| Portsmouth is commonly regarded as having
| |
| | in Portsmouth. He ordered a wooden Round
|
| been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors,
| |
| | tower to be built at the mouth of the
|
| although there had been settlements in
| |
| | harbour, this was finished in 1426.
|
| the area since before Roman times, mostly
| |
| | It was not until Henry VIII that defence
|
| being offshoots of Portchester. John of
| |
| | was seriously delt with. He ordered the
|
| Gisors purchased the manor of Buckland,
| |
| | round tower to be rebuilt of stone and a
|
| whilst the protected harbour gave safe
| |
| | square tower built. At this time building
|
| haven to his merchant ships and an ideal
| |
| | also commenced on the first dry dock in
|
| location to trade with Normandy.
| |
| | the country. In 1527 with money from the
|
| In 1194, King Richard I returned from
| |
| | dissolution of the monasteries Henry VIII
|
| being held captive by Duke Leopold V of
| |
| | built the fort of Southsea Castle.
|
| Austria and set about summoning a fleet
| |
| | In 1545, Henry VIII saw his flagship
|
| and an army to Portsmouth, which he had
| |
| | Maryrose founder off Southsea Castle
|
| taken over from John of Gisors.
| |
| | whilst going into action against the
|
| On May 2 1194, King Richard I gave
| |
| | French Fleet, with the loss of over 500
|
| Portsmouth its first Royal Charter
| |
| | lives.
|
| granting permission to hold an annual
| |
| | In the 18th century regular wars,
|
| fifteen day market and exemption from
| |
| | principally with the French, meant the
|
| paying the annual tax of £18 a year that
| |
| | dockyard flourished. Homes were built
|
| could now be spent on local matters.
| |
| | outside the town walls in Portsea to
|
| In 1200 another Charter was issued by
| |
| | house the growing population. Trade in
|
| King John, reaffirming the rights and
| |
| | Portsmouth quickly increased and with it
|
| privileges awarded by King Richard.
| |
| | the cities prosperity.
|
| Portsmouth was established as a permanent
| |
| | At the beginning of the 19th century
|
| naval base as a result of King John's
| |
| | Portsmouth and Portsea became
|
| desire to invade Normandy. 1212 saw the
| |
| | increasingly overcrowded and housing
|
| start of construction on the first docks
| |
| | spread across more of the island
|
| in Portsmouth.
| |
| | including the more fashionable suburbs of
|
| During the 13th century Portsmouth was
| |
| | Southsea in the south.
|
| commonly used by Henry III and Edward I
| |
| | In 1805 Admiral Lord Nelson left
|
| as a base for attacks on France.
| |
| | Portsmouth for the final time to command
|
| In the 14th Century Portsmouth was
| |
| | the fleet that would defeat the larger
|
| invaded by the French four times. The
| |
| | Franco - Spanish fleet at Trafalgar. From
|
| first in 1338 when they sailed into the
| |
| | 1808 the Royal Navy's West African
|
| docks under English flags, no one
| |
| | Squadron operated out of Portsmouth as
|
| noticing until it was to late. Ten years
| |
| | they were tasked with stopping the slave
|
| later the city was struck by the plague
| |
| | trade.
|
| known as Black Death. The French then
| |
| | As always, the presence of the dockyard
|
| sacked the city in 1369,1377 and 1380 to
| |
| | made Portsmouth a prime target for attack
|
| prevent it recovering.
| |
| | and in 1916 the city experienced its
|
| In 1418, Henry V was the first king to
| |
| | first aerial bombardment when a zeppelin
|
| decide to build a permanent fortification
| |
| | airship bombed it during World War 1.
|
