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