A visit by Dickens

In 1838 when Charles Dickens was undertaking research for Nicholas Nickleby, he visited Portsmouth. Of this visit, it was said: ‘He succeeded in finding suitable lodging for Vincent Crummles at Balph the pilots, in St Thomas’s Street for Miss Snevellicci at a tailor’s in Lombard Street; while Nickleby and his companion were quartered at a tobacconist’s on the Common Hard, which he describes as a ‘dirty street leading down to the dockyard’. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812 and was a returning visitor throughout his life.

Bawdy Houses

One of the consequences of Portsmouth being a Naval and garrison town has been the preponderance of cases coming before the courts concerning unruliness. As early as 1655 the Justices received a petition from 23 local notables complaining about a Joan Wilkes running a bawdy house on the Point and who was ‘an uncivil and ungodly woman, who curses and swears and is great disturber to her neighbours’.

A statue for a Queen

In 1903, to reflect public sentiment, the Mayor of Portsmouth started a fund to place a statue of Queen Victoria within the town. He quickly raised £1,700, the statue was created by Alfred Drury ARA and was placed with pageantry in Town Hall Square. Rather unusual attendees at this event were sailors from an American Fleet which had arrived the previous day at Spithead. The statue remains today in Guildhall Square although in a slightly different location.

Horse drawn trams

Portsmouth had extensive network of horse drawn trams inaugurated in 1865. These ran until 1903 by which time the whole network had become electrified.

Migration to Canada

In 1868 sweeping cuts were made to the Dockyard workforce in Portsmouth. Great suffering was seen as a result with several hundred families giving up on the town and migrating to Canada. The 1867 Reform Act had empowered Dockyardmen with the vote. The subsequent election in 1868 was used to register the strong local discontent with the ruling Liberal Government who had inflicted such pain, which remain etched on the memory of a whole generation.

Marriage of a King

The eyes of the known world were upon Portsmouth in 1662 when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza. The parish church had been severely damaged in the Civil War, so the ceremony took place in the Governor’s House. The couple did not get off to an auspicious start. The King was detained elsewhere at the time of her arrival and when he eventually arrived, an affronted Catherine had fallen ill with a heavy cold. When comforted with English ale, she reported immediately sent for tea from her Royal Barge, possibly the first tea drunk in England. Samuel Pepys noted the occasion. ‘I followed the crowd of gallants though the Queen’s lodging to the Chapel, the room being all rarely furnished, and escaped hardly being set on the fire yesterday. The mayor, Mr Trimbrill, our anchorsmith, showed me the present they have for the Queen – a salt cellar of silver, the walls of chrystal (sic) with four eagles and for greyhounds standing up at the top to bear the dish.’ In additional to marrying his wife here, Charles also made his mistress, Louise de Queruoille, the Duchess of Portsmouth.

Marc Isambard Brunel

Father of Isambard Kingdom, this extraordinary engineer arrived in England in 1799 having been the Chief Engineer of New York at the age of 28. He brought with him knowledge of how to mechanise block making which the admiralty officials hoped to capitalise upon. It took him ten years to introduce his now famous block-making machines in a factory in Portsmouth Dockyard, but they were to revolutionise the work and remained in operation for over 100 years.

Civic Plate

Portsmouth’s civic plate is of national importance ranked only second to that of Norwich (which unlike Portsmouth had its own silver trade and assay office). The bulk of the collection was gathered during a relatively short period between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. It has had an extraordinary history. This includes surviving several threats of invasion, bombardment during the Civil War and the upheaval of the Restoration, the Glorious Revolution and the devastation of the Blitz. On the night of 10-11 January 1941 over 2,000 fires were seen in the City and the Guildhall was one of the hundreds of buildings completely gutted. In a miraculous occurrence the muniment room concealed in the basement of the Guildhall survived the onslaught. When it was opened following the building burning for several days, all the plate, including the mace, was found undamaged. Although the City Council had to move to a hastily requisitioned hotel elsewhere in the City, the mace was still able to be placed before them for the remainder of the war, a visible symbol of hope and continuity.

Birth of a dockyard

We order you, without delay, by the view of lawful men, to cause our Docks at Portsmouth to be enclosed with a Good and Strong Wall in such manner as our beloved and faithful William, Archdeacon of Taunton will tell you, for the preservation of our Ships and Galleys and likewise to cause penthouses to be made to the same Walls as the same Archdeacon will also tell you, in which all our Ships tackle may be safely kept; and use as much dispatch as you can in order that the same may be completed this summer lest in the ensuing winter our Ships and Galleys and their Rigging should incur any damage by your default; and when we know the cost it shall be accounted to you. An order to enclose an area of Portsmouth Harbour founding the Dockyard by order of King John 20 May 1212.

Kassassin Street

Kassassin Street, Portsmouth is named after two battles that involved the Royal Marine Light Infantry and Royal Marine Artillery at Kassassin, Egypt in 1882.

Callaghan's birthplace

James Callaghan, Prime Minister from 1976-1979, was born in Copnor Portsmouth in 1912. He was made Freeman of the City in 1991 and in 1997 a road on Portsdown Hill was named Lord Callaghan Drive in his honour.

Naval Academy

The Naval Academy in Portsmouth, founded in 1733, was the forerunner of the famous Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. The college provided residential accommodation for 40 students whose fees were comparable to those of Eton. The student numbers were increased by George III who ordered 15 free places reserved for the sons of sea officers. Notable old boys included Jane Austen's brothers, Francis and Charles, who both later became admirals. The building from 1906 became the Royal Naval School of Navigation which after bomb damage in WWII moved to Southwick. It is now the officer's mess. To find out more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_Academy

Elms in Elm Grove

Late in 1902 the fine old elms that had made Elm Grove in Portsmouth a delightful thoroughfare were removed to make way for the erection of business premises. These businesses were often tacked on to the front of the large residential villas existing in the road at this time. Many of these can still be determined today behind the business facades. The nature of this road was changed completely by this act.

A Roman Fort

The oldest building in the Portsmouth area, Portchester Castle standing at the apex of the harbour, remains the only roman fort in Northern Europe whose enclosure stands virtually inviolate and has walls to their original true height. It has, of course, been repaired several times but it retains its almost perfect square shape and 14 of its original 20 bastions. It was built in the third century so has stood proud through its varied uses for the last 1700 years.

Echoes of an airport

Several road names recall the long lost Portsmouth Airport. Airport Service Road recalls its location, Norway Road remembers Neville Shute Norway, a founder of Airspeed Limited which manufactured aircraft from this site, and Dundas Road commemorates R K Dundas Ltd, agents for Airspeed in India.

Life in Milton

‘The roads in the rural district of St Mary’s ward are at all times in a very bad state of condition, and much infested with gypsies and loose cattle. There is a very obnoxious drain that runs through the village of Milton, which last year was the principal cause of the death of six inmates of one house. There are also in this village several private roads…, the ditches of which are filled from the drain of a large cow-house, and the filth of the same is frequently placed on the road, much to the annoyance of the inhabitants. Jonathan Gain, Lumps Villa, Southsea writing to the Report to the General Board of Health on the sewage, drainage and water supply of Portsmouth, 1850.’

Early Police

Portsmouth did not have a fulltime uniformed and waged police force to combat local unruliness until March 1836. Thirty men were employed to be based in three Watch Stations around Portsea Island. Once established however, although commended for their efforts in assisting the public and even saving their lives, the force were not averse to rule breaking themselves, and drunkenness on duty seems to have been rife. Individuals were frequently reprimanded for being the ‘worse for drink’ or socialising in a public house whilst on their beat. One troublesome Portsmouth Constable, Frank Longyear, was reported for ‘being under the influence of drink whilst on special duty at Sandringham House during a ball held there’. This was not his first offence and he was called upon to resign. Minor infractions such as ‘gossiping’ and ‘being found asleep in a shed’ could also lead to admonishment. The Portsmouth Records Office holds a full range of City police archives, including service records with photographs, which can be viewed freely every week day: www.portsmouthrecordsoffice.co.uk

Cleopatra’s Coffin

Cleopatra’s coffin, along with statues and the hand of a figure ‘which is said to be eighty feet high’ was landed in Portsmouth in May 1802 as part of the treasures collected by Lord Elgin.

Gaols

Those who found themselves in gaol in Portsmouth did not have a comfortable existence. The first recorded gaol was the ‘Whitehouse’, a converted private residence located on the High Street next to the Crown Inn. No bedding or straw was provided, only the most basic of rations (debtors received nothing) were given and there was no segregation of the sexes. A purpose built gaol was not erected until 1808. It was situated in Penny Street where it remained until 1878 when the current prison in Kingston was built.

Wartime fundraising

Throughout generations Portsmouth has been paying to fortify the nation. Within living memory, during World War II, fundraising events to support the war effort were regular features of life. Examples include during May 1943, Portsmouth raised £1.2 million during Wings for Victory week which was enough to pay for 100 Spitfire fighters. Even more generously, in March 1942 Portsmouth people gave £1.3 million to pay for the cruiser HMS Sirius.