Portsmouth, Portsea and Gosport
Historical
and geographical information
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Introduction
Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.
Headlines are in brown.
References and citations are in turquoise.
Contextual history is in purple.
This webpage about
the Portsmouth
and Gosport has the
following section headings:
· The Farndales of
Portsmouth and Gosport
·
Gosport
·
Portsea
·
Bibliography
The Farndales of Portsmouth
and Gosport
The Farndales of
this area were Alice Farndale (FAR00118A);
Samuel Farndale (FAR00475)
(1866 to 1936) who lived for a time at Portsea as a clerk before moving to
London (see the London 1 Line);
Ethel Chestres Farndale (FAR00674)
and Leslie Farndale (FAR00757).
Gosport
Gosport is
a town in Hampshire on the south coast of the United
Kingdom.
Until the last
quarter of the twentieth century, Gosport was a major naval town associated
with the defence and supply infrastructure of Her Majesty's Naval Base
(“HMNB”) Portsmouth. As such over the years extensive fortifications were
created.
Saxon
times
The Rowner area
of the peninsula was settled by the Anglo-Saxons, and is mentioned in
the Anglo Saxon Chronicle as Rughenor
("rough bank or slope"). Both Rowner and Alverstoke,
the name coming from the point where the River Alver entered the
Solent at Stokes Bay, were included in the Domesday Book. Rowner was
the earliest known settlement of the peninsula, with many Mesolithic finds and a hunting camp being
found, and tumuli on
the peninsula investigated. Bronze Age items found in a 1960s
construction in HMS Sultan included a hoard of axe heads
and torcs. A three-celled dwelling unearthed during construction of the Rowner
naval Estate in the 1970s points to a settled landscape. Next to the River
Alver which passes the southern and western edge of Rowner is a Norman motte
and bailey, the first fortification of the peninsula, giving a vantage point
over the Solent, Stokes Bay, Lee-on-the-Solent and the Isle
of Wight. The former Rowner naval married quarters estate, now mostly
demolished, and HMS Sultan were built on a former military airfield,
known first as RAF Gosport and later as HMS Siskin, which gives
its name to the local infant and junior schools.
1678
The first
fortifications were in 1678 during the reign on Charles II. These consisted of
two forts, Fort James and Fort Charles, and a series of bastions and double
ditches to encircle the town, known as the Gosport Lines.
1751
During the
Georgian period in 1751 and 1752 the fortifications were rebuilt, enlarged and
extended.
1779
Further additions
to the fortifications were made in response to the French invasion threat of
1779.
1860
By 1860, the
Gosport Lines had 58 guns. No.1 Bastion, for example, had mounted 14 guns in
brick lined emplacements firing over the parapet.
1859
The 1859 Royal
Commission on the Defences of the United Kingdom proposed the completion
of a line of forts to protect the outer approach to Gosport town,
making the earlier defences redundant. However, they were retained to constrain
any expansion of the town towards the new line of forts.
1890s
From the 1890s
road widening meant some parts of the ramparts and gates were demolished.
Portsea
Portsea
Island is a flat, low-lying island measuring 24.542 square kilometres,
just off the southern coast of England. The island is located in the
county of Hampshire and contains the vast majority of the city
of Portsmouth.
Bronze
Age
Two Bronze Age
hoards and a hoard of Roman coins have been found on the island.
979 CE
In 979 CE the
island was raided by Danes.
1086
At the time of
the Domesday Book three manors were recorded as being on the island.
1704
The area was
originally known as the "Common" and lay between the town of
Portsmouth and the nearby dockyard. The Common started to be developed at
the end of the 17th century as a response to overcrowding within the walls of
the old town. This development worried the governor of the dockyard, as he
feared that the new buildings would provide cover for any forces attempting to
attack. In 1703, he threatened to demolish any buildings within range of the
cannons mounted on the dockyard walls. However, after a petition to Queen Anne,
royal consent for the development was granted in 1704.
1792
In 1792 the name
of the area was changed from the Common to Portsea, and by then it had a mixed
dockside population.
1806
Engineer Isambard
Kingdom Brunel was born in Britain Street in 1806.
1812
Writer Charles
Dickens was born nearby at Landport on 7
February 1812.
1850
Professor William
Garnett was born in Portsea on 30 December 1850.
1900
By the start of
the 20th century, Portsmouth council had started to clear much of
the slum housing in Portsea.
1911
The city's
first council houses were built in the district in 1911.
1920
The 1920s and
1930s saw extensive redevelopment of the area, with many of the older slums
being replaced by new council houses.
1939
The area's
proximity to the dockyard resulted in its taking massive bomb damage
during World War II.
1950
After the war the
area was redeveloped as all council housing, in a mixture of houses,
maisonettes and tower blocks.
Bibliography