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