Author: Martin

Zodiac

Zodiac The Eastern Docks foundation stone was laid on the 12th October 1838. A column, just inside No8 Gate, was unveiled by the Chair of the Southern Railway Company to mark the centenary in 1938. A large bronze globe at its top has the signs of the zodiac around the Equator.

Yacht Clubs

Yacht Clubs Southampton Yacht Club was formed in 1839, it soon attracted Royal patronage and added the Royal to its name. The headquarters at the bottom of Bugle Street were built in 1846. Its Commodore in 1858 was the Earl of Cardigan of Crimean War fame. The building was once used by Southampton University but today is empty.

X Marks the spot – outside Holyrood

X Marks the spot – outside Holyrood Outside Holyrood Church is a brass cross embedded in the pavement.There are two stories connected to this. The first is that it marks the spot where King Philip of Spain knelt down to pray and thank God that he survived the sea crossing from Spain on his way to marry Queen Mary in Winchester Cathedral in 1554. On 15th October 1862 the Hartley Institute, the forerunner of the University of Southampton, was opened in the High Street by the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston. Large crowds lined the street. Some of students climbed up onto the tower and spire of the Holyrood Church to get a better view and dislodged a spherical stone ornament which crashed down into the crowded street below. Luckily, the stone did not hit any of the spectators. Thus, the second story is that the stone landed on the same spot where the King had knelt over 300 years before. Following this miracle, the Mayor, Sir Frederick Perkins, had a brass cross put into the pavement to mark the event.

Warrior War Horse

Warrior War Horse Horses returning from WW1 were sold off. In 1919 Hilda Moore contacted the Mayor, Sidney Kimber, offering to buy a horse for the town. A chosen horse, a large white gelding, was handed over to the local Police. It had been in France since 1914, took part in many actions, and had a battle scar. It was named Warrior War Horse and was popular in the town till its death in 1935. Kimber stepped in to prevent it being taken to the knacker’s yard and found a grave site for it at the newly opened Municipal Golf Course where it remains with a memorial stone telling Warrior’s story.

Watergate

Watergate The Watergate was built by 1377, after the French Raid of 1338, to strengthen Southampton’s southern defences. It was equivalent to the Bargate. In 1403 it was leased to William Revanstone, an ex Mayor, on condition he repaired the tower and gate. His rent was nominal – one red rose payable on 24th June, St.John the Baptist day. William Soper, Clerk of the King’s Ships, leased it on the same conditions. In the part of the tower that still remains there is a four tier garderobe (toilet). In 1609 the Royal Coat of Arms was put above the gate. It was at an angle across the road with two towers. For many years the Sun Inn was on the site of the east tower. In 1804 the Burgesses ordered the gate to be pulled down and the stone was sold for 10 shillings.

Water Supply

Water Supply A group of Franciscan Friars arrived in Southampton in 1229. They believed in working with the poor and those in need and set up a Friary near where the Gloucester Square car park, off the lower end of the High Street, now stands. They needed a fresh water supply and were given a spring on land owned by Nicholas, Lord of the Manor of Shirley. The water was piped to a Waterhouse (opposite the Mayflower Theatre) then via lead pipes to the Friary. The Franciscans allowed the town people to share the water from a tap outside the Friary wall. Responsibility for the water supply was taken over by the town around 1420 making Southampton one of the first towns to have a municipal water supply.

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts was born in Southampton to a non-conformist family in 1674. His mother was Sarah Taunton the daughter of a Huguenot family and Isaac was the cousin of Richard Taunton who founded a school in Southampton. The site of the house is remembered in a plaque at the rear of the Primark store. The family moved to 41, French Street and his father ran a boarding school. As a non-conformist the elder Watts had been imprisoned. Isaac was seen as such a talented young man that some locals included Dr John Speed offered to pay his University fees but non conformists were not allowed to attend. He was therefore educated at a non-conformist college in Stoke Newington, North London. He had poor health but embarked on a preaching career in 1698. Apart from preaching, writing books on logic and poetry he is best remembered today as a prolific hymn writer. He wrote over 500 hymns and many will be found in Hymns Ancient and Modern and the Methodist Hymn Book. ‘Oh God our Help in Ages Past’ is still played from the Civic Centre clock tower three times each day. One of his favourite hymns was “There is a place of Pure Delight” the inspiration for which came from the view that he would enjoy looking across the river Test to the new Forest from the town walls. His school was King Edward VI and a house is still named after him. The statue to him in Watts (West) Park was unveiled on his birthday 17th July by the Earl of Shaftesbury in 1861

The Weigh House

The Weigh House The Weigh House was built in French Street in the middle of the 1200s. The Weigh House once housed a valuable piece of equipment, which was the town’s weigh beam, also known as the Tron. It had a very important function when trading in Southampton was at its peak. It was used to weigh wool and other goods before sale, so that the taxes on these could be accurately calculated – apparently, however, not always exactly accurate! The taxes were due to the Earl of Warwick. During the French Raid in 1338 it is said the Weigh Beam and the weights were stolen. It certainly went missing and it took many years before it could be replaced. The building was also looted then and had to be rebuilt. After 1927 it was acquired, along with adjoining slum dwellings, for the extension of St. John’s school and in 1936 was restored to be used as the school hall. During WW2 it was bombed and burned out. Only the outer shell remains today. However, this has survived to become a key element of the story of Southampton and the Wool Trade.

The Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington The Duke of Wellington pub in Bugle Street is built on 12th century vaults. Benedict Ace, one of Southampton’s first recorded Mayors in 1237, was an early owner. It was damaged in the French Raid of 1338. A timber frame building was erected in the late 1400s when it probably became an inn. It was once known as the Bere House, then the Shipwright’s Arms and later renamed in honour of Wellington’s victory over Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. It was badly damaged by WW2 bombing and the rebuild was not completed until 1963. It is noted today for its summer hanging basket display.

Workhouse

Workhouse Southampton’s first workhouse was “a house of twelve rooms for the habitation of poor people” built following a bequest in 1629 from a man by the name of John Major. This poor house was eventually transferred to a site in French Street which later became the location of St John’s Hospital. It is marked as 19 on P. Mazell’s map of Southampton from 1771. Today this is the site of a block of flats, having also been the site of a Georgian Theatre. In 1753 a common workhouse was set up at Bull or Bugle Hall which had at one time been the home of the Earl of Southampton, which is shown as 18 on Mazell’s map. In 1771 a proposal united all of the town’s parishes to form a poor law incorporation and in 1776 it was decided to build a new workhouse to the north of St Mary’s Churchyard. This new workhouse, despite having the capacity for 220 inmates, soon became over crowded. It was reported that inmates slept four to a bed and that there was no segregation of the sexes. In 1845 it was suggested that a new workhouse was to be built on the common and in 1863 it was suggested that Archer’s Lodge be purchased for this purpose, see illustration and Tallis’s map of 1851.Neither proposal was carried through and in 1865 it was decided to build a new workhouse on the land next to the existing poorhouse by St Mary’s Church. A competition for a suitable design was held and the foundation of the new workhouse was laid in 1866. Just over two years later the workhouse was opened to a mixed reception from the town’s ratepayers. Opposite the workhouse located in two converted houses were school’s for the boys and girls from the workhouse. The size and location of the workhouse can be clearly seen from Bacon’s map of 1890. By 1940 the workhouse was taken over for use as an emergency food centre and following the 1944 Education Act it became the home of Southampton Technical College. Today it houses part of Southampton City College.

Wool House

The Wool House In the Middle Ages Southampton was already a busy international trading port. The Wool House was probably built in the late 13th century. According to some sources, the Wool House was built by the orders of the monks at Beaulieu for use as a secure wool store. It is also said the building and financing of the Wool House was enabled by Thomas Middleton, a prominent and wealthy merchant and mayor of Southampton. He also built a large crane next to it to lift heavy cargo. The Wool House was ideally located right on the quayside so the wool could be easily loaded onto the ships. Wool from all over England was transported to Southampton for shipment t to Flanders and Italy. During the 16th century the export of wool and hides declined and finished cloth made by Huguenot weavers became more popular. Eventually the Wool House became a store for Alum, an anti-bacterial agent that was used as a fixative in dying fabric. It was also used in the process of tanning hides. The Wool House was also used as prison for captives from the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century. The names Francois Dries and Thomas Lasis and the date 1711 are engraved into a stone window surround on the upper floor. There are also other names carved into the wooden beams. Later in the 18th century and early 19th century French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars were held captive in the Wool House. Some of them carved their names into the beams of the roof. Some also spent their time carving model ships out of bleached meat bone and making the rigging out of their own hair. These magnificent works of art are also known as scrimshaws. During the 1850s the building was used as a warehouse by John Bennett, a corn and seed merchant, who was a commission agent for the Hanoverian and Hanseatic Consul. Around 1904 it was occupied by the Carron Company who were manufacturers for warship cannons but also produced household equipment by then. From around 1908 to the mid1920s, the Wool House was turned into a workshop for a Marine Engineering Company owned by Edwin Moon senior. His son Edwin Rowland Moon, an aviation pioneer who served in the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force during the First World War, built his famous monoplane, the Moonbeam in the Wool House. From 1925 the Wool House was used as a warehouse by several hauling companies and the Itchen Transport Company. In the early 1960s the building was restored by Southampton City Corporation and adapted to house the Southampton Maritime Museum, which opened in June 1966 and moved to the new SeaCity Museum in 2012. The Wool House is a Grade I listed building. After extensive renovation and refurbishment it is now the home of the “Dancing Man Brewery”, which opened as a brew house and pub in February 2015.

Walter Taylor

Walter Taylor Southampton’s Walter Taylor (1734–1803) famously supplied wooden rigging blocks to the Royal Navy, greatly improving their quality via a series of technological innovations. His work has been noted as a significant step forward in the Industrial Revolution, and as a major aid in Nelson’s sea victories during the Napoleonic Wars. Taylor had served as an apprentice to a block maker in Southampton from the age of 19. His father (also named Walter) had previously served at sea and had observed the problems caused by traditional hand-carved blocks, which would often jam during the heat of battle. On acquiring the blockmaking business based close to the Westgate in Southampton (and where a plaque now remembers the site), Taylor and his father developed machinery to mass-produce rigging blocks to an exact standard – he also offered a ‘guarantee’ to replace any that failed. One of Taylor’s inventions important in the block-making process was the circular saw – so much noise was made that locals thought Taylor might be in league with the devil, torturing poor souls. Taylor eventually outgrew the Westgate site, and in 1781 moved to Woodmill, Swaythling, Southampton where there was a better supply of water and room to power some of the equipment by steam engines. Taylor was sole supplier of blocks to the Royal Navy from 1759, supplying some 100,000 blocks a year until his death in 1803, whereupon he was interred at South Stoneham Church. His business was succeeded by the more advanced machinery being developed by competitor Marc Isambard Brunel.

William Soper

William Soper William Soper was born in c 1390 and is most famous for his role in overseeing the build up of the English Navy in Southampton during the Hundred Years War conflict with France. Using Watergate Quay, and the nearby ‘Canute’s Palace’ as a storehouse, Soper first rebuilt a Spanish ship in 1414 – the Santa Clara – and named it the Holy Ghost. He was commissioned to build a number of vessels by Henry V, including the Grace Dieu, begun in 1416 and launched two years later – at 1400 tons, the largest ship to have been built in England at that time. After completion Soper’s ships were moored in the Hamble River, which provided a safe anchorage. It was here that the Grace Dieu was struck by lightning in 1439 and destroyed by fire. Soper had other skills, notably as a diplomat and politician. He visited London for the parliament of 1413 and was elected to the House of Commons eleven times. He was also Mayor of Southampton on two occasions. Following the death of Henry V in France in 1422 Soper was paid to bring back his body, and was later involved with escorting Henry VI’s bride-to-be Margaret of Anjou across the channel prior to their wedding at Titchfield Abbey. The role of Keeper of the Kings Ships was held until 1442, though the fleet itself had declined following the death of Henry V. Soper then took up an appointment as a New Forest Verderer, looking after the Royal Hunting Grounds. William Soper died c 1459.

William Cantelo

William Cantelo Back to A-Z index A real Victorian mystery! William Cantelo (born 1839) was from a family of Isle of Wight gunsmiths. He had a Northam engineering yard of 40 people. He also had a French Street shop, the Old Tower Inn pub by Arundel Tower and was a good musician, holding band practices in the Tower. The pub had an underground passage and behind locked doors Cantelo worked on his inventions. Locals would hear the noise of guns he was making in secrecy. One day he said he was off for a three month holiday, he left his wife and three children and disappeared – saying he was off to Europe! They later found he had taken a large amount of money. Then news broke that an American man had developed a machine gun in London. This inventor was Hiram Maxim and when the Cantelo family saw a picture they were convinced this person was in fact their lost father. Two sons went to London and they thought they had sighted him (Maxim) at Waterloo station and even spoke to the man. The sons visited Maxim’s home in Bexley, Kent only to see him leave by a rear entrance. The real Maxim (1840-1916) came to England in 1881, naturalised in 1900 and became a Knight in 1901. The Maxim gun was the world’s first fully automatic machine gun and made him a fortune. He also invented the humble mousetrap! Maxim’s son wrote a biography of his father, ‘A Genius in the Family’, which was made into a 1946 Hollywood biopic film. Was it mistaken identity? Or were Cantelo and Maxim one and the same? In a strange twist the real Cantelo was fond of quoting witty maxims and carried a book of them around with him!

Vikings

Vikings Viking raids on Southampton during the 8th and 9th centuries disrupted trade with the continent and partly led contributed to the re-organization of the wider Kingdom of Wessex. Important industries that were previously well established in Hamwic but were susceptible to sea-borne invaders were withdrawn further inland to Winchester, whilst a new walled settlement was constructed to the west, named Hamtun. In 994 a united force of Vikings under Olaf and Danes under Sweyn arrived in Southampton.It is said that Olaf camped on the eastern bank of the Itchen in an area that became Olaf’s Town and later Woolston. The Saxons paid the Vikings to leave which they did. However, Sweyn returned many times demanding monies and sacking the town. There are many place names in Southampton associated with the Viking King Canute the Great (1016-1035), who was Sweyn’s son. He defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready in 1014. In 1016 Canute met the Witan (Parliament) of Saxon England in Southampton and was crowned King of England in Southampton. It was also at Southampton that his alleged command to halt the waves is said to have taken place – though this incident was simply Canute reproving his courtiers, showing them that even the King was answerable to God. Look out in Southampton for Canute Road, the Old Canute Hotel and Canute Chambers – home in 1912 to the White Star Line, and where relatives of the Titanic’s crewmen gathered to hear news of their loved ones following its tragic sinking.

Voltaire

Voltaire As a young man the French writer François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was imprisoned in the Bastille in Paris. He thought he would never escape, so he persuaded the French officials that if released he would go into exile in England. This was agreed and for nearly three years from 1726 he lived in England. What a lot of people don’t know is that during this time Voltaire was a frequent visitor to Bevois Mount in Southampton because he had been commissioned by Lord Peterborough to write a substantial work for which he had been given large sums of money as advances for his publisher. One day, the publisher appeared at Bevois Mount and expressed concern to Lord Peterborough regarding the very small sum of money he had received having been told by Voltaire that he could not prevail on his lordship for more than ten pounds. It became clear that Voltaire had pocketed a great deal of money and on being confronted by Lord Peterborough he took flight hiding in Southampton before making his way to London. He was in such a hurry to escape Lord Peterborough’s wrath that he left behind his portmanteau, papers and other belongings. Later in life Voltaire inherited great wealth but always remained a controversial writer and individual.

Undercroft

Undercroft Southampton has many medieval undercroft or wine vaults. Estimates vary from 48 up to 60. One fine example that is accessible on See Southampton Guided Walks is 94, High Street. It is a beautiful barrel vault constructed about 1320.It may have once been a shop. Along with others this vault was used as an air raid shelter in WW2.A bomb fell almost on top of it but there was no significant damage.

Tides

Tides Southampton has a famous “double tide” with each tide rising for up to 7 hours, followed by an ebb tide of less than 4 hours. This provides Southampton with up to 17 hours of rising water every day, which is ideal for the shipping industry. A “young flood stand” of some two hours occurs when the tide rises at mean tide level, with high water being maintained for a considerable period. Fortuitously for Southampton, it has two tidal waves which reach the shore after being channelled east through the Needles and west through Spithead. In addition, the central location of Southampton on the south coast gives it a lower mean tidal range than other ports such as Bristol or Lowestoft. The “double tide” has been put to good use throughout Southampton’s history. Southampton Castle built its “garderobes” or latrines in the 14th century on the west shore, so waste could be swept away by the tide (with a second tide giving the garderobes a nice flush!). During the Second World War Southampton was Britain’s Number One Military Port, and the long hours of high water meant that more troops could board vessels over a shorter period of time than at other ports, which was of particular importance during the D-Day landings (more than 53,000 men and 7000 vehicles were to leave Southampton on D-Day).

Tudor House

Tudor House This is one of Southampton’s major museums. Built on the site of medieval vaults, the main structure dates from 1510-18. It was developed by Sir John Dawtry who was M.P. for Southampton in 1495 and Sheriff of Hampshire in 1516. Richard Lyster, Lord Chief Justice of England 1546-1552 lived here. The Gardens contain a canon given to the town in 1543. There is also an arch from St. Denys Priory and a plaque to the Italian nationalist Garibaldi who visited Southampton in 1864.

Matt Le Tissier

Matt Le Tissier Matt Le Tissier was born in Guernsey in 1968 and played his entire professional career for Southampton FC. He was and still is a fans’ favourite. He scored 164 goals in 443 games and made 8 England appearances. He scored 47 out of 48 penalty kicks. He scored the last goal in the final competitive match played at The Dell on 19 May 2001, against Arsenal. This turned out to be his last goal for Southampton.

Titanic

RMS Titanic RMS Titanic and her ill-fated maiden voyage have captured the imagination of people all around the world. Titanic was operated by the White Star Line and was built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. She measured 269 m (about 882 feet) in length, with a beam of 28 m (92 feet) and a height of 53.3 m (175 feet) from her keel to the top of her funnels. One of her four funnels served a purely aesthetic purpose, since four funnels were considered more pleasing to the eye than three. She had 16 solid and 4 foldable lifeboats on board, which could have saved 1178 lives. That was only enough for about 1/3 of the people on board. However, this was still within the legal requirements of the time. In 1912 Titanic was the largest and most luxurious passenger ship in the World and was said to be unsinkable. Times were hard in 1912 in Southampton. The National Coal Strike meant that thousands of men were without work that April. Many families were dependent on charity handouts and had been forced to go to the pawn shop to get food. Many ships were unable to sail because of a shortage of coal. Only the White Star line was recruiting crew for a return voyage to New York on board their new luxury liner. They had been able to gather sufficient coal from other vessels and suppliers. So Southampton people happily signed on to the “unsinkable” Titanic. A small number of the crew were permanent employees of the White Star Line, but the majority were contracted (signed on) for one voyage at a time. Some had never even worked on a ship before. There were plumbers, firemen, engineers, waiters, maids etc. Stokers, firemen, trimmers and greasers, who did the heavy manual and dirty jobs came from the poorer areas of the town such as Chapel and Northam while the waiters, stewards and the clerks came from slightly more affluent areas further out from the town centre. Titanic’s arrival also meant a boom for local firms, as for example Oatley and Watling supplied fresh fruit and vegetables and FG Bealing’s nursery at Highfield provided 400 plants for the ship and buttonhole flowers for every first-class passenger. Titanic pulled away from the White Star dock in Southampton at the start of her maiden voyage on the10th April 1912. She struck an iceberg five days into the crossing at 11.40pm and sank at 2.20am on the 15th April, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The tragedy made headlines across the world and had a devastating effect on the people of Southampton. Out of the total of 897 crew members, 715 men and women had their home address in Southampton and only 175 returned home alive. More than 500 families not only lost a loved one but often also their only source of income. The widows of non-salaried crew received no formal compensation from the hugely profitable White Star Line. In Southampton Titanic relief funds were organized for the families of lost crew members, raising nearly £450,000 (around £20,000,000 in today’s money). However, even though the financial consequences could be dealt with, the emotional scars ran deeper. A whole generation of men had been lost. Widows had to cope without their husbands, children had to grow up without their fathers and many survivors struggled to come to terms with the fact they had lived while many others had perished.

Star Hotel

The Star Hotel The Star Hotel is built on medieval foundations and was used as an Inn by the 1600’s. The present facade dates from the late 1700’s and due refurbishment in 2015. The Star was a popular coaching Inn with regular services reaching London in 10 hours. In 1831 the future Queen Victoria stayed there with her mother.

Stella Memorial

Stella Memorial The Stella Memorial was erected at the Western Esplanade in 1901 in memory of Mary Anne Rogers. She was a senior stewardess who selflessly gave her life in the sinking of the passenger steamship “Stella” on Maundy Thursday, 30th March 1899. The Memorial, known as the Stella Memorial, is built from Portland stone and was paid for by public subscription. The Stella was owned by London & South West Railway, the train company that ran a service from London Waterloo to the Channel Islands via Southampton. They were in competition with the Great Western Railway, which ran a service from Paddington to the Channel Islands via Weymouth. The Channel Islands’ ports, St Peter Port and St Helier, were only large enough to berth one ship at a time, so that the rival companies often raced to get into harbour first. On Maundy Thursday 1899, both companies advertised a special steamer service arriving in Guernsey at 5:30pm. Thus, the race was on! The Stella left Southampton (10 minutes late) in clear weather with 147 passengers and 43 crew but ran into heavy fog about two hours later. As he did not want to arrive second, Captain Reeks maintained full speed. Shortly before 16:00, the fog signal from the Casquets Lighthouse was heard and the rocks came into view directly ahead. Although the captain ordered the engines full astern and attempted to turn away from the rocks, Stella scraped along two rocks, and then her bottom was ripped open by a submerged granite reef. The Stella sank within 8 minutes. 86 passengers died, along with 19 crew. Mary Anne Rogers was the senior stewardess aboard. She distributed lifebelts to the women and children and guided them into the boats. She even gave up her own lifebelt to a young girl who had lost her mother in the confusion. She refused to get into one of the overcrowded lifeboats, because she feared it might capsize and stayed on board. As the ship went down, her reported last words were, ‘Lord, have me.’ Her body was never found. Following the disaster the two steamship companies finally agreed to run services on alternate days so that there would be no more racing. In 1973 the wreck of Stella was discovered by two Channel Islands divers south of the Casquets.

Stoneham Church (one hand clock)

Stoneham Church (one hand clock) Stoneham Church (one hand clock) is just outside the city boundary. It is dedicated to St. Nicholas the Patron Saint of seamen and is famous for its unusual one hand clock. This reminds us that time was once only measured in hours and it dates from the 1400’s. The church stands on the eastern edge of the once great Stoneham Estate which was first mentioned in 855. On the dissolution of the monasteries (Henry VIII) the land was given to the Earls of Southampton. They sold it to Sir Thomas Fleming in the late 1500’s. He was Solicitor General during the reign of Elizabeth I and in 1607 became Lord Chief Justice of England. On his death in 1613 he was buried in the church. Later Flemings supported Cromwell and in the 1700’s became M.P. for Southampton. The Fleming shield with its owls can be seen on the Bargate. The Flemings moved to Chilworth Manor around 1900.

South Western Hotel

South Western Hotel The railway arrived in 1840 and the South Western Hotel (now flats) soon followed. Designed with a strong French influence it was originally named the Imperial when opened in 1867. Many of the rich passengers of the Titanic stayed there. In fact that ship’s staircase is said to be a copy of the one in the hotel. In 1942 it became the HQ for Military Movement Control. Post war it became South Western House being used by the BBC and Cunard.

St Mary’s Church

St Mary’s Church Southampton’s Mother church, St Mary’s (the original dating from 634 AD) is situated outside the later Norman town, in the earlier Saxon settlement of Hamwih. The present church is the sixth on the site. In the 1550’s the rubble of St. Mary’s was being used to mend roads as most people had long since moved to the Norman town. Victorian expansion led to a new church being built in 1878 with Edward, Prince of Wales laying the foundation stone. This was destroyed by bombing on the night of 30th November 1940 and the current building dates from 1956. The church bells are said to have inspired the famous song “The Bells of St. Mary’s” as sung by Bing Crosby in the 1945 film of that name. The song even appears in an episode of Monty Python. In a skit called “Musical Mice”, Terry Jones claims to have trained mice to squeal at the specific pitches necessary to play the song!

South Western House

South Western House The railway arrived in Southampton in 1840 and work began on the construction of the South Western House Hotel in 1865. Designed with a strong French influence it was originally named the Imperial when it opened in 1867. Many of the rich passengers travelling first class on the Titanic stayed there. In fact the Titanic’s main staircase is said to have been a copy of the one in the hotel. In 1942 it became the HQ for Military Movement Control in readiness for the Normandy landings. Many navy personnel were based there and it was known as the stone frigate HMS Shrapnel. A stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. Many Wrens were billeted there and one in particular was Rozelle Raynes who wrote “Maid Matelot” in which she recalls her wartime memories of Southampton and the infestation of the hotel by cockroaches. Post war it became South Western House being used by the BBC for local radio and television production. The shipping line Cunard was also located in the hotel. With the opening of the new BBC buildings in Haverlock Road in Southampton the hotel was converted into luxury flats some of which have wonderful panoramic views of the docks. The former Wedgewood Ballroom of the hotel has been converted into a bar, bistro and restaurant named the Grand Café. This wonderful building was once Southampton’s grandest hotel and is steeped in history. It is now a Grade II listed building.

Southampton Castle

Southampton Castle Back to A-Z index Only very little remains visible of the once splendid Southampton Castle today. It was first constructed in the late 11th century after the Norman conquest of England on rising ground in the north-west corner of the town, overlooking the mouth of the River Test. It was constructed as a Norman style motte and bailey castle, which consisted of a wooden keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. The palisade was replaced by a stone curtain wall around the first half of the 12th century. Following the threat of French invasion in the 1170s, King Henry II took steps to improve the condition of the castle and in 1187 the wooden keep was converted into a stone shell-keep. The castle played quite an important role in the wine trade, and castle vault was built to store the king’s wine, just beneath the keep right at the quayside. From there it was distributed to the other royal residences. Many of Southampton’s citizens were wealthy merchants and one of them, Gervase le Riche, paid a lot of King Richard I’s ransom after his Crusades. In 1194 Richard the Lionheart spent his only Christmas in England as king at Southampton Castle. During the early 1200s King John increased spending on the castle and the castle was by then completely built in stone. Also during the 13th century, the former castle hall was turned into a subterranean vault. After the French raid in 1338 the strengthening of the town’s defences and completion of the town walls was ordered by Edward III but little work appears to have been done to improve the castle itself. In 1370 the French made a successful attack on Portsmouth, commencing a new sequence of raids along the English coast. First Edward III and then Richard II responded with a new building programme of castles including repairs at Southampton, as the castle was in a poor condition, partly due to the theft of building materials, including stone and lead, by the citizens of the town. Southampton Castle was equipped with its first cannon in 1382, making it one of the first in England to be equipped with such a new weapon. The castle declined again in the 16th century and Queen Elizabeth I was the last monarch to visit it. Apparently she stated it was the worst castle she had ever stayed in. The castle was sold off to property speculators by James I in 1618. In 1804, the ruin was bought by the Marquis of Lansdowne, who used the stone to build a gothic mansion on the site. This was demolished around 1818 and by 1902 the site was flattened by commercial developers. A block of flats now stands on the area. Today only part of the outer bailey wall survives and along the outer wall by the sea there is CastleVault, Castle Watergate as well as the remains of Castle Hall and the Garderobe (latrine tower).

Railway Terminus Station

Railway Terminus Station Stagecoach travel was very popular in the early 19th century. However, it slowly declined with the coming of railways. The London and South Western Railway arrived with the line reaching the newly opened Terminus Station in 1840. It was designed by Sir William Tite and was busy with the Atlantic passenger trade. In 1847 engine sheds and a turntable were built. The large South Western Hotel (then Imperial Hotel) was added and the line was extended into the docks to allow boat trains to terminate on the quayside. Notably many passengers about to depart on the ill fated Titanic in 1912 would have arrived here and spent their last night in the adjacent South Western Hotel. However, by the 1960’s, largely due to modern aircraft travel, this trade had declined and the Railway Terminus Station closed in 1966. The former Terminus station building is now a casino. The platforms have been removed and all that remains is the huge glass canopy. Southampton Central is now the main railway station in Southampton.

The Red Lion

The Red Lion The Red Lion pub started life as a medieval merchant’s house and still retains its 14th century vaults. The central area is a 15th century open hall called Henry V’s Court Room. In his play, Shakespeare sets the 1415 trial of the conspirators against Henry V here but it is more likely to have taken place in Southampton Castle.

Romans

Romans In A.D. 43 the Emperor Claudius set out to conquer Britain. A legion commanded by Vespasian moved west from Kent and soon the port of Clausentum was established. Some scant remains can still be found in the Bitterne Manor area. Traces of Roman roads to Winchester and Chichester have been discovered as has an altar stone to Ancastra, a local God. After the Romans left in A.D. 410 the Saxons arrived and set up the settlement of Hamwih on the other side of the River Itchen.

Rosas

Rosas General Rosas was born in Buenos Aires in 1793. In 1810 independence was declared from Spanish rule and the name Argentina was first used in 1826. Rosas was Governor of Buenos Aires from 1829-31 and again in 1835.Whoever controlled the capital in effect controlled the nation. He offered to renounce all claims to the Falkland Isles if Britain released Argentina from its debts but we refused. Rosas was a ruthless dictator but in 1852 he was defeated by forces opposed to his rule. He was smuggled out on a British ship and arrived in Southampton where he remained until his death in 1877. For many years he lay in Southampton Old Cemetery on the Common. His body was eventually repatriated.

RMS Carpathia

RMS Carpathia Back to A-Z index The RMS Carpathia was a steamship built in Newcastle upon Tyne by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson. She made her maiden voyage from Liverpool in 1903 and ran the Cunard service from New York to a number of the Mediterranean ports. The Carpathia was sailing from New York on the night of 14 April 1912 under Captain Arthur Rostron when he was woken by his telegraph operator Harold Cottam. Cottam had earlier been on the bridge but on returning to the wireless room had received a message from Newfoundland to say that there were private messages for the Titanic. He helpfully contacted the Titanic at 12.11 am and received in reply a distress signal. Captain Rostron closed down all services that used steam from the boilers and under maximum speed and at some considerable risk set out to assist the Titanic at her last known location some 58 miles away. The Carpathia reached the Titanic four hours later. Rostron ensured that the journey time was not wasted by putting in readiness every possible arrangement to assist the Titanic’s passengers and crew the moment they came aboard. After working her way through hazardous ice fields the Carpathia reached the location of the Titanic’s sinking at 4 am and took aboard from lifeboats 706 people of whom one was to die shortly afterwards. The last person to come aboard the Carpathia was the Titanic’s 2nd Officer Charles Lightholler. For their valiant effort the crew of the Carpathia were awarded silver medals by the thankful survivors who presented Rostron with a cup and gold medal. King George V gave him a knighthood and USA President Taft presented him with the Congressional Gold Medal. Rostron retired from sea life in 1931 and recalled his life story in “Home From The Sea” which was published by Macmillan the same year and is a rare and highly collectable book. Rostron’s home was at Chalk Hill, West End, Southampton, a house built on land owned by Herbert Collins and built in the Collin’s familiar style. It is said that the rear of the house was designed to remind Rostron of a ship’s bridge. Whilst visiting his daughter in November 1940 Rostron developed pneumonia and died. His funeral took place at West End Parish Church where his body is interred in the churchyard.

Quaker Cemetery

Quaker Cemetery Back to A-Z index The Society of Friends was formed by George Fox circa 1647. At meetings participants were often said to quake with emotion before the Lord. They came to Southampton by 1655 and in 1662 Fox visited the town to support 22 imprisoned Quakers. He came again in 1668 and 1680 when a Quaker was still being held in the Bargate prison. The Quaker Burial ground, at that time well outside of the town, dates from 1662 and is at the corner of Brighton Road and the Avenue. Interestingly, all the headstones are of the same height (very low) since in the Quaker religion no individual is seen to be greater than another in life or death.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria As a young Princess, Victoria stayed at the Star Inn in 1831.On 8th July 1833 she formally opened the Royal Pier, accompanied by her mother, the Duchess of Kent. Queen Victoria loved the south coast, especially after her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. Five years later they started to build (1845-1851) Osborne House on the Isle of Wight as their summer retreat. In 1843 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived at the Terminus Station to go on a marine excursion on the Royal Yacht “Victoria and Albert”. Although the rain was descending in drizzling showers of sleet and the wind was blowing cold and comfortless, thousands of people were assembled to see the Royal couple proceed up the High Street in the Royal carriage to the Bargate, where they were met by the mayor. The High Street was decorated with flags, banners, and pennons. The whole procession then proceeded from the Bargate to the pier. All the vessels in Southampton water were dressed in their colours. For some reason the Royal Yacht had not been brought close to the pier, so that Victoria had to step on to her barge. To get her there dry-footed, the mayor and aldermen took off their official robes (being scarlet) to make a pathway for the Queen. Apparently Her Majesty was delighted! When the Crimean War came to an end she ordered a military hospital to be built in the UK. Its purpose was to train army nurses and doctors and to treat military patients to ensure their swift return to duty. Netley was chosen as the site because it was near to Southampton so that hospital ships from around the British Empire could safely dock and disembark patients. The foundation stone, a two ton Welsh granite stone, was laid by Queen Victoria on May 19 in 1856. The monarch Victoria arrived at Royal Victoria Hospital Netley by Royal Yacht. The Jetty by the hospital was specially built for her visit and a scarlet carpet covered the walkway. This occasion was marked by the firing of a Royal Salute. Unfortunately one gun fired prematurely and two sailors were killed. The laying of the foundation stone ceremony still went ahead. Beneath the stone a copper casket containing the plans of the hospital, the first Victoria Cross, a silver Crimea medal with all four campaign bars and a set of British coins. On 26th July 1890 Queen Victoria arrived on the Royal Yacht Alberta, originally built as a tender to the larger royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert II, to open the Empress Dock. The only way the then financially troubled dock company could afford to build the new dock, was to enter into an arrangement with the London & South Western Railway Company. It is rumoured that the Southampton Corporation sent Queen Victoria a bill for the red carpet laid down for her at the ceremony. Maybe this is the reason why she never returned to Southampton again!

Palmerston Park

Palmerston Park Viscount Palmerston was born at Broadlands, Romsey in 1784. He became a popular Foreign Secretary and later in 1855 Prime Minister. He was a burgess of Southampton and on his death in 1865 a memorial committee was set up to collect money from the public. A statue was unveiled in 1869 in what was then called Fair Field, now known as Palmerston Park. The sculptor, Thomas Sharp of London was promised £800 for the commission but was not paid in full and took legal action against the committee.

Polymond Tower

Polymond Tower This largely hidden tower in the north east corner of the Norman town dates from the early 1200’s. It was originally owned and maintained by St. Deny’s Priory as a 28 foot high three-storey structure but fell into disrepair. Nine times Mayor, John Polymond re-built the tower in the 1360’s. However, records from 1654 tell of Polymond Tower again being in disrepair because being near the Town ditch its foundations were insecure. This was a poor part of the town and during the 1665 plague some destitute families lived in it. In 1828 the council proposed to tear down the whole building but after an outcry from citizens the current one story tower remains.

Old Bonded Warehouse

Old Bonded Warehouse The Old Bonded Warehouse was outside the Town Walls before 1795. It was clearly designed with a planned canal in mind. Originally a flight of steps ran down from the building to the proposed canal with a recess in which barges could be loaded. The canal scheme collapsed in 1808. Why the warehouse resembles a Swiss Chalet is not known. The Old Bond Store is considered to have strong cultural, illustrative and aesthetic values as it represents a lost building type for Southampton where such stores were once commonplace. A lease from 1820 indicates it was used as a builder’s store. An 1868 map shows the nearby Eastern Town Walls had been pulled down. That map also states its purpose as a malt house, possibly for the nearby Coopers Ales Brewery. It overlooks All Saints Church Graveyard which is today the site of a multi-storey car park.

Old Farm House

Old Farm House Until, the 1850’s the Old Farm House pub stood in open fields, the land originally belonged to St. Denys Priory. A brick records the date of the present building as 1611. It is thought Oliver Cromwell and/or his son Richard stayed there. Richard had married Dorothy Major a grand-daughter of a former Mayor of Southampton. The couple lived in Hursley, near Winchester. Richard was briefly Lord Protector of England and is buried in Hursley church graveyard.

Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey The link between the Ordnance Survey and Southampton goes back to 1841. It was formed in 1791 to carry out a military survey of England and based in the Tower of London. In October 1841 a devastating fire led to the Survey moving to military premises in Southampton at the junction of the Avenue and London Road. Once the orphans of soldiers were housed there a time commemorated by the name Asylum Road. The military connection ended in 1870. Later in 1968 it moved to Maybush and recently has moved to new premises off the M271.

Northam Bridge

Northam Bridge In 1796, David Lance held a meeting to propose a bridge over the Itchen to take stage coaches to Portsmouth. By 1799 a timber toll bridge was completed. The wooden bridge was replaced in 1889 by an iron bridge and tolls ended in 1929 when the town acquired it. The local council rebuilt it in 1937 and the present structure dates from 1955. The current bridge was the first major pre-stressed concrete road bridge to be built in the United Kingdom. In January 2015 the bridge was partially closed to allow waterproofing work to be carried out at a cost of £1.2m.

R. J. Mitchell

R. J. Mitchell R.J. Mitchell was born in Stoke-on -Trent in 1895. In 1913 Noel Pemberton Billing set up Pemberton-Billing Ltd to produce sea going planes. Its telegraphic address was Supermarine Southampton and this was used for sending telegrams and cables to the firm. The company was located in Woolston and Mitchell joined in 1916, becoming Chief Engineer in 1920. Supermarine aircraft won the coveted Schneider Trophy for sea planes in 1927, 1929 and 1931. The expertise gained from this was incorporated into the design of the new Spitfire plane with the first one flying on 5th March 1936. Mitchell died in 1937 before the first plane was delivered to the Air Ministry. Spitfires played a critical role in the Battle of Britain in 1940. A prime target, the Supermarine works were destroyed by bombing in WW2. Over 22,000 spitfires were built, it is estimated that only 179 remain. Mitchell and his wife are buried in a simple grave in South Stoneham Cemetery.

Mayflower

Mayflower There is a great deal of controversy concerning the actual departure point of the Mayflower and the Pilgrim Fathers from England for America. Several cities claim ownership, not least, Southampton. In actual fact there were several departure points as well as stops along the way. Southampton was the place the disparate groups of pilgrims first joined together, some coming from Rotherhithe, the ship’s home port, in London. Sixty five in all joined the ship there in mid July 1620. The Mayflower then departed for Southampton. The Mayflower dropped anchor in Southampton water on 27th July. For seven days she waited for her sister ship, The Speedwell, which was on its way from Delfshaven, Holland with fifty Leyden church members. Although the Speedwell had been refitted before she left in Holland on 1st August, she had to have another refit at West Quay, probably not far from the spot occupied by WestQuay shopping centre today. The Pilgrim Fathers could ill afford the extra expense and had to sell some of their belongings, food and stores. The memorial on Town Quay Southampton was unveiled in 1913 and is inscribed with the two dates and a plaque telling the pilgrims’ story. For nearly two weeks both groups of pilgrims stayed in Southampton and at least one Sotonian joined them. It is well documented that John Alden, a Southampton cooper sailed with the pilgrims when they eventually left on 15 August 1620, there may well have been other families. The memorial, with a replica of the ship on top, marks their departure point. Unfortunately the Speedwell, despite two refits, was still leaky. The pilgrims had to put in at Dartmouth for further repairs. Then, when they were two hundred miles beyond Land’s End they had to turn back for Plymouth because Speedwell sprang another leak. It was early September and they were less than one hundred and fifty six nautical miles from Southampton. The Speedwell was deemed too unreliable to attempt an Atlantic crossing. All the pilgrims crammed on to the Mayflower and, once again, set sail. The Mayflower was not a large ship, just 100 feet long weighing 180 tons. She had previously sailed cross channel with cargoes of wool and wine, hats, hemp, Spanish salt, hops and vinegar. She also made the occasional foray into the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The abandoned Speedwell with all her leaks, was sold soon after the Mayflower left for America. After yet another refit she continued to make many profitable voyages. There has been a certain amount of speculation and rumour around this fact. Some say Master Reynolds, the captain of the Speedwell, was afraid of the Atlantic crossing or of starving to death in America and purposely made the leaks himself. There is a story that Plymouth was not the last English port Mayflower put into. Allegedly, barrels of water picked up in Plymouth were found to be contaminated and she stopped off at Newlyn in Cornwall for more. Whether this is true or not it’s hard to tell but Newlyn has a plaque nonetheless! So what became of the Mayflower once the settlers left? In April 1621 she sailed for England once again, her crew, decimated by disease. The westerly winds that had caused so much trouble on the outbound voyage helped her on her way and she arrived in Rotherhithe in May. Within the year Captain Jones was dead, the New World journey had taken a toll on his fifty two year old body. The ship was berthed in Rotherhithe for two years not far from his grave in St Mary the Virgin churchyard. By 1624 she was unseaworthy, the final casualty of that fateful journey. No one knows what became of her battered hulk. In Southampton we are proud of our part in the pilgrims’ story and our Mayflower connection. We have a Mayflower Park on the shoreline close to the spot where the Mayflower departed. Our impressive theatre, close to the main railway station is called The Mayflower. Through Dock Gate 10 there is a Mayflower Cruise Terminal. One of the university halls of residence is called Mayflower Halls and, of course, we have the wonderful Mayflower memorial.

Lammas Lands

Lammas Lands Our central parks (Watts, Andrews, Houndwell, Hoglands, Palmerston and Queen’s) were once Lammas Lands. They were fields owned by the heriditary burgesses from Candlemas (2nd February) to Lammas Day (1st August). They were divided into strips for growing foodstuffs. After 1st August the fences were removed and the land used for animal pasture. In the 1850’s the land was bought from the burgesses and turned into parks. In 1862 the Mayor, Frederick Perkins presented the town with the beautiful avenue of trees that stretches to this day from Andrews (East) Park through Palmerston Park toward Houndwell. The word Lammas derives from Loaf Mass when bread was made from the first sheaves of wheat harvested and a blessing is given.

Long House

Long House In Porters Lane, situated near the Town Quay, are the remains of a Norman building about 111 feet long. It is a great example of early Medieval or “Norman” architecture. As the tax was based on the front of the houses, the buildings were usually narrow and long. Long House is also known as ‘Canute’s Palace’. The name ‘Canute’s Palace’ was first given to the building by Sir Henry Englefield (1752-1822) in his 1801 publication ‘ A Walk Through Southampton’. He wrongly suggested it was where King Canute ordered the tide back. Apparently, it worked – however, the water returned several hours later! The name “Canute’s Palace” is not really appropriate, as King Canute was crowned in 1016 and was not alive anymore when the house was built in the 1100s. Long House is not to be confused with the “Long Rooms” that used to be situated at the Western Esplanade. Before the town walls were built (after the raid in 1338) its doors opened straight on to the shore. The ground floor was the warehouse area. You can still see the supports on the wall where the lanterns or candles used to stand. The windows on the ground floor were simple and rectangular in shape, whereas the windows on the top floor are rounded and of typical Norman architecture, which is a sign as well, that the owners used to be wealthy. The western end gable is still at full height, but a lot of it was reconstructed. You can also see where the floor supports used to be. The living quarters on the first floor (built in style of a hall house) probably consisted of a large hall or living area, one or two bedrooms and an office (the counting house, on the eastern side). The first floor was reached by external stairs. You can still see the remains of the arched doorway on the first floor.

La Sainte Union

La Sainte Union After the French revolution Catholic education was limited by the state. In 1826 the order of La Sainte Union de Sacre Coeurs was founded to promote catholic education in France. In 1829 the attitude to Catholics in England was easing with the Catholic Emancipation Act. In 1830 the first Catholic church in Southampton, St. Joseph’s was opened. In 1880 the Sisters of La Sainte Union arrived in Southampton. They purchased Archers Lodge and opened The Convent High School for boarders in 1881. In 1904 a day school, St.Anne’s was opened. The two institutions merged in the 1960’s on the St. Anne’s site. In 1899 the Sisters had opened a Teachers Centre which became a female residential teacher training college in 1904. It was known as La Sainte Union College of Higher of Education. Later it became LSU and accepted students of all faiths and none. The site was taken over by Southampton University when the teacher training courses ceased in 1997 becoming New College. It is currently a residential development, incorporating some of the original buildings which are Grade II listed.

Richard Lyster

Richard Lyster Sir Richard Lyster was Judge and the Lord Chief Justice of England during the reign of Henry VIII and Chief Baron of the King’s Exchequer from 1546-1552. He married Isabel, the widow of Sir John Dawtrey (collector of customs under Henry VII) and lived with her in the building which is now known as the Tudor House Museum. He attended Queen Anne Boleyn’s coronation, riding in the procession beforehand. He also took part in the trial of Sir Thomas More and was Henry VIII’s divorce lawyer. During the Reformation he was accused of allowing Roman Catholic masses but this was not illegal in 1547. Following his first wife’s death, he married again. Richard Lyster died in 1553 and in 1567 and his widow erected a tomb to him in St. Michael’s church.

lucia Foster Welch

lucia Foster Welch Lucia Foster Welch was born in Liverpool in 1864 and moved to Southampton in 1903. She lived at 61 Oxford Street, in a seven bedroom semi-detached residence – now grade II listed. In 1927, Lucia was elected and became Southampton’s mayor. Lucia Foster Welch was, in fact, Southampton’s first Lady Mayor, first woman councillor, first woman alderman and first woman sheriff. As in Southampton the Mayor also holds the title of Admiral of the Port, Lucia was England’s first Lady Admiral. On a national level, Lucia was an extremely active (early) suffragette (a woman seeking the right to vote through organized protest). She was a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union, as well as the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. A portrait in oils of Lucia Foster Welch by Frank Brooks, 1928, can be seen at Southampton City Council. She passed away in 1940.

Sidney Guy Kimber

Sidney Guy Kimber Sidney Guy Kimber was born in Southampton in 1873 on 5th November hence his middle name. He was educated at King Edward VI grammar school and took over the family brick business in 1900. In 1910 he was elected as a Conservative councillor and was influential in local politics for many years. He was Mayor from 1918-1920. He was influential in ensuring the completion of Southampton’s Cenotaph. This was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and it is said that the one in Whitehall is based on the Southampton design. In 1929 he helped to purchase Northam Bridge for the expanding town, abolishing the tolls. He arranged for the Floating Bridge to come under civic control in 1934. He was a major force behind the building of the Civic Centre and the clock tower there is still locally known as ‘Kimber’s Chimney’. Kimber was also behind the building of the Sports Centre and Municipal Golf Course in Bassett/Lordswood. He died in 1949 and is buried in Highfield Church.

King John’s Palace

King John’s Palace The house is called King John’s Palace as historians mistakenly believed that King John stayed in it during the early 1300s, however, there is no evidence for it. Wealthy Norman merchants built their houses on the western shore of the town.Around the 1180s, when the original house was built, Southampton was already a busy trading port. The house was ideally located on the quayside where ships loaded and unloaded their cargoes. In the 1300s it was owned by John Wytegod, who was a wealthy merchant and mayor. After the French raid in 1338, King Edward III ordered the completion of the town walls (see Arcades). The door and windows in the front of the house were blocked up with stone or converted into gun slits and the building was integrated into the town walls. Although now only a shell, King John’s Palace is one of the finest surviving examples of Norman architecture in the country. When no 79 High Street was being demolished following bomb damage in WW2, a rare Norman chimney was found. In 1953 it was re-erected in King John’s Palace.

King George V Graving Dock

King George V Graving Dock King George V Graving Dock, is a former dry dock situated in Southampton’s Western Docks. It was also known as No. 7 Dry Dock. It was designed by F.E. Wentworth-Shields and constructed by John Mowlem & Company and Edmund Nuttall Sons & Company. It was formally opened by HM King George V and Queen Mary on 26 July 1933 even though it was not quite complete then. The first ship to use the dock in 1934 was White Star’s Majestic. Built specifically for new large liners coming into service then, like the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth, this dry dock was once the biggest in the world and retained its status for nearly thirty years. It was 1,200 feet long and 135 feet wide. When full it held 58 million gallons of water and took four hours to empty. The dock also proved useful when the Mulberry Harbours were put together for D Day in 1944. In 2005 the lock gates and keel blocks were removed thus converting the dock to a permanent wet dock.

Jack’s Corner

Jack’s Corner This children’s play area at the corner of the Sports Centre is in memory of Jack Mantle (1917-1940). He was educated at Taunton’s School before joining the Royal Navy. In 1940 he was in charge of the gun ship Foylebank in Portland Harbour when German aircraft attacked on 4th July. He was badly wounded but kept firing till he died and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. One of the earliest awarded Victoria Crosses was to another Sotonian, George Day in 1857. In 1918 Lieutenant Commander Marcus Beak, another Old Tauntonian, was awarded one. Only approximately 1,400 have ever been awarded.

Jesus Chapel – Pear Tree

Jesus Chapel – Pear Tree St. Mary’s Church once served the population on the east side of the River Itchen, known as St. Mary’s Extra. Jesus Chapel is a picturesque Church on Pear Tree Green. The Chapel, dedicated to Jesus, became the first new church in England following the Reformation. Pear Tree Chapel is believed to be the oldest Anglican Church anywhere in the world. It was built in 1618 and consecrated in 1620. Peartree Green is an open space on high ground on the East bank of the River Itchen which adjoins the districts of Woolston, Bitterne, Sholing and Merryoak within the city of Southampton. It was named Pear Tree Green after the pear tree that once stood there. It offers good views across the River Itchen and one can see the spire of St Mary’s Church, the St. Mary’s Stadium and the Itchen Bridge.

John Jellicoe

John Jellicoe John Jellicoe was born in Southampton in 1859 in Cranbury Terrace. He was educated at Bannister Court and joined the Navy at 12. He became a Captain in 1897 and was wounded near Peking during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. He became Commander of the Grand Fleet in 1914 and engaged with the German Fleet at the Battle of Jutland on 31st May 1916. He became First Sea Lord in 1917 but a quarrel with Prime Minister Lloyd George led to his dismissal in 1918. From 1920-24 he was Governor of New Zealand and was created Earl Jellicoe in 1925. On 8th September 1925 he opened the Dock Board offices at Town Quay and was also present at the opening of the first phase of the Civic Centre in 1932. He died in 1935 and is buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Jane Austen

Jane Austen Back to A-Z index Jane Austen was an English novelist whose books, set among the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit, social observation and acute insights into the lives of early 19th century women. She was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire. Jane was one of eight children of a clergyman and grew up in a close-knit family. She began to write as a teenager. In 1801 the family moved to Bath. After the death of Jane’s father in 1805 Jane, her sister Cassandra and their mother moved several times eventually settling in Chawton. Jane’s family moved to Southampton in 1806 and lived here until 1809 with her brother Frank. The garden of her house backed onto the well preserved medieval town walls and, although the original house no longer stands, the Juniper Berry pub now occupies the site. Jane attended Winter Balls at the Dolphin Hotel in the High Street, where she had also celebrated her 18th birthday. We know she saw plays at the former Theatre Royal in French Street and also visited Hythe using a hired boat. Jane and her family worshipped at All Saints Church (once on the corner of High Street and East Street, destroyed during the Second World War). Jane herself wrote many letters whilst living here, some of which have survived as have some letters of her sister Cassandra. A later memoir by a descendant gives us some idea of her time in Southampton, the people she lived among and the places she visited. Henry Austen who was 4 years older than Jane, helped her negotiate with a publisher and her first novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, appeared in 1811. Her next novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which she described as her “own darling child” received highly favourable reviews. ‘Mansfield Park’ was published in 1814, then ‘Emma’ in 1816. ‘Emma’ was dedicated to the prince regent, an admirer of her work. All of Jane Austen’s novels were published anonymously. In 1816, Jane began to suffer from ill-health, probably due to Addison’s disease. She travelled from Chawton to Winchester to receive treatment, and died there on 18 July 1817. Two more novels, ‘Persuasion’ and ‘Northanger Abbey’ were published posthumously and a final novel was left incomplete.

Imposter – Chevalier D’Eon

Imposter – Chevalier D’Eon In 1796 at the height of Southampton’s Spa period a sword fencing match took place. The main attraction was the Chevalier d’Eon born in 1728 in France as a male. He had been a diplomat and a spy and sometimes dressed as a female. Fleeing the French revolution s/he came to England fencing as a female named Mademoiselle de Beaumont. The Southampton contest sadly ended in her sustaining serious injury. Poverty resulted and she then lived as a woman with another woman in London. On her death in 1810 all gender ambiguity was removed as he was declared to be a man.

Invasion – D Day

Invasion – D Day Southampton had a vital role in the WWII D Day preparations with two thirds of the initial British Assault Force leaving from here. Southampton became Military Area C with the town, in effect, sealed off to civilians. The trees on either side of the Avenue were allowed to grow over forming a tunnel to hide the road from the air. Many of those trees were lost to the Dutch Elm outbreak in the 1970’s. The Mulberry Harbour which played a pivotal part in Operation Overlord was built here in Southampton. In the King George V Graving Dock some of the outer protecting bombardons were assembled. The whole unit was towed by some 200 tugs to Arramanches where some parts still remain. The Pipe Line Under The Ocean (P.L.U.T.O.) was also constructed in Southampton. It provided a supply of oil to our forces. The team of engineers responsible was based in the bombed out Spitfire works in Woolston. Opposite the Arcades on the Western Esplanade you can find a very ordinary looking piece of brick wall. At a closer look it is full of graffiti. It is said that while waiting to embark for the Invasion D-Day, American service personnel stationed in Southampton, scratched their names into the brick work.

Italians

Italians English wool was in great demand in Europe by the late 1200’s, especially in Northern Italy. The Italians sent ships directly to England from 1305. The great galleys from Florence and Venice brought prosperity to the town. The Venetians sent a yearly fleet with spices, wines, glass, silk, dates, olive oil and ivory and took back fine fleeces. The volume of trade meant some Italians settled here. The Florentines adopted St. John’s church and the Venetians St. Nicholas’s chapel which stood somewhere near St. Mary’s. The Genoese used the Friary near Gods House. A Venetian, Gabriel Corbet became Sheriff in 1453 and a Florentine, Christoforo Ambruogi became Mayor twice. However, in the early 1500’s Italy had a period of internal conflict and trade declined.

Hamwih / Hamwic / Hamtun / Hamwith / Hamtune

Hamwih / Hamwic / Hamtun / Hamwith / Hamtune All these are variants of names given to pre Norman Conquest Southampton. Unusually, the Roman, Saxon and Norman towns were on different sites. Hamwih was founded circa 690 by Ina, King of the West Saxons, whose capital was Winchester. The Vikings raided Hamwih in 840 and 842. In 962 Hamwih was first referred to as Suthamtune perhaps to distinguish it from the Mercian Hamtune now called Northampton.

Holyrood Church

Holyrood Church The Holyrood church was badly bombed in 1940 and its shell now remains as a memorial to the dead of the Merchant Navy. The original 12th century church stood further out into the High Street. It was dismantled and moved back in 1320 to its present site. The Crusaders and men leaving for Crecy and Agincourt would all have prayed here before departing. In 1554 Philip of Spain prayed here on route to Winchester Cathedral where he married Queen Mary. He also brought in the new custom of exchanging gold rings. The date of the Quarter Jacks who strike every quarter of an hour is unknown but they were mentioned in 1760 and said to be already old. Richard Taunton’s tomb is at the rear of the church. The nave has a gravestone to John Speed, descendent of the great Elizabethan map maker of the same name. The ten commandments are carved on the end wall and state that we should commit no murder rather than the more commonly used ‘Thou shalt not kill’. Just inside the church you will find one of Southampton’s Titanic memorials. This one is the Titanic Memorial Fountain, which is dedicated to the firemen, stewards and crew from Southampton. It was paid for by the families and friends of the crew. The memorial was originally erected further North on Cemetery Road as a drinking fountain on 27th July 1915. It was moved to its current location in Holyrood Church on 15th April 1972 – the 60th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. A metal audio post allows the visitor to press various buttons and listen to the recorded testimonies of a selection of local people alive at the time of the disaster.

Henry Yevele

Henry Yevele Henry Yevele was a master stone mason and architect born around 1320 probably in Derbyshire. He had a brother Robert who was also a stone mason. Edward III appointed Yevele as the Master Mason in charge of work done to the Bloody Tower at the Tower of London and also for work done on Westminster Hall. He also carried out extensive work for Edward III’s son, the Black Prince. The Black Death caused a labour shortage and along with many surviving stone masons Yevele was forced into the King’s service for the construction of Windsor Castle seen in the plan of the castle from Norden’s Survey 1607. Yevele was a prolific architect and was associated with a wide range of work such as castles, churches and bridges. Both Edward III and Richard II employed Yevele as Principal Mason and Chief Architect. Work at Portchester Castle undertaken between 1384 to 1385 by the stone mason Hugh Kympton was under the supervision of Yevele who was overseeing so many projects that he could not possibly have undertaken the work himself. Between 1378 and 1379 Yevele advised on the building of the new Castle Keep at Southampton. He made use of the existing 200 foot diameter mound that had become compacted over the years and on to this he constructed a large cylindrical tower topped with four turrets. He also built a barbican to defend the Keep’s outer gate. Yevele’s Castle at Southampton was spectacular and rose high above the town’s roof tops. John Leland described the Castle as “….being both large and fair and very strong”. Shown is part of Speed’s map of 1611 showing the castle. It is thought that Yevele was the architect for the stretch of walls in Southampton known as “The Arcades” that were designed to protect the town from attack by the French. These were built around the same time as he was working on Southampton Castle. Henry Yevele is still remembered for the scale and simplicity of his work that combines structural with aesthetic strength. He died in 1400.

Henri De Portal

Henri De Portal After reading this entry, every time you handle a banknote you will remember Southampton and Henri de Portal. Henri de Portal was born in 1690 at Poitiers in France into a Huguenot family. The Huguenots were French protestants who were inspired by the writings of John Calvin. The term Huguenot was originally a derisive term. Louis XIV broke the charter which protected the religious freedom Henri and his family enjoyed, forcing half a million Huguenots to leave France for protestant countries. It is said that the Portal family were facing torture and death and in their flight from France Henri and his brother Guillaume hid in an oven and were smuggled out of France in wine barrels. They eventually found refuge in Southampton. The Huguenots brought many new skills with them and in Southampton found an established French community who with the permission of Elizabeth I used St Julien’s Chapel in Winkle Street as their church. Even today it is known as the French Church and monthly services are still held there in French. In 1705, at the age of fifteen, Henri was employed at South Stoneham Mill to learn his trade as a paper maker. He was clearly a talented and charming man who had gained influential friends, as in 1711 he gained the tenancy of Bere Mill near Whitchurch. In the same year Henri became a naturalised citizen and from then on was known as Henry Portal. In 1718 his business had become so successful manufacturing high quality paper of all kinds that he was able to expand by obtaining Laverstoke Mill between Whitchurch and Overton. In 1723 he was making paper for the rupee and in 1724 the Bank of England asked him to make the paper for British Bank notes. The business continued for about 250 years being handed down through the generations until it was acquired by Candy and then its current owners the De la Rue Company in 1995. Henry’s father died in London in 1704 and Henry married Dorothy Hasker in 1715 at Overton. Henry’s son Joseph bought the Manor of Laverstoke which included the mill in 1759. He became the Sherriff of Hampshire in 1763. Henry died at Freefolk near Whitchurch on 30th September, 1747.

Gas Column

Gas Column In 1819 a gas company was founded in Northam. In 1820 William Chamberlayne MP presented the town with all the gas lighting columns it required. In 1823 he was Chair of a group of shareholders who bought the gas company. The town erected the Gas Column to thank him. It was at Town Quay until 1865 with a light on top to guide ships. It is currently in Houndwell Park.

Gordon of Khartoum

Gordon of Khartoum General Gordon was born in London. He served in the Crimea in 1855 but made his name in China with a British expeditionary force that fought its way to Peking. He was Governor of the Sudan from 1873 to 1880 and went back in 1884 to put down a revolt led by the Mahdi, a religious leader. He became trapped in Khartoum and a relief force arrived two days after his death. Victorian Britain saw ‘Chinese Gordon’ as a popular hero and his loss was deeply felt. When in Britain he stayed in Southampton with his sister at 5, Rockstone Place. A monument in Queens Park commemorates him. Interestingly, it does not have a statue of him on it as he disapproved of such displays of vanity.

General Shrapnel

General Shrapnel Major General Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842) died at Pear Tree House in Southampton having been born in Bradford on Avon. He devoted himself to military inventions often spending his own money to do so. The shell that bears his name was recommended for use by the Army Board of Ordnance in 1803. The Duke of Wellington used it during the Peninsular War. The Commander of the Artillery wrote to the Duke: ‘The shell is admirable to the whole army and its effects dreadful’. The Shrapnel shell proved very useful during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 possibly turning the tide in Wellington’s favour. Henry Shrapnel had been promoted to Colonel in 1813 and regimental Colonel in 1814 and was given a life pension of £1,200. He was then promoted to Major General and retired from active service in 1825. He eventually became a lieutenant general of the Royal Artillery in 1837. He originally lived in Bugle Street but moved to Pear Tree House in the mid 1830’s. In retirement he took no part in public affairs and avoided the social events of the day. In 1837 he received a letter from William IV indicating that a Baronetcy would be forthcoming. Sadly William died that year and this never materialised. Today we think of Shrapnel as meaning the flying fragments of material that come from the shell rather than the shell itself. He is buried in the family vault at Holy Trinity in Bradford on Avon.

George Thomas

George Thomas – The man who built The Dell On the afternoon of Saturday 19 October 1907, from the comfort of a bath-chair placed near the touchline of the football ground he built and owned George Thomas, former director of Southampton and Chelsea football clubs, watched Saints defeat Brentford 3-0 in a Southern League game at The Dell. Two days later, aged 54, he was dead. Thomas was among the creators of Southampton Football & Athletic Company Limited in 1897. He is named as a ‘provisional director’ in the first entry in the new company’s minute book, which records a ‘promoters meeting’ at The Bedford Hotel on the evening of July 8. The club began as St Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association FC in 1885 and, as St Mary’s FC, quickly became the major force in Hampshire football. They had begun recruiting professionals by 1892 and joined the newly created Southern League in 1894. Now called Southampton St Mary’s, they were forced to relocate from the Antelope Cricket Ground to the County Cricket Ground in 1896. It was during their first season as guests of Hampshire County Cricket Club that Saints won their first Southern League title. They repeated the feat and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1897-98, by which time moves were afoot to acquire a more fitting venue for professional football; and that would require money. The company aspired to raise £5,000 in £1 shares. At a shareholders meeting in November Dr Ernest Stancomb, chairman of the new company, told those assembled, ‘that all being well by next season the company would be in possession of its own ground which was at the present time in the hands of George Thomas Esq.’ Thomas, by all accounts, directed every aspect of the project; including the purchase of the land and materials, and hiring and paying the contractors. In an era when the average Football League ground was four banks of packed cinder with a grandstand plonked on the halfway line facing east, he produced a venue that, although modest in size (the capacity was reputedly 24,500), was impressive in terms of facilities. Covered stands on both sides of the pitch seated over 4,000 (only Villa Park in Birmingham) could squeeze more bums on seats) and there was terracing with ample crush barriers behind both goals and alongside the stands. The dressing rooms had heated showers; plunge baths and ordinary baths; and the pitch was drained by 13,000 feet of agricultural piping.The new arena nestled in a natural dell created by Rollsbrook, a stream that rises on the Common and flowed into West Bay at the bottom of Four Post Hill (a conduit now carries in under the Marine Directorate Building in Commercial Road, beneath Central Station and into the general drainage system of the Western Docks). The dell had originally been excavated to accommodate goods sidings for the aborted stretch of the Didcott, Newbury & Southampton railway line intended to link Winchester with Southampton via Chilworth and Shirley. ‘The Dell’, as it became known, was an expensive undertaking. Thomas was a successful businessman. Negotiations were protracted. Thomas wanted £9,000 and ended up taking a rent of £250 per annum. Neither party was happy. Football Echo correspondent ‘Recorder’ recalled: ‘Stern business demanded a price that could not be afforded, but rather than cast the club out [Thomas] agreed to accept an amount considerably lower than what he asked.’ According to his Southern Echo obituary Thomas was born in London ‘of Welsh descent’ and had come to Southampton as a gunnery instructor on a ‘drill ship’. Assuming this to be a school for boy sailors we might reasonably deduce that he had served in the Royal Navy. By 1880 Thomas was the proprietor of a fishmongers shop in Market Lane; a narrow thoroughfare which connected the High Street and French Street. By 1895 he had acquired a partner, Robert Mowat, and their combined interests, scattered between Stornoway and Guernsey, were valued at £50,000. The secret of his success? According to his obituary, ‘energy, perseverance and business acumen’, combined with ‘thrift and tireless effort’. Add to that intuition. When the Western Counties & South Wales Telephone Company opened Southampton’s first telephone exchange in 1886 Thomas had two lines installed – there were three other subscribers. Thomas’s frustrations with the Saints’ board lead to his resignation in May 1899; which did not end the disagreements. However, he continued to support the best interests of the club even after investing in Chelsea. The only indication as to his standing at Stamford Bridge is that the Chelsea directors sent a ‘floral tribute’ to the funeral. The Saints’ board, along with many other local dignitaries, were in attendance, as was Frederick Wall, secretary of the Football Association. The last words go to Recorder: ‘As a friend I found Mr Thomas warm-hearted and steadfast, and a man whose rugged exterior contained the many traits of a kindly, sympathetic and generous character. And now he is but a memory. The Great Referee in the game of life has summoned him from earthly fields, to those who have reached their goal of earthly existence.’ This article is an extended version of one that appeared in the Southampton FC matchday magazine for the visit of Chelsea, 30 March 2013 Many thanks to Dave Juson from Deftly Hallowed for this extensive text on George Thomas and the history of ‘The Dell’.

Football – The Saints

Football – The Saints Southampton F.C. can trace their roots back to 1885. The nickname ‘Saints’ comes from its formation as a church football team. They were founded as St Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association (St Mary’s Y.M.A). The team has since played in red and white shirts. Away colours are blue or yellow. In 1898 they moved to the Dell in Milton Road in and to the present 32,500 capacity St. Mary’s stadium in 2001. The Saints anthem is ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ a traditional tune popularised by Louis Armstrong. Unlike other sports teams that use the tune the original lyric is not changed for the Saints. The club has a long-standing rivalry with Portsmouth due to its close proximity and both cities’ respective maritime history. The Saints were defeated in the FA Cup Finals of 1898 and 1902 finally winning 1-0 against Manchester United in 1976. Their highest-ever league finish was second in the First Division in 1983–84. Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on 15 May 2005 ending 27 successive seasons of top-division football for the club. Southampton returned to the Premier League after a 7-year absence and have been playing there since the 2012–13 season. The club has a noted Youth Academy producing talented players over many years such as Martin Chivers, Terry Paine, Mick Channon, Alan Shearer, Mat Le Tissier, Wayne Bridge, Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw.

French Raid

French Raid In 1337 the Hundred Years War with France began. On 4th October 1338, 50 ships of French, Genoese and Sicilians arrived. As the South and West of the town was not walled they landed around the bottom of Bugle Street. The town and its silver were looted and those citizens who took refuge in St. Michael’s Church were murdered there. There is a story of a Sicilian Prince who when he encountered a Hampshire Yeoman, who came to take the town back, wielding a club cried “Rancon” meaning Ransom. The yeoman took this as being “Francon” or Frenchman and killed him with the club. As a result of the raid Edward III ordered the town to complete its walled defences.

Friary

Friary In about 1224 a group of Friars Minor who followed the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi came to the town.The Franciscan Friars were also called Greyfriars because of the colour of their robes. They lived a humble life. They settled in the poorer part of the town near God’s house hospice. When completed (around 1233), the friary included a quire, church, vestry, chapter house and a cloister, frater (dining room), infirmary, tailor’s house, parlour, kitchen, washhouse, toilet block and a library. They created a water supply for townspeople from Hill Lane via Conduit House (opposite the Mayflower Theatre) to their Friary. In 1410 the town took on the system making it the earliest urban water supply in England. Their Friary was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. It was opened again for a short while during the reign of Queen Mary but was closed again by Elizabeth I in 1558. Today the site is occupied by the Friary House, an office building and the Gloucester Square car park. The only remains are: “The Round Tower” – Built in the late 1200s and was used used as a dovecote. The honeycombs that you can still see in the base of the tower, used to be the nesting holes for doves. When the town wall was built the back was demolished to integrate it into the wall and the front was made higher. Thus it became a half-round tower. “The Friary Gate” – When the Walls were built in the late 1300s the friars were cut off from their orchards and the poor people in the Newtown suburb. In 1373 they were allowed to build a gateway through the walls, as long as they provided defences for the gate. “The Reredorter” – Built in the late 1200s. The dorter is another name for dormitory. So you could say that the reredorter was a medieval ensuite. The toilet block could be reached from the dormitory. According to archaeologists there used to be no doorway at ground level. The waste fell down into a stone lined drain that was washed clean by water from the town ditch and the tide. The smell must have been – not very pleasant!!!

Edward the Black Prince

Edward the Black Prince Edward was the son of Edward III. Both were in Southampton in 1346 on route to fight the French at Crecy. The Prince died in 1376 and Prince Edward Tower was built around 1400. It is also known as Catchcold Tower and is an early example of a tower with keyhole gun ports for canon to be fired from.

Empire Flying Boats

Empire Flying Boats In 1923 the British Marine Air Navigation Company was formed with its base at Woolston. In 1924 the company was amalgamated into Imperial Airways which was government backed. Empire Flying Boats had their base in Southampton till 1929. In 1935 activity began again, this time with a base at Hythe. The government wanted all parts of the Empire to be linked by an airmail service which started in 1937. During the war the airmail service went to Poole returning to Southampton in 1948. Imperial Airways became BOAC in 1940. The flying boats used Berth 50 between Town Quay and Ocean Terminal. BOAC stopped its service in 1949 but Aquila Airlines continued until 1958.

English Street

English Street Following the Norman Conquest of 1066 the town was split into distinct parts. The Normans took the desirable West with their houses fronting the water. The conquered Saxons had the East side of town. This division was shown in the use of French Street and English Street as road names. The latter is known today as High Street, Below Bar. The Doomsday survey of 1086 records 96 inhabitants of Southampton paying dues to the King 31 from English Street and 65 from French Street.

Charles Dibden

Charles Dibden Born in 1745 and baptised in Holy Rood, Charles Dibden was a choirboy at Winchester Cathedral he then worked in a London music shop. He wrote sea songs and was well known in Georgian England. His shanties were used as an aid to recruitment in the Napoleonic Wars. He is misquoted for saying that a sailor has a girl in every port. He wrote: ‘In every mess I find a friend, in every port a wife.’ In life he only sailed twice – both times to France to escape creditors. A plaque to his memory is outside Holy Rood. His best known song was ‘Tom Bowling’ which is often featured at The Last Night of the Proms.

Disease

Disease Southampton’s leprosy hospital dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene (said to have changed into Marlands) was situated near the present Civic Centre. Leprosy died out in this country and our last warden of the hospital was pensioned off in the 1420’s. There is information about leprosy on the corner of Watt’s Park opposite the James Matthews building of Solent University. In 1348 the Black Death arrived via a boat at Melcombe Regis near Weymouth. Southampton lost about 25% of its population. Plague struck again in 1563 with about 400 deaths. Victims’ houses had red crosses on them. The London Great Plague of 1665 spread to Southampton and one estimate says 1,700 died over an eighteen month period. The Mayor appealed for help and King Charles II sent £50, doctors and 20 tuns of French wine. In 1849 cholera came to the town with some 200 people dying mostly in Simnel Street, Back of the Walls and Kingsland. Further outbreaks in 1865 and 1886 led to 41 and 100 deaths respectively. The Spanish flu epidemic of 1918-19 also claimed many lives.

Dolphin Hotel

Dolphin Hotel The original building dates from the early 1400’s and its cellars are medieval vaults. During the late 18th century Southampton became a popular spa town. The Dolphin was rebuilt in 1775 to accommodate more visitors. Its bay windows are said to have been the largest in England at that time. Jane Austen lived in Southampton on the site of the current Juniper Berry pub from 1806-09 and she attended balls held at the Dolphin.

Dock Strike of 1890

Dock Strike of 1890 In September 1890 dock workers in Southampton were on strike seeking agreement for union labour only to be employed in the docks and for agreement on wages. Their demands were not met and they had to concede and return to work only to find that the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co and the Union Steamship Co had granted concessions to the Seamen’s and Firemen’s union. As a consequence angry dock workers intimidated and assaulted returning workers at all of the dock gates such that the local magistrates fearing the police could not cope sent to the Commander of the Portsmouth Garrison for military assistance. 250 men of the 19th Regiment and 12 officers arrived in Southampton in the evening and marched into Canute Road where the dock workers had congregated. Police and soldiers were pelted with stones and two soldiers and an officer were injured. The Mayor Mr James Bishop read the riot act which authorised the authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people unlawfully assembled to disperse or face punitive action. The words he read out were as follows: Our Sovereign Lady the Queen chargeth and commandeth all persons, being assembled, immediately to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business, upon the pains contained in the act made in the first year of King George, for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies. God Save the Queen! If the group failed to disperse within an hour the authorities could use force to disperse them. Anyone assisting with the dispersal was indemnified if any of the crowd was injured or killed. After two hours of unpleasant street brawling the fighting had not ceased so the soldiers fixed bayonets and were ordered to charge the crowd. Several Dockers were wounded by the advancing soldiers and the crowd quickly dispersed leaving the rioters’ leaders to be arrested and charged. Agreement was eventually reached regarding wages but the employers insisted that employment would be open for all. It is often said that once the Riot Act had been read the monarch would not visit a place again. This may be why Queen Victoria failed to visit Southampton again rather than the matter of the invoice for the red carpet but that story is for another time.

Cannibalism (Richard Parker)

Cannibalism (Richard Parker) Back to A-Z index In 1884 the ship Mignonette was fitted out in Southampton for a journey to Australia. There were 4 crew members including 17 year old orphan Richard Parker from Peartree. On July 4th the Mignonette was hit by a terrible storm south east of Trinidad. The four crew members took to a lifeboat with only two tins of turnips for supplies. After 16 days the Captain, suggested drawing lots to see who would be sacrificed. After 19 days Dudley killed Parker with a pen knife. The corpse kept the others in food for the next five days until they were picked up by a German ship the Montezuma and taken to Falmouth. Dudley and one other crew member were tried and sentenced to death for the murder of Parker. This was later commuted to just six months in jail. A memorial stone to Parker is on his mother’s grave at Jesus Chapel, Peartree Green in the Woolston area of Southampton. It is believed to be the last recorded episode of cannibalism on the high seas. Dudley had taken a book by Edgar Allen Poe with him. It tells of a shipwreck where the survivors kill another to survive – called Richard Parker. The book and film ‘The Life of Pi’ uses the name Richard Parker for the Bengal tiger in the boat.

Old Cemetery

Old Cemetery Back to A-Z index In 1843 an Act of Parliament was passed enabling a cemetery to be opened on Southampton Common. It was consecrated in 1846. Amongst its graves is that of Lt. Col. Hewwitt, the last surviving officer to have fought at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. He died in 1891 aged 96. Many Belgians fled to England in the 1914-1918 Great War and there are a number buried in Southampton cemetery. There are over 60 graves of people connected to the Titanic disaster.

Clock Tower

Clock Tower Back to A-Z index This originally stood at the junction of Above Bar and New Road, having been bequeathed to the town by Henrietta Sayers. It also acted as a drinking fountain for humans and horses. In 1934 it was moved to Bitterne Triangle where it remains to this day.

Christopher Cockerell

Christopher Cockerell Back to A-Z index Sir Christopher Cockerell (1910-1999), the inventor of the Hovercraft, lived in East Cowes and then in Hythe for many years. His house in Prospect Place looking out over the water is still owned by the Cockerell family today. Close by used to be the marine institute, where hovercraft models where tested in a long test-tank. A memorial stone was erected in his honour at Hythe. The inscription reads: “HOVERCRAFT On this site Sir Christopher Cockerell (1910-1999) and his team continued the early development of hovercraft which he had first demonstrated in 1955. They also developed and tested hovercraft skirts in a wave tank built here in 1965. Let this creative work be an inspiration to young engineers of the future”

Cross House

Cross House Back to A-Z index Before the Itchen Bridge opened in June 1977 passengers used the Floating Bridge (a cable ferry that crossed the river Itchen between Woolston and Southampton). The Floating Bridge came into service in November 1836. Before then there was a ferry boat service. The Cross House, to give passengers shelter whilst waiting to be ferried across, survives and the present building dates from 1634.

Herbert Collins

Herbert Collins Back to A-Z index Herbert Collins (1885-1975) designed houses in Southampton from 1922, and co-founded the Swaythling Housing Society in 1925. Collins, along with his co-founders, accountant and civic leader Fred Woolley (the society’s first chairman) and Bursledon brickworks director Claude Ashby, put up £200 worth of shares. Collins lived at 38 Brookvale Road, Highfield from 1930 to 1973, and a commemorative Blue Plaque was installed there in 2004. During his time living there, Collins was responsible for the design of Swaythling Methodist church in Burgess Road, built in 1932. In 1957, his professional partnership with J. Norman Calton was dissolved by mutual consent; the pair had been trading as Collins & Calton. Collins’ housing estates have a distinctive style, typified by rows of terraced houses set around wide areas of greenery. Two of the more notable Collins estates in Southampton (the Oakmount estate in Highfield and the Englemount estate in Bassett Green) have been designated as conservation areas by the city council and the Orchards Way estate in West End was designated a conservation area by Eastleigh Council in 1999. Collins was responsible for the 1928 design of Glebe Court, Highfield. Collins also made plans for a garden city around Marchwood, but these proposals were unrealised.

Castle Vault

Castle Vault Back to A-Z index Southampton owns the largest number of purpose built vaults in the whole of Britain. Most of these vaults started out as wine cellars. Some date back as far as the 12th Century. Castle Vault is the biggest vault in Southampton. It was built during the second half of the 12th century as the King’s private wine cellar. As Southampton’s location made it ideal for the wine trade, it made sense to have a storage place here. The castle was situated directly above the vault and the wine casks could be unloaded right outside at the King’s private quay, as the water came up to the walls. King Henry II was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine and thanks to her he owned huge vineyards in France. Castle vault was built to store the King’s wine, some of which he imported himself but much was obtained through a levy on the wine imported by the merchants. Conveniently, a new tax was invented, called the “King’s Prise”, which meant that one in every ten casks imported by the merchants was given to the King. The vault was ideal for storing wine as it maintained a constant temperature of around 12 degrees centigrade (52 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the year. Wine from the vault would be drunk when the King was in residence, however, in general the vault was used as an interim storage facility, from where the wine was distributed to the other royal palaces. Castle vault is a typical barrel vault, being 55 feet (17 m) long, 20 feet (around 6 m) wide and 25 feet (around 7.5 m) high. Originally the entrance used to be at the south side of the vault. Colin Platt’s well researched book on Medieval Southampton suggests that there was a round window to the south of the quayside door which was a source of light. During some periods of the year and especially when the new season’s wines had arrived additional vaults in the town would be used to store the King’s wine.The wine was stored in large casks called tuns, which held 250 gallons of wine (about 1,000 litres or 1 ton). The tuns were not easy to handle and great care had to be taken as they were heavy and it would be costly if they were damaged and the wine lost. To carry the tuns, porters would use loops of rope around the barrel and pass a beam through the loop and then carry the tun with the beams resting on the shoulders of the men. During WW2 the vault was used as an air raid shelter. You can still see traces of the blast walls that spanned the vault and the foundations for the entrance and toilets can be seen. The blast walls did not come completely across the chamber but were offset to impede the blast. According to Southampton locals the children and mothers were placed furthest from the entrance as that was the safest position.

Bevois Valley

Bevois Valley Back to A-Z index An area of the city that takes its name from the story of Sir Bevois. A published story from 1502 ‘The Romance of Sir Bevois of Hamtun’ tells of Bevois,the son of Guy, Earl of Southampton, being sold by his evil stepmother ending up in Armenia. He escaped and on his way home fell in love with the princess, Josian, was given a magic sword Mortglay and acquired a horse named Arundel. After a battle with the giant Ascupart poor Josian was saved from being eaten by lions because they were overcome by her beauty and ended up as her guards. Sir Bevois returned home to claim his birthright. The lions outside the Bargate are a reminder of the tale. Interestingly, Arundel Castle (near Chichester) has a sword called Mortglay and in 1703 a tomb, said to be that of Sir Bevois, was found during excavations.

Blue Anchor Lane

Blue Anchor Lane Back to A-Z index During the 1300s this ancient lane was known as Wytegod’s Lane after John Wytegod, a wealthy merchant and Mayor. He owned Tudor House and the property to the south side (now known as King John’s Palace) as well as other properties nearby. In the late medieval period the lane was called Lord’s Lane. It was renamed in the 18th C after the Blue Anchor Inn which was located in the lane. The Blue Anchor Lane ran from the market square outside St. Michael’s church to the waterfront via the Postern Gate, one of Southampton’s original seven gates. It was used to carry goods from the quayside up to the market square. Now a very idyllic lane in the historic walled town, it was once known as “Piss Pot Alley”! This probably doesn’t need any further explanation!

Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones Back to A-Z index The Burgesses controlled an area enclosed by Hill Lane, Burgess Street (now Road) and the land west of the Itchen. Several boundary stones survive for example, the Rosemary Stone opposite No 47 Burgess Road. Another, called the Hode Stone, is at the top of Hill Lane.

Bargate

Bargate Back to A-Z index If you were standing outside the Bargate on 16th January 1434, you would be in the middle of the noise and the bustle of preparations for a great feast. It was to be held in the Guild Hall upstairs in the Bargate, by the guild of merchants. All the details and expenses for this feast are listed in the account book of the Town Steward which is preserved in the City Archives. The Bargate was the main entrance to the old town of Southampton. If you look up at the parapet you can see the 17th century watch bell. At the end of each day, the Watch Bell (or curfew bell) was rung and the gate shut. Curfew derives from the French phrase “couvre-feu”, which means cover the fire. Taxes were collected here by the broker. Two taxes were levied on carts; ‘cartage’ was paid on the cart, and ‘pontage’ was a toll for the bridge. There was also a ‘Petty Custom’ toll on goods carried. The earliest named broker was William Rede. In 1435, he collected £20 in taxes. The first floor Guild Hall was used as a courtroom and the ground floor was a prison. The Bargate was constructed in Norman times as part of the fortified walled city, the Bargate was the main point of entry and exit to and from the north. Since Southampton is on the south coast, this made the Bargate the main gateway to the city. The Bargate is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument. The original Bargate was built circa 1180 AD, constructed of stone and flint. Further alterations were made to the building around 1260 to 1290, when large drum towers were added to the north side, with arrow slit windows. A two-storey extension was made to the south side towards the end of the thirteenth century, with four windows lighting the upstairs room. In the middle of the four windows is a statue of George III in Roman dress, which replaced a wooden statue of Queen Anne. Work was also carried out to the interior of the upper room during the thirteenth century, when the stone fireplaces were installed. The embattled north front was added to the building around 1400. In 1605, the city’s curfew bell was added to the southwest corner of the building. A sundial was added a century later. Following the establishment of Southampton’s police force in February 1836, the upper room was used as a prison. The Bargate was separated from the adjoining town walls in the 1930s, so that it became a traffic island. The Bargate again served as the police headquarters for the city during WW2. Southampton’s Bargate has been judged ‘probably the finest, and certainly the most complex, town gateway in Britain.

Philip Brannon

Philip Brannon Back to A-Z index Philip Brannon will always be associated with Southampton for his well known engravings and panoramas of the town as well as for his informative and highly collectable book ” The Picture of Southampton” published in 1850. Philip was born on 27th July, 1817 at Wootton on the Isle of Wight where his father George Brannon was an engraver, printer and publisher. In his early life Brannon set up a “ragged boys” school in Newport before moving to Southampton in about 1844. The census of 1851 shows Philip living at 31½ Above Bar with his wife Emma. Also living with the family was his engraver Peter Moore from Devizes. We know from the census that he later moved to 12 Portland Terrace. Brannon was a typical Victorian in that he was industrious, inventive and versatile. This is shown by the census entries which show him as variously artist, engraver, engineer, architect and school teacher. Philip was a Unitarian and had designed the Unitarian Church in London Road, Southampton which no longer stands. He designed the original plinth on which the statue of his fellow liberal Richard Andrews originally stood but was removed due to the rapid erosion of the stone used in its construction. Brannon produced many trade cards for business people in the town at that time and also a detailed town map to accompany his book. Brannon had hoped to design the Hartley Institute but it was not to be. By 1871 he had left Southampton and was lodging in London, where he worked as an engineer trying to sell his innovative ideas. By 1881 his family had joined him in Hackney where he worked as a civil engineer. At this time he also undertook artistic work including engravings of the great Exhibition. Philip subsequently returned to live on the Isle of Wight where he worked as Clerk and Surveyor to the Shanklin Board of Health and where he died in 1890.

The Bramble Bank

The Bramble Bank Back to A-Z index The Bramble Bank, otherwise known simply as ‘The Brambles’ is an arrowhead-shaped sandbar in the central Solent which is uncovered at low water spring tides. It presents a significant navigational hazard for shipping in the area. It is marked at its southeastern limit by the Brambles post sea mark and on its western limit by the West Knoll buoy. The Bramble Bank is renowned for the annual cricket match played there between the Royal Southern Yacht Club and the Island Sailing Club. The match takes place when the bank is most exposed but never lasts very long before the full tide covers the playing surface. The surroundings mea that the fixture is treated as more of a social occasion than a serious cricket match, and the scoring reflects this – the victor of the game is pre-determined, and the two clubs simply take it in turns to “win” the match, regardless of play. The winning side prepares the tea. On Tuesday 11 November 2008, on approaching Southampton Docks for her last visit prior to retirement, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth II infamously ran aground on the Bramble Bank at approximately 0530 hrs. She required 4 tugs to pull her clear on the rising tide and arrived in Southampton approximately 90 minutes late. On 3 January 2015 the car transporter MV Hoegh Osaka was beached on the bank after developing a list shortly after leaving the Port of Southampton.- she was refloated on the rising tide some four days later.lations.

Air Raids

Air Raids Back to A-Z index Being the home of the Spitfire, Southampton was a target for German bombers. The first bomb fell on 19th June 1940 and the last, a Doodlebug, on 15th July 1944. 2,631 high explosive bombs and 30, 652 incendiary bombs were recorded. There were about 60 raids killing 631. There is a memorial seat to these events in Hollybrook Cemetery made out of town rubble. Southampton lost 12.5% of its housing stock – more than any other city in the U.K. There were 3, 589 buildings destroyed and about 40, 000 damaged. The worst bombing was on the night of 30 November/1 December 1940.

Richard Andrews

Richard Andrews Back to A-Z index Richard Andrews has been called Southampton’s Dick Whittington. In 1821 he walked 20 miles from his home in Bishops Sutton and rapidly built up a coach building business in Above Bar. A Liberal, he was Mayor five times during the 1850’s. Richard Andrews died in 1859 and his statue stands in Andrews (East) Park.

Artesian Well

Artesian Well Back to A-Z index As Southampton grew in the 19th century there was a demand for water. The reservoirs on the Common were inadequate despite well being sunk to 1,260 feet and finally abandoned in 1883. Attention then turned to tapping the Itchen at Mansbridge but this was impure. Finally, the Southampton Waterworks was opened at Otterbourne in 1888.

Arcades

Arcades Back to A-Z index Following the French Raid of 1338 the strengthening of the town’s defence system was ordered by King Edward III. The town was to be fully enclosed by stone walls, especially along the western quays, where wealthy merchants had built their houses. Due to a shortage of suitable stones, a compromise was found, which meant the integration of the merchants’ houses into the town wall. Of course, the merchants were unwilling to lose their sea front warehouses, but by 1380 the doors and windows in the front of the houses were blocked up with stone or converted into arrow slits and gun ports, and they became part of the town’s defensive wall. Henry Yevele, who oversaw improvements to the castle, probably was also involved in the construction of the Arcades. Wide arches were constructed that enforced the structure of the walls, which were then completed with parapets and machicolations.