Wednesday 14 October 2009
Portsmouth in the 19th & 20th Century
Portsmouth in the 19th Century...
During the 19th century Porstsmouth began to grow across the whole of Portsea Island, swallowing up the villages of Buckland and Fratton. The expansion of the city saw the creation of further suburbs such as Landport, Stamshaw, Southsea and Somerstown. At the turn of the century Southsea rapidly began expanding eastwards and by the end of the century Somerstown had reached Fawcett Road and Lawrence Road and had spread along Albert Road. The population around 1900 had reached 190’000, around the same as it is today.
There were various transport improvements throughout the 19th century. The town saw its first horse drawn buses around 1840 and a horse drawn tram line in 1867, the railway reached Portsmouth in 1847. Around 1820 a canal was opened that began just outside the town (where Arundel Street is today) and ran down the the south east of Portsdown island. The barges were then towed by steam tugs across Chichester harbour where the canal began again. Unfortunately the canal proved unsuccessful and closed in 1838.
At this point in time Portsmouth was a dirty city and there were smallpox and cholera epidemics that killed several hundred people. In response to this there was a push to try and improve the health and well being of the population with the introduction of the towns first park (Victoria Park) and library, its first hospitals and the introduction of a police force. In the 1840’s the Clarence Esplanade was built by convict labourers and the Clarence Pier opened in 1861, both deriving their names from Portsmouth ex military governer Lord Fitzclarence. It had become clear during the 19th century that public amenities and green spaces were an essential part of solving the health and social problems that the city had previously experienced.
Portsmouth in the 20th Century...
Into the 20th century and Portsmouth was still expanding rapidly, engulfing the villages of Cosham, Copnor, Milton, Drayton and Farlington. Around 1911 the first council houses began being built to cope with the ever increasing population that, by now, had reached 260’000. The sudden growth of housing was also partly due to slum clearance as much of the existing housing in Portsmouth was deemed uninhabitable for humans. Council housing continued to be built throughout the century with mixed results. After bombing wiped out over 10% of homes during World War 2, pre-fabricated housing provided a fast and effective solution to the housing crisis and shortly afterwards council estates began appearing around Portsea Island around areas such as Paulsgrove and Leigh Park. However, in many cases much of the newly erected housing was built to an extremely poor standard and created many other problems. One council estate at Portsdown Park suffered continueous problems with damp and eventually had to be demolished only 17 years after being built.
The horse drawn tram system was replaced with an electric trams at the start of the century, but closed down permanently in 1935/36. 1919 saw the first motor buses running in Portsmouth, signalling the new era where the automobile would become the future focus of travel developments in the town.
The dockyard workforce fluctuated throughout the early part of the centurly, mostly due to two World Wars, but when the dust had settled it was drastically reduced, making up only 14% of manufacturing jobs in the city where it had once been so prominant. Traditional industries such as brewing and corset making were also prospering in the early part of the century, but these faded away as the city council tried to diversify Portsmouth’s industries. In order to lay down the foundations for future development, industrial parks were created and paved the way for expansion into in electricals, electrical engineering and services which are now prominant employers in the town. Portsmouth has also created a thriving tourism industry based around its rich military and maritime history. Attractions such as the historic dockyard, Gunwharf Quays and Spinaker Tower are able to pull in thousands of people a year and have become another major employer.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Monday 12 October 2009
History of Portsmouth - 17th and 18th Century
17th Century...
Following unsuccessful invasion attempts by the French and Spanish and several serious bouts of plague, Portsmouth's role in shipbuilding began to dwindle by the end of the 1500s. Exacerbated by the introduction of several shipyards along the Thames, the expansion of the population of Portsmouth had slowed to a trickle.
For more than a century the docks hade done little more than repair vessels leading to increasing levels of unemployment and yet further outbreaks of plague continued to hamper the expansion of this city.
It was not until the English became involved in the Thirty Year War (during the 1620s and 30s under Charles I) that Portsmouth’s economy began to flourish yet again. Although still not building ships, it became a centre for the repair and rearmament of the ever growing number of vessels returning from war in Europe.
During the 1640s England became embroiled in a civil war, which Portsmouth needless to say had its fair share of involvement in. However whilst this played out, England had become obsolete to other European naval powers. Upon the wars resolution, Portsmouth was swiftly put to the task of building its first ship in over 100 years. 11 more followed in the next ten years, during which time the population grew to an estimated 3000 by 1660.
In 1663 the dockyards began to expand and develop to the north of the town but following an outbreak of war with the Dutch and the newly crowned Charles II, for the next 20 or so years, emphasis was placed back upon fortifying the town. Part of this was the general overhaul of the perimeter defences, replacing earthworks with far sturdier Stone wall constructions.
By the end of the 17th century Portsmouth was recognised as one of the most heavily fortified towns in Europe.
Moving into the 18th century it was soon to take on a key role in the development of the Royal Navy and thus lead to its rapid expansion, forcing the town to readjust its focus on the fledgling suburb of Portsea as it quickly out grew what is now known as Old Portsmouth.
18th Century...
By 1700, the walled town of Portsmouth had just about reached a situation of chronic overcrowding, with a population somewhere between 3,500 and 4,000. Fed by British endeavours overseas, Portsmouth’s docks and naval yards had seen a surge in trade and employment. A sudden requirement led people to begin building houses to the north of the town, on an area of land then known as Portsmouth Common.
Over the following years Portsmouth began to spread its fingers outside the old city walls. With the opening of Portsmouth Grammar School in 1932 and St Georges church in 1754, amenities where starting to appear to serve those who chose to live outside the confines of the old town. In 1764 the Improvement Commissioners were appointed. Their role was to ensure the installation and maintenance of paved streets to the new suburb.
Buy the end of the century the city had extended its walls to encompass this rapidly expanding town. It’s estimated that by now, Portsea’s population had reached a huge 25,000. This somewhat dwarfs the 1000 strong increase in population experienced by the old town during the same 100 years. Neither of which should be deemed small increments by any standards
By the end of the century, the dockyard, together with the victualling and armament yards that grew up, both on the Portsmouth side of the harbour and across the water in Gosport, formed the largest industrial complex anywhere in the world at that time
Also worthy of note during the 1700s would be the erection of Fort Cumberland at Langstone Harbour. Battlements designed to defend the entrance to the harbour; it underwent several redesigns over the course of 60 years. It finally reached completion in 1812.
As the eighteenth century drew to a close, the Napoleonic Wars were in full swing and the Royal Navy was kept at full stretch, protecting merchant shipping and the home shores - consequently, Portsmouth was also at full stretch in its role as provider and repairer and as a main base for re-supplying the Channel Fleet. Over the coming years (the beginning of the 19th century), further expansion of the population would now call for development on the so far relatively untouched area of Portsmouth known as Southsea Common. This would eventually become the suburbs of Southsea, Somerstown and Milton.
ER
Sunday 11 October 2009
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