Zealand
, South Africa
, Barbados
and other parts of the world.
In 1642, during the English Civil War, a Parliamentary garrison moved into Southampton, initially to defend against seaborne attack from Royalist ships. A Royalist army advanced as far as Redbridge in March 1644 but were prevented from taking the town by Colonel Richard Norton. The Battle of Cheriton
, also in March 1644, subsequently removed the threat to Southampton.
In June 1664, the Black Death
returned to Southampton. This new plague seriously disrupted life and led the Corporation to report that it was unable to continue governing the town. By the time the epidemic ended in November 1666, 1700 people had died.
Isaac Watts
the younger, born in Southampton in 1674, wrote the words of the hymn O God Our Help In Ages Past. His early education was at the Free Grammar School. He was a member of the Above Bar Independent Community. This non-conformist community was persecuted following the Act of Uniformity
of 1662. Isaac Watts' father, also named Isaac, suffered periods of imprisonment in the Bargate.
Southampton had also become a popular site for Sea Bathing by the 1760s, despite the lack of a good quality beach. Innovative buildings specifically for this purpose were built at West Quay, with baths that were filled and emptied by the flow of the tide, one of which had an adjustable floor. The building, known as the Long Rooms, had a long promenade with views over the water to be enjoyed by spectators and bathers alike.
In 1774, a canal between Eling and Salisbury was proposed, but it was not built. In 1779, a canal linking Southampton (at Redbridge) to Andover was proposed.
The Redbridge to Andover canal
was completed in 1796. In 1792, the proposal to link Southampton and Salisbury by canal gained new momentum. The plan was to build a new canal from Salisbury to connect with the Andover to Southampton canal at Kimbridge. The canal would then be extended from Redbridge into the centre of Southampton, passing through a tunnel under the Marlands, branching at Houndwell to serve both Northam and Town Quay. The tunnel was started but was never completed.
Walter Taylor
's 18th century mechanization of the block-making process, in Southampton, was a significant step in the Industrial Revolution
, winning him a monopoly on the supply of wooden rigging blocks for the Royal Navy
from 1759 to 1803.
. The Northam Bridge Company was formed in 1796. They built a toll bridge at Northam which was opened in September 1799 and new roads connecting the bridge to Southampton and Botley, Hampshire
. The town was further connected to Portsmouth via another toll bridge built at Bursledon
and another road which linked Bursledon bridge to the new Northam to Botley road at Bitterne
.
The Floating Bridge
also connected Southampton to Woolston and Portsmouth on the east bank of the River Itchen
in 1836.
Southampton was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
, and contained the parishes of All Saints, Holy Rood, St John, St Lawrence, St Mary, St Michael, and part of South Stoneham.
The painter John Everett Millais
was born in the city in 1829. Southampton Solent University
's art gallery is named Millais Gallery in his honour.
There was competition between the two toll companies at Northam and Itchen, resulting in another new road on the east of the Itchen, connecting Woolston to Botley
via Sholing
and Hedge End
.
The town experienced major expansion during the Victorian era
. The Southampton Docks company was formed in 1835. In October 1838, the foundation stone of the docks was laid. The first dock opened on 29 August 1842. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
operated its services from Southampton, officially designating the port as the packet station in May 1843. The structural and economic development of the docks continued for the next few decades.
The railway link from Southampton to London was fully opened in May 1840, though it had been operating as far as Winchester since June 1839, It was delayed by work on the chalk cutting between Winchester and Basingstoke. In 1847, Southampton was connected to Dorchester by rail. In 1866, a branch line extended the railway over the River Itchen at St Denys, passing through Bitterne
and Woolston to Netley
. This created further competition for the Floating Bridge company.
With good transport links, Southampton became the emigrant station for North America and Canada in January 1844. The Southampton Emigration and Shipping Company was formed in 1846 Southampton subsequently became became known as The Gateway to the Empire, with many emigrants passing through Southampton to start a new life in the United States and Canada, South Africa and Australia.
The town became a county borough
under the Local Government Act 1888
. In 1894, under the Local Government Act 1894
, the part of South Stoneham, within the borough, became the parish of Portswood
, in 1895 the parish of Shirley was added.
Cholera epidemics in 1848-49 and 1865 caused great concern. These outbreaks were centred on the slums of the old medieval town. Sewers were built in the 1840s and 1870s. In 1894, the Borough Medical Officer of Health published a report on poverty in the town. Population density in the slums at that time was recorded as 441.4 /acre. The Simmel Street and West Quay Improvement plan subsequently cleared the area of slums, created new streets and a lodging house in St Michaels Square; it was called St Michaels House and opened in 1899.
was taken over by the military A total of 8,149,685 troops and their equipment departed for mainland Europe through the port. A steady flow of refugees, prisoners of war and 1,177,125 wounded came back to England through Southampton.
mutinied
in the port.
In 1920, Bitterne Parish Council and Itchen Urban District Council
, which collectively covered the districts of Bitterne
, Bitterne Manor
, Bitterne Park
, Woolston, Peartree Green
, Sholing
and Weston
, were incorporated into the borough of Southampton. Bassett
and Swaythling
were incorporated into Southampton at the same time.
The period between the two World Wars saw an increase in the volume of traffic, as the motor car and Southampton Corporation Tramways
evolved. It became essential to develop new routes around the Bargate as the central arch was too much of an obstruction. By 1931, a tram passed through the Bargate every 30 seconds and over the course of 14 hours, 2000 cars and 6000 bicycles would use the same narrow passage between Above Bar and the High Street. The photographs (below) illustrate the problem. Several old buildings and part of the medieval walls were demolished on both sides of the Bargate. In 1932, the Bargate was bypassed on its eastern side. The Bargate became an island when it was bypassed on its western side in 1938.
The Clock Tower, further up Above Bar at the junction with New Road, was re-located to Bitterne Park Triangle
in 1934 to facilitate further road improvements.
On 25 March 1929, Southampton Corporation purchased Northam Bridge from the Northam Bridge Company. On 16 May 1929, the tolls on that bridge were removed. At the same time, the tolls at Lances Hill, Hedge End and the bridge at Bursledon
were also abolished. The only remaining toll in Southampton was at the Floating Bridge
, which was eventually taken over by Southampton Corporation in 1934, remaining a toll-crossing until it closed in 1977.
The Second World War hit Southampton particularly hard. Pockets of Georgian architecture remain, but much of the city was leveled during the Blitz of November 1940. 476 tons of bombs were dropped on the city by the Luftwaffe
.
Southampton was a prime target because of its general strategic importance as a major port and industrial area, and particularly because the Supermarine Spitfire
was designed, developed and built in Southampton.
On 24 September 1940, the Supermarine factory in Woolston was bombed, killing many, though not damaging the factory. Two days later, the factory was destroyed. After the air raid Nazi propaganda declared that the town had been left a smoking ruin.
On 6 November 1940, during a raid on the town centre, three bombs hit the School of Art in the Civic Centre, (now known as the Art Gallery), killing students that were sheltering in the basement.
The main blitz, a series of sustained nighttime raids, started on 23 November 1940. There was a pause until 30 November, when the resumption of raids destroyed repairs that had made during the lull. The blitz continued on 1 December, but these raids were sporadic and smaller. A total of 137 people died during the period of the Blitz, of which 96 were lost to direct hits on public air raid shelters.
The accuracy of the locally-based Ordnance Survey
's maps did not go unrecognized by the Luftwaffe
: German bomber pilots used them to bomb Southampton. One building that survived the bombing was Southampton's oldest, St. Michaels Church. The spire was an important navigational aid for the German pilots and consequently they were ordered to avoid hitting it. Other buildings in Southampton were found to be used as aids to navigation; Elmfield flats in Millbrook had a flat concrete roof which was clearly visible from the air until it was grassed over.
There were 1605 air raid warnings in Southampton, the last raid occurred on 5 November 1944. Only one flying bomb fell within the boundaries of Southampton, at Sholing on 12 July 1944.
, that figure had increased to 53,750 troops and 7070 vehicles, aided by the construction of additional facilities specifically with D-Day
in mind.
Besides the embarkation of troops, Southampton was used for other purposes in the preparations for the Invasion of Europe. US servicemen and Lend Lease imports arrived at the docks. Sections of Mulberry Harbour
were constructed in the harbour. A planning team for the PLUTO
pipelines that provided fuel to the Normandy sector was based at HMS Abatos
.
Southampton was at the heart of Area C, a huge marshalling area in southern Hampshire, which extended as far north as Winchester. Detailed maps of the time show that within Area C, Sub area Z extended around the north of Southampton and as far as Hedge End in the east. There were military camps on the common
, Harefield, Thornhill, and Netley Common. The maps even show that there were Chemical Warfare dumps to the north of the town. The town centre, the docks, Woolston and Weston were part of Embarkation Area C5. The plan was that troops and equipment would be assembled in the camps in sub-areas W, X, Y and Z then brought to the embarkation area to be loaded aboard the ships that were waiting there. That plan was tested in May 1944, during Operation Fabius, with troops that passed through Southampton rehearsing their landings at Hayling Island
, Bracklesham Bay
and Littlehampton
.
After D-Day
Southampton continued to work at full capacity to re-supply the Allied Forces on mainland Europe.
From 1 April to 25 August 1944, Southampton was within Regulated Area (No 2)
, which placed the local population under certain restrictions that were intended to secure the military operation.
Southampton was awarded city status
in 1964 by Letters Patent
.
In 1967, Southampton took in part of the Nursling
and Rownhams
parishes. The boundaries have been largely unchanged since.
Southampton lost its County Borough
status under the Local Government Act 1972
.
It became a Unitary Authority
in 1997, administratively independent of Hampshire County Council
, following the Banham Review
.
, and Cunarders RMS Queen Mary 2
, MS Queen Victoria
and MS Queen Elizabeth
.
' first permanent cenotaph
, which was the basis for his design of the cenotaph memorial in Whitehall
, London, a memorial to the city's dead of World War I
. When it was unveiled on 6 November 1920, it had 1800 names, later 2008 names. It can be found in Watts (West) Park, opposite the Titanic memorial.
of the RMS Titanic may be found in Andrews (East) Park, on Above Bar Street. There is a memorial to the musicians
who played on the Titanic just opposite the main memorial.
is thought to have been commenced in 1070, the building has been added to many times over the centuries but its central tower dates from Norman times.
is the largest church in the city and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century.
, grew up in Stoke-on-Trent
, then had a house in Russell Place in Highfield suburb near the university (now identified by a memorial plaque). The plane was a direct descendant of experimental aircraft built by Supermarine
that competed in the Schneider Trophy
in the 1930s. Supermarine was taken over by Vickers
in 1928. Mitchell's short life is documented in the film The First of the Few
.
, to the east of the town, from the 1930s to the 1950s, including Folland Aviation
, started by Henry P. Folland
, the former chief designer of Gloster Aircraft
. Folland was taken over by Hawker Siddeley in 1960, and later became British Aerospace
, the factory built the Hawk
and Harrier. The history of the area's contribution to aviation is celebrated at Solent Sky
(formerly Southampton Hall of Aviation), near Itchen Bridge, and opposite the erstwhile site of the Woolston Supermarine factory. BOAC
had a flying boat
base in the docks serving British
colonial possessions in Africa
and Asia
in the 1930s
and 1940s
. Aquila Airways
then used Berth 50 until they ended operations in late 1958. Nearby, Calshot Spit
was a base for military flying boat
operations and servicing.
The John I. Thornycroft & Company
shipyard was the major employer in Woolston from 1904 to 2004. The yard built and repaired many ships for the Royal Navy
and was particularly busy during the two World Wars. John I. Thornycroft & Company
merged with Vosper & Co. in 1966 to become Vosper Thornycroft. Subsequently renamed VT Group
, the yard closed in 2004 when the business relocated to Portsmouth
.
, the yard built tugs, minesweepers and refrigerated barges. The yard closed in January, 1929., its last project being the Floating Bridge
, launched in 1928.
The Floating Bridge
was opened in 1836. and connected Southampton to Woolston At that time Woolston was a separate village on the east bank of the River Itchen
, it did not become part of Southampton until 1920. Originally owned by a private company, the Floating Bridge
was purchased by Southampton Corporation in 1934. This service continued until 1977 when the Itchen Bridge
was opened.
Horse drawn trams appeared in Southampton in 1879. Electrified trams were introduced in 1900. From 1908, Southampton Corporation built most of its own trams at its works in Portswood. In 1923, some specially designed trams were introduced. These had unique rounded roofs which allowed them to pass through the centre arch of the Bargate. During WorldWarII, Southamptons Trams were parked overnight in sidings on the Common instead of in the terminus buildings located around the city. From 1942 they were painted battleship grey. Because of those precautions, only one tram was lost to enemy bombing. The Tram system did not extend very far into the Eastern part of the City, passing over the River Itchen and Cobden Bridge and connecting with Bitterne Railway Station. Suburbs that were newly incorporated into the town in 1920 were always served by buses instead of trams. Southampton's trams were gradually taken out of service during 1948 and 1949, with the final tram running on 31 December 1949.
situated near Canute Road. Originally, trains terminated at a temporary structure at Northam. In 1847, Southampton Terminus
was linked to Dorchester via the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
and in 1866 it was extended to an additional line that served Netley Hospital
. On 2 September 1889, it become the Southampton to Fareham Line.
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
was originally intended to run on a separate route into Southampton, with a goods yard where The Dell was subsequently built. Construction of the earthworks was commenced but this line connected to the existing L&SWR
route at Winchester
in 1891, the separate option into Southampton was never built.
In 1892, the London and South Western Railway
Company purchased Southampton Docks. By 1897, the existing Southampton Terminus
, the South Western Hotel, a large goods yard and a turntable had all been established, with railway lines running across Canute Road and into every corner of the docks. The interaction between trains and other traffic was controlled by men with red flags. This close relationship between the docks and the railways allowed specialist Boat Train services to be developed that connected with the transatlantic liners, trains ultimately terminating at full-length platforms housed within the Ocean Terminal
. Trains also ran directly on to the Royal Pier to connect with ferry services to Portsmouth, Ryde and Cowes. The nearby Cattle Market was also well served by the railway. The decline of transatlantic passenger liners in favour of quicker air routes, the development of Southampton Container Terminal, which transferred dock traffic to Millbrook and the electrification of the South Western Main Line
to London, all affected the economics of Southampton Terminus
. Passenger services ceased on 9 September 1966 but the terminus continued to be used for parcels until March 1968. Southampton Central, originally Southampton West, is now the main railway station for 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...
is a city in 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...
. The area has been settled since the stone age. Its history has been affected by its geographical location, on a major estuary 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 with an unusual double high-tide, and by its proximity to Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and 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...
; the ancient and modern capitals of England.
Southampton became an important port in medieval times, experiencing several hundred years of fluctuating fortunes until it was expanded by the Victorians.
As a centre of commerce, an industrial town and an important military embarkation point, Southampton was a strategic target for the 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....
and was severely damaged in World War II
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...
.
Post-war re-development and the need to accommodate 20th century innovations such as the motor car has significantly altered the character of Southampton.
Prehistoric times
Numerous gravel pits have been dug in the Southampton area, many of which have yielded Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
tools. Evidence of a Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
settlement has been found at Priory Avenue, St Denys.
Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
objects have been found on Southampton Common
Southampton Common
Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
, particularly by grave-diggers working in the cemetery and during the construction of the reservoir. Further Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
finds have been made near Cobden Bridge.
Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
earthworks have been found at Lordswood and Aldermoor and evidence of Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
buildings has been found in the City Centre.
Roman occupation (43-410 AD)
Antonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
documents the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement of Clausentum in Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
as being 20 miles (32.2 km) West of Noviomagus Reginorum (Chichester)
Noviomagus Reginorum
Noviomagus Reginorum was the Roman town which is today called Chichester, situated in the modern English county of West Sussex. Alternative versions of the name include Noviomagus Regnorum, Regnentium and Regentium..-Development:...
and 10 miles (16.1 km) from Venta Belgarum (Winchester)
Venta Belgarum
Venta Belgarum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia Superior. Today it is known as Winchester and is situated in the English county of Hampshire.-Development:...
.
In about 1770, John Speed claimed that Clausentum was in the area that is now known as Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
. In 1792, the Rev. Richard Warner investigated those claims and found a ditch, a bank and some Roman coins. Since then, this site has been investigated further and is generally accepted as the site of Clausentum, but there is no universal agreement. Reference to modern maps show Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
to be 25 miles (40.2 km) from Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. Wickham
Wickham
Wickham, formerly spelled Wykeham, is a small historic village and civil parish in Hampshire, southern England, located about three miles north of Fareham. It is within the City of Winchester local government district, although it is considerably closer to Fareham than to Winchester...
is at the junction of two Roman Roads and is a better fit to the distances documented in Antonine Itinerary VII
Antonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
. The case for Clausentum being situated at Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
is based on archaeological evidence and the geography of the site (nestled inside a sharp bend in the River Itchen) which clearly allowed it to be turned into a good defensive position.
But the fact that there was a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement at what is now Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
is not disputed. Archaeological finds at what is believed to be Clausentum show the site to be an important trading port with some significant buildings. Traces of a Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
on a line running from Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
to Wickham
Wickham
Wickham, formerly spelled Wykeham, is a small historic village and civil parish in Hampshire, southern England, located about three miles north of Fareham. It is within the City of Winchester local government district, although it is considerably closer to Fareham than to Winchester...
have also been found.
The Romans abandoned the settlement circa 410, when Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
ended.
Anglo Saxon period (400-1066)
The Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
moved the centre of the town across the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
to what is now the St Mary's area. The settlement was known as Hamwic and or Hamtun, the two names co-existed and described the same area but were used in different contexts. By the middle of the 11th century, the area is described as South Hamtun by Anglo Saxon Chroniclers. References to St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church, Southampton
St. Mary's Church, Southampton is the largest church in the city of Southampton, England and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century. In 1917, the sound of the church bells inspired the writing of the song, "The Bells of St. Mary's", later sung by Bing Crosby in the...
also appear in 11th century documents. Hamwic is referred to as a market in the account of the life of St. Willibald
Willibald
Saint Willibald was an 8th century bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria.Information about his life is largely drawn from the Hodoeporicon of Saint Willibald, a text written in the 8th century by Huneberc, an Anglo-Saxon nun from Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm who knew Willibald and his brother personally...
, written by an Anglo-Saxon nun named Hygeburg
Hygeburg
Hygeburg , also Hugeburc or Huneberc, was an Anglo-Saxon nun at the Abbey of Heidenheim in Germany.Hygeburg was the author of a life of Willibald, the Vita S. Willibaldi, written at some time between 767 and 778. She also produced a life of Willibald's brother Wynnebald, who had been Abbot of...
in the late 8th century.
Excavations have revealed a section of the street plan of Hamwic and uncovered one of the best collections of Saxon artifacts in Europe. These collectively show that Hamwic was a planned town, that it became an important port and traded with the continent and was a Royal administration centre. Hamwic was the site of the Royal Mint for several Anglo Saxon Kings (AD 786-858) until it was moved to Winchester later in the 9th Century.
Hamwic is also believed to have been a point of departure for slaves (being sent to the market at Rouen) and pilgrims, like St. Willibald
Willibald
Saint Willibald was an 8th century bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria.Information about his life is largely drawn from the Hodoeporicon of Saint Willibald, a text written in the 8th century by Huneberc, an Anglo-Saxon nun from Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm who knew Willibald and his brother personally...
to important European cities like Rome.
Vikings (700-1066)
Vikings raids on Southampton disrupted trade with the continent and contributed to the re-organization of Wessex. Important industries that were previously well established in Hamwic were withdrawn further inland to the new fortifications at Winchester, contributing to the decline of Hamwic.Archaeological evidence shows evidence of 10th century settlements and a defended enclosure in what was later to become the Medieval walled town.
The Viking King Canute the Great
Canute the Great
Cnut the Great , also known as Canute, was a king of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden. Though after the death of his heirs within a decade of his own and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, his legacy was largely lost to history, historian Norman F...
defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready
Ethelred the Unready
Æthelred the Unready, or Æthelred II , was king of England . He was son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth. Æthelred was only about 10 when his half-brother Edward was murdered...
in 1014 and was crowned in Southampton. His fabled attempt to "command" the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton.
Normans (1066-1154)
Southampton's prosperity was assured following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when it became the major port of transit between Winchester (the capital of EnglandEngland
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...
until the early 12th Century) and 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:...
.
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...
indicates that Southampton already had distinct French and English quarters at the time of the Norman Conquest and that the King owned a number of properties upon which rent was payable.
Archaeological evidence has dated the foundation of St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's Church, Southampton
St. Michael's Church is the oldest building still in use in the city of Southampton, England, having been founded in 1070, and is the only church still active of the five originally in the medieval walled town. The church is a Grade I Listed building....
at 1070 and the church was dedicated to St. Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
, patron saint of 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:...
.
An Augustinian priory was founded at St. Denys, on 364 acres (1.5 km²) of land granted by Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, the last of the Norman Kings, in 1127. St. Denys Priory continued as a religious house until its suppression in 1536.
Medieval period (1154-1485)
House of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
, was a regular visitor to Southampton and established Southampton Castle
Southampton Castle
Southampton Castle was located in the town of Southampton in Hampshire, England. Constructed after the Norman conquest of England, it was located in the north-west corner of the town overlooking the River Test, initially as a wooden motte and bailey design...
. The Castle was principally used to store the King's wine. Surviving remains of 12th Century merchants houses such as King Johns House and Canutes Palace are evidence of the wealth that existed in the town at this time. Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of other houses of similar stature.
By the 13th century, Southampton had become a leading port and was particularly involved in the trade of French wine and English 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....
. The Wool House
Southampton Maritime Museum
Southampton Maritime Museum is housed at The Wool House, a medieval warehouse in Southampton, Hampshire.The museum documents the maritime heritage of Southampton and the Solent area, its history as a base for ocean liners and in particular its connections to RMS Titanic.Its mission statement is:...
was built in 1417 as a warehouse for the medieval wool trade with Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. This building is in use today as the Maritime Museum, and can be found near Town Quay. It includes an exhibition concerning the RMS Titanic.
By 1173, the St Mary Magdalen leper Hospital was established to the north of the town. St Julians Hospital, otherwise known as Gods House Hospital, was founded around 1196 by Gervase 'le Riche'. The Franciscan friary
Franciscan friary in Southampton
The Franciscan Friary of Southampton was founded circa 1233. It occupied a south-eastern area of the city, within the walls and adjacent to God's House Tower. The friary was notable for its water supply system, which supplied water for use by the friars themselves and by the other inhabitants of...
was later built alongside Gods House hospital. Bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
was first played regularly on the green adjacent to God's House Hospital in 1299. The green
Southampton Old Bowling Green
Southampton Old Bowling Green, situated on the corner of Lower Canal Walk and Platform Road, Southampton, England is the world's oldest surviving bowling green having been first used in 1299.-History:...
still exists. It is the world's oldest surviving bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
.
The town was sacked
English Channel naval campaign, 1338-1339
The English Channel naval campaign of the years 1338 and 1339 saw a protracted series of raids conducted by the nascent French navy and numerous privately owned raiders and pirates against English towns, shipping and islands in the English Channel which caused widespread panic, damage and financial...
in 1338 by the French, including the pirate Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. After this attack, the city's walls - parts of which date from 1175 - were extensively improved and reinforced. Lacking proper finance for the construction of a full defensive wall, the townsfolk reached a compromise solution, which involved joining the existing exterior walls of existing merchant houses together to form part of the defensive structure. The city walls include God's House Tower, built in 1417, the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Over the years it has been used as home to the city's gunner, the Town Gaol and even as storage for the Southampton Harbour Board. Today, it is open as the Museum of Archaeology. The walls were finally completed in the 15th century. A large part of the town's walls remain today.
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...
reached England in 1348 via the merchant vessels that regularly visited Southampton at that time.
The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street below the Bargate within the old walls is where in 1415, immediately prior to King Henry V of England
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....
's departure from Southampton to the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
, the ringleaders of the 'Southampton Plot
Southampton Plot
The Southampton Plot of 1415 was a conspiracy against King Henry V of England, aimed at replacing him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March. The three alleged ringleaders were Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, Mortimer's brother-in-law; Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham The...
', Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham
Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham
Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham KG was a favourite of King Henry V of England but he was executed for his involvedment in the Southampton Plot.-Biography:...
and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton
Thomas Grey (1384-1415)
Sir Thomas Grey of Heaton, County Durham , was an English nobleman and plotter.-Family:...
, were tried and found guilty of high treason, before being summarily executed outside the Bargate
Bargate
The Bargate is a building in the city centre of Southampton, England. Constructed in Norman times as part of the fortified walled city, the Bargate was the main point of entry and exit to and from the north. Since Southampton is on the south coast, this made the Bargate the main gateway to the city...
.
During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
became an increasingly important industry and was to remain so for centuries to come. The city became a county corporate
County corporate
A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for local government in England, Ireland and Wales.Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing counties...
in 1447.
Tudor period (1485 -1603)
Southampton's Tudor House Museum otherwise known as Huttofts or Lady Ann Guidotti's House was built in 1495 for Sir John Dawtry. It has formerly been a family home, an artist's studio and housed businesses including a dye-house and a bookbinder. It is now a museum but is currently closed for refurbishment. It is hoped it will reopen in 2011.http://www.southampton.gov.uk/leisure/history/museums-galleries/tudorhouse.aspSouthampton's economic fortunes fluctuated during the Tudor period. From 1492 to 1531, all exports of tin and lead were required to pass through Southampton. Trade with the Channel Islands increased. In 1554 Southampton was granted a monopoly on the export of wool to the Mediterranean and on the import of sweet wine. At other times during this period, the port was in decline, mainly because trade was shifting to London. Southampton was also a convenient port for the buccaneers that plundered Spanish ships in the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean.
The development of Hurst, Calshot, Cowes and Netley castles along Southampton Water and the Solent, by Henry VIII in about 1540, meant that Southampton was no longer so dependent upon its fortifications.
In 1553, the Free Grammar School of the Mayor Baliffs and Burgesses of the Towne and County of Southampton was granted letters patent by King Edward VI, establishing the new school and thus fulfilling the legacy of William Capon
William Capon
William Capon was an English churchman and scholar.-Life:He was born at Salcott, near Colchester in Essex in 1480. He was educated at Cambridge University, earning his B.A. degree in 1499 and his M.A. in 1502 . In 1516 he became a Master of Jesus College, Cambridge and in 1526, aged 46, he was...
who left money for that purpose in his will. The schools survives as King Edward VI School, Southampton
King Edward VI School, Southampton
King Edward VI School, often referred to as King Edward's, or simply KES, is a selective co-educational independent day School located in Southampton, United Kingdom and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It was founded in 1553, after the death of William Capon , who...
.
Stuart period (1603 -1714)
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
in 1623. A memorial can be found on Town Quay. Since that time it has been the last port of call for millions of emigrants who left the Old World to start a new life in the USA, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and other parts of the world.
In 1642, during the English Civil War, a Parliamentary garrison moved into Southampton, initially to defend against seaborne attack from Royalist ships. A Royalist army advanced as far as Redbridge in March 1644 but were prevented from taking the town by Colonel Richard Norton. The Battle of Cheriton
Battle of Cheriton
The Battle of Cheriton was an important Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War. It took place on 29 March 1644 and resulted in the defeat of a Royalist army, which threw King Charles I onto the defensive for the remainder of the year.-Campaign:...
, also in March 1644, subsequently removed the threat to Southampton.
In June 1664, 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...
returned to Southampton. This new plague seriously disrupted life and led the Corporation to report that it was unable to continue governing the town. By the time the epidemic ended in November 1666, 1700 people had died.
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...
the younger, born in Southampton in 1674, wrote the words of the hymn O God Our Help In Ages Past. His early education was at the Free Grammar School. He was a member of the Above Bar Independent Community. This non-conformist community was persecuted following the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity
Over the course of English parliamentary history there were a number of acts of uniformity. All had the basic object of establishing some sort of religious orthodoxy within the English church....
of 1662. Isaac Watts' father, also named Isaac, suffered periods of imprisonment in the Bargate.
Fashionable Spa Town
Southampton became a Spa Town in 1740, thanks to the discovery of a spring of Chalybeate water. The area was laid out as Spa gardens and earned Royal Patronage. That further encouraged fashionable society to Southampton and aided its prosperity and development.Southampton had also become a popular site for Sea Bathing by the 1760s, despite the lack of a good quality beach. Innovative buildings specifically for this purpose were built at West Quay, with baths that were filled and emptied by the flow of the tide, one of which had an adjustable floor. The building, known as the Long Rooms, had a long promenade with views over the water to be enjoyed by spectators and bathers alike.
Polygon
The Polygon was an 18th century residential and commercial development designed in 1768 by James Leroux which was aimed at Southampton's fashionable clientele. It was intended to be a development of 12 residential houses, with a hotel, shops, an assembly room and an ornamental lake. Three houses and the hotel were completed by 1773, but the scheme had financial problems and it was never completed. The buildings have since been demolished.Coaching
The fashionable attractions of the town caused coaching traffic to increase. Several Coaching Inns were established in Southampton and there was a great deal of competition for passengers and guests. The coaching trade continued until it was rendered obsolete by the arrival of the railway.Canals
There was a great deal of interest in constructing canals, though this was only partially implemented.In 1774, a canal between Eling and Salisbury was proposed, but it was not built. In 1779, a canal linking Southampton (at Redbridge) to Andover was proposed.
The Redbridge to Andover canal
Andover Canal
The Andover Canal was a canal built in Hampshire, England. It ran from Andover to Redbridge through Stockbridge and Romsey. The canal had a fall of through 24 locks, and for much of its length paralleled the River Anton and River Test.-History:...
was completed in 1796. In 1792, the proposal to link Southampton and Salisbury by canal gained new momentum. The plan was to build a new canal from Salisbury to connect with the Andover to Southampton canal at Kimbridge. The canal would then be extended from Redbridge into the centre of Southampton, passing through a tunnel under the Marlands, branching at Houndwell to serve both Northam and Town Quay. The tunnel was started but was never completed.
Industrial Revolution
Walter Taylor
Walter Taylor (Southampton)
Walter Taylor of Southampton, supplied wooden rigging blocks to the Royal Navy, greatly improving their quality via technological innovations which were a significant step forward in the Industrial Revolution....
's 18th century mechanization of the block-making process, in Southampton, was a significant step in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, winning him a monopoly on the supply of wooden rigging blocks for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
from 1759 to 1803.
Regency period (1795-1837)
For centuries, the only crossings of the river Itchen in this area were at Mansbridge, some distance upstream from Southampton, and at Itchen Ferry villageItchen Ferry village
Itchen Ferry village was a small hamlet on the East bank of the River Itchen in Hampshire. The village took its name from the small fishing boats that were also used to ferry foot passengers across the river...
. The Northam Bridge Company was formed in 1796. They built a toll bridge at Northam which was opened in September 1799 and new roads connecting the bridge to Southampton and Botley, Hampshire
Botley, Hampshire
Botley is a historic village in Hampshire, England that obtained a charter for a market from Henry III in 1267. The area has been settled since at least the 10th century....
. The town was further connected to Portsmouth via another toll bridge built at Bursledon
Bursledon
Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...
and another road which linked Bursledon bridge to the new Northam to Botley road at Bitterne
Bitterne
Bitterne is an eastern suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England.Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the Bittern but from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend", most likely a reference to Bitterne Manor...
.
The Floating Bridge
Woolston ferry
The Woolston Floating Bridge, was a cable ferry that crossed the River Itchen in England between Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836 until 11 June 1977...
also connected Southampton to Woolston and Portsmouth on the east bank of the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
in 1836.
Southampton was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
, and contained the parishes of All Saints, Holy Rood, St John, St Lawrence, St Mary, St Michael, and part of South Stoneham.
The painter John Everett Millais
John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Early life:...
was born in the city in 1829. Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University
Southampton Solent University is a university of 17,000 students based in Southampton, United Kingdom. Its main campus is located on East Park Terrace near the city centre....
's art gallery is named Millais Gallery in his honour.
Victorian era (1837-1901)
Botley
Botley is the name of several places in the United Kingdom:*Botley, Buckinghamshire*Botley, Hampshire*Botley, OxfordshireOther*Botley the Robot is a fictional robot featured in Knowledge Adventure's JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain...
via Sholing
Sholing
Sholing, previously Scholing, is a district on the eastern side of the city of Southampton in southern England. It is located between the districts of Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston....
and Hedge End
Hedge End
Hedge End is a town and civil parish located in Hampshire in England. It is situated to the east of the City of Southampton, adjoining the districts of West End and Botley. Hedge End lies within the Borough of Eastleigh and is part of the Southampton Urban Area.It is sometimes mistakenly claimed...
.
The town experienced major expansion during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. The Southampton Docks company was formed in 1835. In October 1838, the foundation stone of the docks was laid. The first dock opened on 29 August 1842. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by Scot James Macqueen. After good and bad times it became the largest shipping group in the world in 1927 when it took over the White Star Line....
operated its services from Southampton, officially designating the port as the packet station in May 1843. The structural and economic development of the docks continued for the next few decades.
The railway link from Southampton to London was fully opened in May 1840, though it had been operating as far as Winchester since June 1839, It was delayed by work on the chalk cutting between Winchester and Basingstoke. In 1847, Southampton was connected to Dorchester by rail. In 1866, a branch line extended the railway over the River Itchen at St Denys, passing through Bitterne
Bitterne
Bitterne is an eastern suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England.Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the Bittern but from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend", most likely a reference to Bitterne Manor...
and Woolston to Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
. This created further competition for the Floating Bridge company.
With good transport links, Southampton became the emigrant station for North America and Canada in January 1844. The Southampton Emigration and Shipping Company was formed in 1846 Southampton subsequently became became known as The Gateway to the Empire, with many emigrants passing through Southampton to start a new life in the United States and Canada, South Africa and Australia.
The town became a county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
under the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
. In 1894, under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, the part of South Stoneham, within the borough, became the parish of Portswood
Portswood
Portswood is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north-east of the city centre and is bounded by Freemantle, Highfield, Swaythling, St. Denys and Bevois Valley....
, in 1895 the parish of Shirley was added.
Cholera epidemics in 1848-49 and 1865 caused great concern. These outbreaks were centred on the slums of the old medieval town. Sewers were built in the 1840s and 1870s. In 1894, the Borough Medical Officer of Health published a report on poverty in the town. Population density in the slums at that time was recorded as 441.4 /acre. The Simmel Street and West Quay Improvement plan subsequently cleared the area of slums, created new streets and a lodging house in St Michaels Square; it was called St Michaels House and opened in 1899.
The Titanic disaster
In common with most of the luxury liners of the time, RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton. Most of the crew came from Southampton; 549 Sotonians died in the sinking. The Maritime museum in the old Wool House includes an exhibition related to the vessel.World War I (1914-1918)
Southampton was designated No. 1 Military Embarkation Port in August 1914. Much of Southampton CommonSouthampton Common
Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
was taken over by the military A total of 8,149,685 troops and their equipment departed for mainland Europe through the port. A steady flow of refugees, prisoners of war and 1,177,125 wounded came back to England through Southampton.
Interwar period (1918-1939)
In 1919, soldiers returning from World War IWorld 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...
mutinied
1919 Southampton Mutiny
The 1919 Southampton Mutiny was a mutiny of British Army soldiers which occurred in January 1919 in the aftermath of World War I. The soldiers, having been informed that they were being transported to Southampton to be demobilized, were then ordered to board troop ships for France...
in the port.
In 1920, Bitterne Parish Council and Itchen Urban District Council
Itchen Urban District
Itchen was an urban district in Hampshire, England from 1898 to 1920.It was formed in 1898 from the parishes of St Mary Extra and Sholing . From 1894 to 1898 both these parishes had formed part of the South Stoneham Rural District. A unified parish of Itchen, coterminous with the urban district...
, which collectively covered the districts of Bitterne
Bitterne
Bitterne is an eastern suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England.Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the Bittern but from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend", most likely a reference to Bitterne Manor...
, Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor
Bitterne Manor is a suburb of Southampton surrounding the manor house of the same name.- History :Bitterne Manor is the site of the original Roman settlement of Clausentum, the forerunner to today's City of Southampton....
, Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England, on the Eastern bank of the River Itchen, built on sloping parkland which once formed part of Bitterne Manor....
, Woolston, Peartree Green
Peartree Green
Peartree Green is an open space on high ground on the East bank of the River Itchen in Hampshire which adjoins the districts of Woolston, Bitterne, Sholing and Merryoak within the city of Southampton....
, Sholing
Sholing
Sholing, previously Scholing, is a district on the eastern side of the city of Southampton in southern England. It is located between the districts of Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston....
and Weston
Weston, Southampton
Weston is a small suburb on the south-eastern side of Southampton, UK, predominantly built on the Weston Grove Estate formerly owned by the Chamberlayne family. It also includes the area that was previously the Barnfield Estate. Weston includes part of Mayfield Park, which was previously the...
, were incorporated into the borough of Southampton. Bassett
Bassett, Southampton
Bassett is a suburb and electoral ward of the City of Southampton, England. The suburb lies to the north of the city centre and is largely residential, including the University of Southampton's Glen Eyre Halls of residence complex, which houses around 2,100 students...
and Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
were incorporated into Southampton at the same time.
The period between the two World Wars saw an increase in the volume of traffic, as the motor car and Southampton Corporation Tramways
Southampton Corporation Tramways
Southampton Corporation Tramways were in operation from 1879 to 1949. They were initially horse-drawn, but latterly powered by electricity.-Background:...
evolved. It became essential to develop new routes around the Bargate as the central arch was too much of an obstruction. By 1931, a tram passed through the Bargate every 30 seconds and over the course of 14 hours, 2000 cars and 6000 bicycles would use the same narrow passage between Above Bar and the High Street. The photographs (below) illustrate the problem. Several old buildings and part of the medieval walls were demolished on both sides of the Bargate. In 1932, the Bargate was bypassed on its eastern side. The Bargate became an island when it was bypassed on its western side in 1938.
The Clock Tower, further up Above Bar at the junction with New Road, was re-located to Bitterne Park Triangle
Bitterne Park
Bitterne Park is a suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England, on the Eastern bank of the River Itchen, built on sloping parkland which once formed part of Bitterne Manor....
in 1934 to facilitate further road improvements.
On 25 March 1929, Southampton Corporation purchased Northam Bridge from the Northam Bridge Company. On 16 May 1929, the tolls on that bridge were removed. At the same time, the tolls at Lances Hill, Hedge End and the bridge at Bursledon
Bursledon
Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...
were also abolished. The only remaining toll in Southampton was at the Floating Bridge
Woolston ferry
The Woolston Floating Bridge, was a cable ferry that crossed the River Itchen in England between Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836 until 11 June 1977...
, which was eventually taken over by Southampton Corporation in 1934, remaining a toll-crossing until it closed in 1977.
Air Raids
Southampton BlitzSouthampton Blitz
The Southampton Blitz was the heavy bombing of Southampton by the Nazi German Luftwaffe during World War II. It was targeted mainly in the first phase of the Blitz....
The Second World War hit Southampton particularly hard. Pockets of Georgian architecture remain, but much of the city was leveled during the Blitz of November 1940. 476 tons of bombs were dropped on the city by the 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....
.
Southampton was a prime target because of its general strategic importance as a major port and industrial area, and particularly because the Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
was designed, developed and built in Southampton.
On 24 September 1940, the Supermarine factory in Woolston was bombed, killing many, though not damaging the factory. Two days later, the factory was destroyed. After the air raid Nazi propaganda declared that the town had been left a smoking ruin.
On 6 November 1940, during a raid on the town centre, three bombs hit the School of Art in the Civic Centre, (now known as the Art Gallery), killing students that were sheltering in the basement.
The main blitz, a series of sustained nighttime raids, started on 23 November 1940. There was a pause until 30 November, when the resumption of raids destroyed repairs that had made during the lull. The blitz continued on 1 December, but these raids were sporadic and smaller. A total of 137 people died during the period of the Blitz, of which 96 were lost to direct hits on public air raid shelters.
The accuracy of the locally-based Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
's maps did not go unrecognized by the 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....
: German bomber pilots used them to bomb Southampton. One building that survived the bombing was Southampton's oldest, St. Michaels Church. The spire was an important navigational aid for the German pilots and consequently they were ordered to avoid hitting it. Other buildings in Southampton were found to be used as aids to navigation; Elmfield flats in Millbrook had a flat concrete roof which was clearly visible from the air until it was grassed over.
There were 1605 air raid warnings in Southampton, the last raid occurred on 5 November 1944. Only one flying bomb fell within the boundaries of Southampton, at Sholing on 12 July 1944.
D-Day and the Invasion of Europe
In July 1943, military exercise Harlequin tested the ports' capacity for embarking troops and equipment. Original estimates were that 11,000 troops could be embarked on each high tide. The exercise showed that 44,000 troops could be handled. By D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, that figure had increased to 53,750 troops and 7070 vehicles, aided by the construction of additional facilities specifically with D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in mind.
Besides the embarkation of troops, Southampton was used for other purposes in the preparations for the Invasion of Europe. US servicemen and Lend Lease imports arrived at the docks. Sections of Mulberry Harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
were constructed in the harbour. A planning team for the PLUTO
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
pipelines that provided fuel to the Normandy sector was based at HMS Abatos
HMS Abatos
HMS Abatos was a Royal Navy Shore establishment responsible for the planning of PLUTO, the undersea pipeline that supplied the allied troops with fuel during the liberation of Europe in 1944, after D-Day...
.
Southampton was at the heart of Area C, a huge marshalling area in southern Hampshire, which extended as far north as Winchester. Detailed maps of the time show that within Area C, Sub area Z extended around the north of Southampton and as far as Hedge End in the east. There were military camps on the common
Southampton Common
Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
, Harefield, Thornhill, and Netley Common. The maps even show that there were Chemical Warfare dumps to the north of the town. The town centre, the docks, Woolston and Weston were part of Embarkation Area C5. The plan was that troops and equipment would be assembled in the camps in sub-areas W, X, Y and Z then brought to the embarkation area to be loaded aboard the ships that were waiting there. That plan was tested in May 1944, during Operation Fabius, with troops that passed through Southampton rehearsing their landings at Hayling Island
Hayling Island
-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
, Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, England. The bay looks out onto the English Channel and the Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, as is the Nab Tower lighthouse and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.The bay is sandy and backed with...
and Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
.
After D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
Southampton continued to work at full capacity to re-supply the Allied Forces on mainland Europe.
From 1 April to 25 August 1944, Southampton was within Regulated Area (No 2)
Regulated Area (No 2)
Regulated Area was a region of England that was under government restriction during the preparations for D-Day and the Invasion of Europe during the Second World War. The order establishing Regulated Area was issued on 31 March 1944...
, which placed the local population under certain restrictions that were intended to secure the military operation.
Post War (1945-2000)
.Southampton was awarded city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in 1964 by Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
.
In 1967, Southampton took in part of the Nursling
Nursling
Nursling is a village in Hampshire, England, situated about 6 kilometres north-west of the city of Southampton. Formerly called Nhutscelle , then Nutshalling until the mid-19th century, it has now been absorbed into the suburbs of Southampton, although it is not officially part of the city...
and Rownhams
Rownhams
Rownhams is a village in Hampshire, England, situated just outside the boundaries of the City of Southampton, to the north-west. It is most likely known for Rownhams services a service station on the M27 motorway which runs to the north of the village....
parishes. The boundaries have been largely unchanged since.
Southampton lost its County Borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
status under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
.
It became a Unitary Authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
in 1997, administratively independent of Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
, following the Banham Review
Local Government Commission for England (1992)
The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002. It was established under the Local Government Act 1992, replacing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England...
.
21st Century (2001 on)
Southampton is still an important ocean liner port, frequented by luxury ships such as P&O's MV OrianaMV Oriana (1995)
MV Oriana is a cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship was built by Meyer Werft at their shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. At 69,000 tonnes, Oriana is the sixth largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. She officially entered service with the company in April 1995 and was...
, and Cunarders RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2
RMS Queen Mary 2 is a transatlantic ocean liner. She was the first major ocean liner built since in 1969, the vessel she succeeded as flagship of the Cunard Line....
, MS Queen Victoria
MS Queen Victoria
MS Queen Victoria is a cruise ship in the Cunard Line fleet, named after Queen Victoria.Queen Victoria is the running mate to Queen Mary 2, and the new Queen Elizabeth. Until November 2008, she also operated alongside Queen Elizabeth 2...
and MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth
MS Queen Elizabeth is a Signature class cruise ship operated by Cunard Line. She is the second largest ship to be built by Cunard, exceeded only by the QM2 and she is running mate to the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Mary 2...
.
Memorials
The Cenotaph
The city is home to Sir Edwin LutyensEdwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
' first permanent cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
, which was the basis for his design of the cenotaph memorial in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, London, a memorial to the city's dead of 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...
. When it was unveiled on 6 November 1920, it had 1800 names, later 2008 names. It can be found in Watts (West) Park, opposite the Titanic memorial.
Titanic
A memorial to the engineersTitanic Engineers' Memorial, Southampton
The Titanic Engineers' Memorial is a memorial in East Park, Southampton, United Kingdom to those who died in the disaster on 15 April 1912. The bronze and granite memorial was originally unveiled by Sir Archibald Denny, president of the Institute of Marine Engineers on 22 April 1914...
of the RMS Titanic may be found in Andrews (East) Park, on Above Bar Street. There is a memorial to the musicians
Titanic Musicians' Memorial, Southampton
The Titanic Musicians' Memorial is a memorial in Southampton, United Kingdom to the musicians who died in the disaster on 15 April 1912. The original Titanic Musicians' Memorial was unveiled by the Mayor of Southampton, H Bowyer on 19 April 1913, and was located in the old Southampton library....
who played on the Titanic just opposite the main memorial.
Isaac Watts
The Watts memorial in the city's West Park, also known as the Watts Park, was unveiled in 1861. The melody of his famous Hymn, "O God our help in Ages Past" can be heard when the Civic Centre clock chimes.St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's ChurchSt. Michael's Church, Southampton
St. Michael's Church is the oldest building still in use in the city of Southampton, England, having been founded in 1070, and is the only church still active of the five originally in the medieval walled town. The church is a Grade I Listed building....
is thought to have been commenced in 1070, the building has been added to many times over the centuries but its central tower dates from Norman times.
St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church, Southampton
St. Mary's Church, Southampton is the largest church in the city of Southampton, England and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century. In 1917, the sound of the church bells inspired the writing of the song, "The Bells of St. Mary's", later sung by Bing Crosby in the...
is the largest church in the city and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century.
Supermarine
The Spitfire was developed and initially manufactured in the suburb of Woolston. Its designer, Reginald MitchellR. J. Mitchell
Reginald Joseph Mitchell CBE, FRAeS, was an aeronautical engineer, best known for his design of the Supermarine Spitfire.-Early years:...
, grew up in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, then had a house in Russell Place in Highfield suburb near the university (now identified by a memorial plaque). The plane was a direct descendant of experimental aircraft built by Supermarine
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that became famous for producing a range of sea planes and the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The name now belongs to an English motorboat manufacturer.-History:...
that competed in the Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
in the 1930s. Supermarine was taken over by Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
in 1928. Mitchell's short life is documented in the film The First of the Few
The First of the Few
The First of the Few, known as Spitfire in the United States, is a 1942 British film directed by and starring Leslie Howard as R.J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, alongside co-star David Niven. The film's score was written by William Walton...
.
Other
There were many aircraft companies based around HambleHamble-le-Rice
Hamble-le-Rice is a village in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. It is best known for being an aircraft training centre during the Second World War and is a popular yachting location...
, to the east of the town, from the 1930s to the 1950s, including Folland Aviation
Folland
Folland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturing company which was active between 1937 and 1963.-History:British Marine Aircraft Ltd was formed in February 1936 to produce Sikorsky S-42-A flying boats under licence in the UK. The company built a factory on the western side of the Hamble...
, started by Henry P. Folland
Henry Folland
Henry Philip Folland was an English aviation engineer and aircraft designer.-Life:Folland was born to Frederick and Mary Folland at 2 King Street, Holy Trinity, Cambridge. His father was listed as a Stonemason....
, the former chief designer of Gloster Aircraft
Gloster Aircraft Company
The Gloster Aircraft Company, Limited, known locally as GAC, was a British aircraft manufacturer. The company produced a famous lineage of fighters for the Royal Air Force : the Grebe, Gladiator, Meteor and Javelin. It also produced the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon for the parent company...
. Folland was taken over by Hawker Siddeley in 1960, and later became British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
, the factory built the Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...
and Harrier. The history of the area's contribution to aviation is celebrated at Solent Sky
Solent Sky
Solent Sky is an aviation museum in Southampton, Hampshire, previously known as Southampton Hall of Aviation.It depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous...
(formerly Southampton Hall of Aviation), near Itchen Bridge, and opposite the erstwhile site of the Woolston Supermarine factory. BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
had a flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
base in the docks serving British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
colonial possessions in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
and 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
. Aquila Airways
Aquila Airways
Aquila Airways was a Southampton, Hampshire based British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, formed on 18 May 1948.-Early operations:...
then used Berth 50 until they ended operations in late 1958. Nearby, Calshot Spit
Calshot Spit
Calshot Spit is a one-mile long sand and shingle bank, located on the southern bank of the open end of Southampton Water, on the south coast of England....
was a base for military flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
operations and servicing.
Vosper Thornycroft
The John I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
shipyard was the major employer in Woolston from 1904 to 2004. The yard built and repaired many ships for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and was particularly busy during the two World Wars. John I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company
John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, usually known simply as Thornycroft was a British shipbuilding firm started by John Isaac Thornycroft in the 19th century.-History:...
merged with Vosper & Co. in 1966 to become Vosper Thornycroft. Subsequently renamed VT Group
VT Group
VT Group plc was a British defence and services company, formerly known as Vosper Thornycroft. The Company had diversified from shipbuilding into various engineering and support services, becoming involved in many areas of provision through five main operating groups: VT Communications, VT...
, the yard closed in 2004 when the business relocated to 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...
.
Day, Summers & Co.
The Day Summers & Co. shipyard at Northam, originally the Northam Iron works launched its first iron steam ship in October 1840 and proceeded to build mail ships for expanding services that operated from Southampton's newly developed docks. Subsequently, the firm built a number of specialized vessels, including a submarine Incognita and luxury steam yachts. During World War IWorld 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...
, the yard built tugs, minesweepers and refrigerated barges. The yard closed in January, 1929., its last project being the Floating Bridge
Woolston ferry
The Woolston Floating Bridge, was a cable ferry that crossed the River Itchen in England between Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836 until 11 June 1977...
, launched in 1928.
Floating Bridge
Woolston ferry
The Woolston Floating Bridge, was a cable ferry that crossed the River Itchen in England between Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836 until 11 June 1977...
was opened in 1836. and connected Southampton to Woolston At that time Woolston was a separate village on the east bank of the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
, it did not become part of Southampton until 1920. Originally owned by a private company, the Floating Bridge
Woolston ferry
The Woolston Floating Bridge, was a cable ferry that crossed the River Itchen in England between Woolston and Southampton from 23 November 1836 until 11 June 1977...
was purchased by Southampton Corporation in 1934. This service continued until 1977 when the Itchen Bridge
Itchen Bridge
The Itchen Bridge is a bridge over the River Itchen in Southampton, Hampshire. It is a high-level hollow box girder bridge. It is located approximately 1 km from the river mouth. The bridge spans , is at its highest point and weighs 62,000 tons. It was officially opened July 13, 1977. At the...
was opened.
Trams
Buses
Southamptons trams were superseded by a fleet of diesel engined buses, though buses had previously been in service in some parts of the City which were not serviced by trams.Railways
The railway arrived in Southampton in 1839. The first permanent station was Southampton TerminusSouthampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorized on the 25 July 1834, it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway...
situated near Canute Road. Originally, trains terminated at a temporary structure at Northam. In 1847, Southampton Terminus
Southampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorized on the 25 July 1834, it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway...
was linked to Dorchester via the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
Southampton and Dorchester Railway
-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
and in 1866 it was extended to an additional line that served Netley Hospital
Netley Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, or Netley Hospital was a large military hospital in Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. Construction started in 1856 at the suggestion of Queen Victoria but its design caused some controversy, chiefly from Florence Nightingale. Often visited by Queen Victoria,...
. On 2 September 1889, it become the Southampton to Fareham Line.
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was a cross-country railway running north-south between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton although it actually reached the latter by running over the London and South Western Railway tracks from Shawford Junction, south of Winchester...
was originally intended to run on a separate route into Southampton, with a goods yard where The Dell was subsequently built. Construction of the earthworks was commenced but this line connected to the existing L&SWR
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
route at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
in 1891, the separate option into Southampton was never built.
In 1892, the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
Company purchased Southampton Docks. By 1897, the existing Southampton Terminus
Southampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorized on the 25 July 1834, it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway...
, the South Western Hotel, a large goods yard and a turntable had all been established, with railway lines running across Canute Road and into every corner of the docks. The interaction between trains and other traffic was controlled by men with red flags. This close relationship between the docks and the railways allowed specialist Boat Train services to be developed that connected with the transatlantic liners, trains ultimately terminating at full-length platforms housed within the Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal may refer to:*Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh*Ocean Terminal, now demolished, at Southampton docks*Ocean Terminal, Greenock*Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong*Ocean Terminal , a British Transport Film...
. Trains also ran directly on to the Royal Pier to connect with ferry services to Portsmouth, Ryde and Cowes. The nearby Cattle Market was also well served by the railway. The decline of transatlantic passenger liners in favour of quicker air routes, the development of Southampton Container Terminal, which transferred dock traffic to Millbrook and the electrification of the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
to London, all affected the economics of Southampton Terminus
Southampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorized on the 25 July 1834, it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway...
. Passenger services ceased on 9 September 1966 but the terminus continued to be used for parcels until March 1968. Southampton Central, originally Southampton West, is now the main railway station for Southampton.