Spinnaker Tower

Originally named the Millenium Tower, this popular addition to the skyline in Portsmouth has become an instantly recognisable symbol for the whole region. It was built to a design by local architects, from a concept chosen by Portsmouth residents, and was opened in 2005 after several years of delays and funding concerns.

Strangers not welcome

National events often impacted on the local crime scene in Portsmouth. For example, a number of cases in the court papers for1655-6 concern the plague that was spreading across the country. The Town’s reaction to the threat of disease was to close its gates to prevent potentially infected strangers from visiting. A surviving example of a court record shows that a William White was bound over for entertaining a Londoner without the appropriate permission who subsequently died at White’s house. Sadly such tactics were not successful and the outbreak claimed many local lives. Indeed a rather ominous marginal note states that William did not appear to answer before the court.

An Enduring Affection

‘With its imperial associations it is a glorious place, and even now if I had to live in a town outside London it is surely to Southsea, the residential quarter of Portsmouth, that I would return’. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writing in1924, several decades after he left Portsmouth. Portsmouth is home to the internationally acclaimed Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, Lancelyn Green Bequest. An exhibition entitled, A Study in Sherlock, which is currently running at the City Museum recently won, for the second time, the Best Exhibition category in a regional award ceremony.

Two Matcham Theatres

Portsmouth is very fortunate in having two theatres designed by Frank Matcham, the extraordinary cultural architect. The Theatre Royal was rebuilt by him in 1900 while the King's Theatre opened to a Matcham design in 1907. The Frank Matcham Society estimate that a mere two dozen of his theatres survive still operating for their orginal use. Portsmouth is distinguished by having two of these.

Godforsaken Portsmouth?

Recently a national newspaper called Portsmouth a godforsaken city. This could not be further from the truth as it one of the handful of regional areas to have not only an Anglican cathedral, St Thomas, but also the Catholic one, St John. In addition there has been a long established presence from the Baptist, Congregational, Jehovah’s Witness, Methodist, Wesleyan, Bible Christian, Primitive Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventists and Spiritualist religions. A very old Jewish community has long played an important part in city life, while newer additions include a Sikh temple and a Mosque.

A Middle Ages Principal Port

As early as 1212 the name ‘Portsmue’ was noted as one of the principal ports of the Kingdom.

General Wolfe's opinion

"The necessity of living in the midst of the diabolical citizens of Portsmouth is a real and unavoidable calamity. It is a doubt to me if there is such another collection of demons upon the whole earth." General Wolfe writing to his mother in 1758.

Henry Ayers

Henry Ayers was born in Portsea in 1821, the son of a dockyard worker. After an education at the Beneficial School, in 1840, he departed with his new wife looking for a better life in Australia. He worked in a solicitor’s office in Adelaide for several years, until an investment in a copper mine brought him great wealth. This mine, the Burra Burra, was nicknamed the ‘Monster Mine’ and is credited with founding the wealth of South Australia. Henry was in control for 50 years. He is most remembered however for his involvement in local politics. He sat in the legislative council in Adelaide for a total of 36 years and was president of South Australia on several occasions. In 1883 an explorer dedicated Ayers Rock in his honour although it has subsequently been renamed, Uluru. Henry did not forget his roots in Portsea. In later life he provided a donation to the Beneficial School as well as becoming one of its honorary life members. Formore information: http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030065b.htm

The Battle of Crecy

In 1346 Edward III gathered a huge army of 30,000 men on the open ground surrounding Portsmouth. They left from here to fight the Battle of Crecy, one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years’ War. Despite being heavily outnumbered by French forces, this army was victorious due to their superior weaponry and tactics. The town of Portsmouth itself contributed 5 ships and 96 sailors.

Contagious Diseases Acts

The scandalous Contagious Diseases Acts of the 1860s, which empowered the police to question and forcibly examine suspected prostitutes in garrison towns, were imposed in Portsmouth. These unfortunate ladies, many of whom were not guilty, were put in a locked ward of the Royal Hospital and, if they resisted, were sentenced to hard labour. Not surprisingly there was a national outcry with a large rally of protestors that included the tireless social reformer, Josephine Butler, being held in Portsmouth in 1870. These acts were finally repealed in 1886.

Settling a whole continent

For centuries ships have been leaving Portsmouth for all parts of the world. However one of the most notable departures must be that of the First Fleet to Australia on 13 May 1787. Looking for a solution to rising crime, the British Government fitted out 6 convict ships, 3 store ships and 2 naval vessels to carry 756 convicts (both male and female), their Marine guards (some with families) and a few civil officers to the ‘land beyond the seas’. The ships had arrived in Portsmouth on 16 March 1787 where convicts and marines embarked and awaited orders to depart. The Fleet sailed under the command of Captain Arthur Philip and made stops at Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town to take on supplies. It arrived in Botany Bay, the first people to visit since Captain Cook had discovered it in 1770, in January 1788. After a difficult start, the new colony began to expand and flourish providing the foundation stone for a new country. A colourful series of events were held in Portsmouth to celebrate the bicentenary of this event in 1987. Perhaps the most memorable was in Guildhall Square where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh joined a huge crowd to watch, among other things, a display of aboriginal dancing.

Chubb locks

The mighty Chubb lock company was started in Portsmouth in 1818 when the first locking mechanism that could not be picked or forced, the detector lock, was invented and patented from a tiny house in Daniel Street. The inventor was a locksmith, Jeremiah Chubb, and the businessman who built the company up was his brother Charles. By 1840 Chubb was already a household name and although huge purpose built factories were subsequently built in London and Wolverhampton, the Chubb family kept their connections with Portsmouth for many years.

The old Town Hall

The original town hall was built in the middle of the High St, Portsmouth close to St Thomas Church, in c1738. This was rather damningly described in 1748: ‘It is supported by Stone Arches; The superstructure Brick; containing one (it ought to be spacious) Room, and a Council-Chamber; but both ill contrived and excessively small. The Outside … is indeed noble and uniform; one end being ornamented by a handsome Portico, and the other a Venetian Window. Indeed the whole Building may be well compared to the Members of the Borough, in their scarlet and Furs; a pompous External, but very small dirty and irregular within.’ This building became an obstruction to traffic and was replaced by a new Town Hall, again in the High Street, built in the Doric style during the late 1830s.