Amy Johnson

The famous lady flying marvel, Amy Johnson, landed in Alexandra Park in September 1930. She was only 27 but had already been given a CBE and flown from Britain to Australia. More than 10,000 crowded in to Guildhall Square to watch her arrive for a civic reception and afterwards she travelled to Fratton Park where she spoke to crowds attending an interschool football tournament.

Sixteenth century Portsmouth

Portsmouth in the 1500s was a small settlement centred around the harbour mouth and the Camber, the area now known as Old Portsmouth. It was surrounded by strong fortifications and had only ‘one fair street’, the High Street, which was the only one even partially cobbled. Other familiar streets today, such as Penny Street and St Thomas’s Street were in existence but only as small, muddy and rutted lanes. Although the population would have fluctuated enormously, the number of permanent residents was probably no more than 1,000. They would have made their living by farming, fishing and trades such a tallow and glove makers, tailors, coopers, brewers and carpenters. There were many open spaces within the walls often used to keep livestock.

HMS Pinafore

This popular comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, which opened in 1878, is set in Portsmouth Harbour.

Birth of Sherlock Holmes

Tomorrow a major new film adaption of the Sherlock Holmes stories is released in UK. This fictional character was invented by a young doctor, Arthur Conan Doyle, who had moved to Portsmouth in 1882. His practice was initially slow so inbetween patients Doyle indulged his talent for writing. The first story introducing Holmes, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887 in the Beeton's Christmas Annual and was an immediate hit. Although detective fiction was not by any means the only writing Conan Doyle undertook, Sherlock made his fortune. In 1890 he left Portsmouth a wealthy, established author.

Earthquakes

Portsmouth inhabitants have felt earthquake tremors on at least four occasions in 1692, 1734, 1750 and 1834.

Marital Strife

Marital strife was commonplace in Portsmouth past and surprisingly people could not always hide behind social rank. George Huish, a gentleman and member of a prominent local family, was doubtless horrified when his wife told a magistrate in 1774 ‘that several times in the past week, her husband has kicked her and threatened to stick a knife into her’. In a town with a transient population cases of bigamy were not unknown although, in a time before divorce was generally possible, they appear to have been treated leniently by the courts. Portsmouth Record Office has a superb collection of early court records which have been indexed and transcribed: www.portsmouthrecordsoffice.co.uk

Portsmouth Airport

Portsmouth Airport opened with great pageantry in 1932 on land at the north east of Portsea Island. During the 1930s the airport was prominent within the aviation industry and many exciting feats and races was seen. Although WWII saw flying virtually cease, in 1955 the airport’s fortunes were revived with the arrival of Channel Airways who offered regular scheduled services. This profitable service thrived until 15 August 1967 when, in heavy rain, two flights crash landed in quick succession, with one coming to rest across the Eastern Road. Although no one was hurt, services were cut, gradually the airport became loss making and it finally closed in 1973.

Excommunication

One of the most disgraceful episodes in Portsmouth’s history occurred in 1450 when Bishop Moleyns of Chichester was sent here to defuse the anger of soldiers and sailors who had not been paid. The mob was made furious by the partial payment he offered and murdered him outside the Domus Dei, an ancient hospital which stood on what is now Governors Green. As a result the Catholic Church inflicted its most severe penalty, Greater Excommunication, which withdrew all ecclesiastical privileges from the Town. This was not lifted until the citizens of Portsmouth built a new chapel as reparation in 1509. No remnants of this building survive today but early maps show it was located near Grand Parade. Although impossible to prove, it has been suggested that Penny Street was named after this and further the penances the townspeople undertook at this time.

The Round Tower

Few leaving Portsmouth Harbour cannot notice the Round Tower which was the first permanent fortification at the entrance. For a long period it was called Master Ridley's Tower after John Ridley, Page of the King's Long Bows, who was apppointed to be Keeper of the Tower in 1536. Construction of the Tower began in 1418 and it appears building continued until 1426.

An Early Car Race

One of the first ever car races was organised in 1900 by the Automobile Club between Whitehall and Portsmouth. Over 140 vehicles took part, including a driver called Charles Rolls, the motoring and aviation pioneer. Crowds thronged to see them arrive and the Mayor gave a huge celebratory banquet at the Esplanade Hotel, Southsea.

A Portsmouth Palace

Richard I returning to Portsmouth after the Crusades realised the strategic potential of the harbour mouth, seized the burgeoning new borough and built a new palace here. The exact location of this building, called Kings Hall, is lost in the midst of time but possible sites include the main building of Portsmouth Grammar School or Governor’s Green. In 1201 King John and Queen Isabella celebrated Whitsuntide in this new building.

Whale Island

So named because its original shape resembled a whale, this island in Portsmouth Harbour was inundated during every spring tide until 1845. At this time, and over the coming decades, convict labour was used to deposit large amounts of mud excavated from the building of a nearby steam basin which increased the island’s size by 125% The Portsmouth Corporation sold the island to the Admiralty in 1861 for £1,000. Winchester College, who then owned a considerable portion of Portsea Island, protested that it was actually in their ownership, and eventually the proceeds were split. The Admiralty developed the area as its chief gunnery school. Today it houses HMS Excellent, the oldest shore training establishment in the Royal Navy and the Headquarters of Commander in Chief, Fleet.

Pesthouse Field

In 1693, prompted by the plague visiting Portsmouth, an isolation hospital was built in one of the communal fields outside the town walls. Henceforth known as Pesthouse Field, in this field the bodies of the many victims were hastily interred. According to William Gates, the graves were so shallow that, ‘they are commonly covered with crows and ravens except when the grave-digger is at work’. This field was situated between Unicorn Road, Commercial Road and the Dockyard wall, an area much in use today.

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.