Sunday 31 January 2010

Wool

Portsmouth is not generally acknowledged for its early agriculture but in the fourteenth century wool was an important component of the local economy. For example in 1327 Portsmouth was one of only 57 towns to send representative wool merchants to consult with the King at York.

Friday 29 January 2010

Percy Boulnois

Few council employees have been as capable and have left a legacy in Portsmouth such as Percy Boulnois. Elected to the post of Borough Engineer in 1883, during his six year stay he built: a paved promenade; a road (part of the Esplanade) and retaining wall between the sea and the Common; a new customs house in the Camber; finished the public swimming baths; laid out Alexandra Park including one of the first bicycle tracks in the country; significantly increased the wharfage accommodation at Flathouse and constructed, despite some opposition, the Canoe Lake. He oversaw the plans for 3,025 new dwelling-houses and 636 miscellaneous buildings in three years. He even persuaded the Corporation to fit a salt water storage tank in the Square Tower to aid street cleaning. Percy remembered his time in Portsmouth with great fondness in later life. He left in 1889 to take up a similar position in Liverpool.

Monday 25 January 2010

VCs in Highland Road

The Victoria Cross was introduced in 1856 as a decoration to recognise outstanding military bravery. Highland Road cemetery in Portsmouth has the graves of eight holders of the award, the most of anywhere in the world, including that of Henry James Raby, the first person to whom it was ever given. To find out more visit the website of the Friends of Highland Road Cemetery: http://www.friendsofhighlandroadcemetery.org.uk/vc/index.htm

Saturday 23 January 2010

Visits from Russians

'As we passed through the Russian Fleet the sailors stared at us - so unlike English sailors, with their lips covered with dirty red moustachios, some in hairy caps, some in green jackets, and some in none. When they laughed, they looked like animals. Their ships appeared to be strongly built.' Benjamin Haydon describing a visit to Portsmouth by a Russian Squadron in 1809. The Russians were frequent visitors during this period. They made use of the medical facilities nearby at Haslar hospital and took on copious supplies of beer to the delight of the local ecomony.

Thursday 21 January 2010

Peter Sellers

Peter Seller's birthplace.
 
Peter Sellers was born in Southsea on 8 September 1925, the son of two performers who were appearing at the King’s Theatre. He joined them on stage at an early age, before becoming a comedy star on the radio. He moved to motion pictures and appeared in many films including the Pink Panther series.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

John Wesley

John Wesley, the theologian and reformer, preached in Portsmouth in 1749, at a new chapel in Orange Street, Portsea, again on 9 July 1753 and then most of the following years until 1790. He is recorded as stating in 1770, ‘the people in general here (Portsea) are more noble than most in the South of England’.

Sunday 17 January 2010

A bust in a Tower

Inset high into the wall of the Square Tower is a bust of Charles I. This was presented to Portsmouth to commemorate a visit in 1623. This inscription underneath reads, ‘After his travels in through all France and Spain, and having passed very many dangers both by sea and land, he arrived here on the 5th day of October 1623’. This originally continued, ‘There was the greatest applause of joy for his safety throughout the Kingdom that ever was known or heard of.’ A mystery surrounds the loss of this latter portion which may have been covered during resurfacing work in 1827 or alternatively was intentionally removed during the Civil War when Portsmouth fell into Parliamentarian hands. The original bust has been removed into the care of the Portsmouth Museum Service with a replica standing open to the elements.

Thursday 14 January 2010

The Hulks

The harbours around Portsmouth were home to many of the prison hulks, notorious for their terrible conditions, used to house thousands destined for transportation to Australia. There were several daring escape bids, most of which were thwarted by the thick harbour mud. Although these hulks held prisoners from all over the country, Portsmouth residents did not escape this cruel fate. Poor Samuel Winklayer was not only transported for stealing in January 1801, but he was also fined one shilling as well!

Tuesday 12 January 2010

John Pounds

John Pounds, who was born in Portsmouth in 1766, suffered a crippling industrial accident at the age of 15 whilst working in the Dockyard. He subsequently became a cobbler opening a tiny shop in a house in Highbury Street. Despite the lack of any training or materials, this remarkable man started teaching poor and often homeless children from this shop, sometimes up to 40 at a time. He gave lessons in basic reading, writing and arithmetic in addition to life skills such as cookery, carpentry and shoe making. John provided warm food and clothing and actively sought out the lowest and most underprivileged members of society. Many prominent Portsmouthians gradually provided support but John was unique in his time by offering free education. He died in 1839 at the age of 73 having practically helped the poor of Portsmouth for many decades. His little house in Highbury Street survived until the 1930s as a memorial. John Pounds is credited as being the inspiration behind the Ragged School movement begun in 1844 by Lord Shaftesbury. He was voted Portsmouth’s Man of the Millennium in 2000. If you would like to know more, there is a new book about his life: http://www.johnpounds.org.uk/heritage/

Sunday 10 January 2010

Hampshire Telegraph

In 1841 the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle was published by William Harrison at 81 High Street, Portsmouth. This lively liberal paper had a circulation of 3,300 outstripping Salisbury Journal and the Bristol Mercury, and making it one of the leading papers of its day in the south of England.

Friday 8 January 2010

The Common Hard

The Hard in Portsmouth dates from 1720 although the first buildings had appeared in the then named Ship and Castle Row, as early as 1710. These were residential although the area was soon taken over by businesses including many public houses. Being situated right outside the main Dockyard Gate, it was always popular with sailors whose ships had been paid off leading to a complaint to be made in 1859, ‘The Hard presents a scene of drunkenness and profligacy which baffles all description’. The building of the Hard itself, as a public landing spot in Portsea, was viewed with envious eyes by the older nearby settlement of Portsmouth leading to the following presentment at the Court Leet: ‘We present that the place called the Hard, latterly made to the water side nigh the Dock Gate within the liberties of this Burrough is a very great Damage to the inhabitants of the Burrough and tends to the Impoverishing of the same’. The Court Leet records can be viewed at Portsmouth Records Office, http://www.portsmouthrecordsoffice.co.uk/.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Whipping

The punishments handed out by the courts of the past were considerably different to those today. Whipping was an early mainstay and could be administered in several ways. One of the crueller varieties involved tying the unfortunate transgressor to the back of a cart and whipping them whilst they were dragged through the streets. Such a fate befell Fulham Law who, for stealing a cloth coat, was whipped between the gaol to the Point in October 1699. The last public whipping in Portsmouth took place on 11 January 1816.

Monday 4 January 2010

Visit by the Queen of Portugal

The Queen of Portugal landed in Portsmouth in September 1707 and stayed for several days in the home of Thomas Ridge. He was a prominent brewer in the town and his house stood on the spot of the current Guildhall where there was a good supply of fresh water.