Transcript Of Narration
In May 1658, Charles II reviewed his fleet at Spithead, and here is a description of the ceremony that was observed. "The ship is in every part to be made neat and predie and to be trimmed with all her flags. On the first keen of the Royal Barge, the ship s decks, tops and yard are to be manned and as if were hung with men. Upon the nearer approach of the Royal Barge the trumpets are to sound until he comes within less than musket of the ships side. Then all such as carry whistles are to whistle his welcome three several times and in every interim the ship s whole company are to hail him with a joint shout after the custom of the sea".
On 26th November 1703 the country was swept by a storm. Forests of trees were uprooted, 13 mean-of-war were wrecked, 800 houses and 400 windmills were blown down, and Eddystone Lighthouse destroyed. The Newcastle was overwhelmed at Spithead and sank.
The land on the eastern side of the island of Portsea, known as Great Salterns, was reclaimed from the harbour in around 1705. It was so named because of the existence nearby of a Little Salterns, Little Salterns got its name from when it was used for the evaporation of sea water to provide salt. Great Salterns was incorporated into the old county borough in 1895 and eventually converted into a golf course, playing fields and what is now Portsmouth College.
In 1729 the Royal Naval Academy was established at Portsmouth and continued to train officers and cadets in Portsmouth until 1872, when it transferred to Greenwich.
In 1770 the ramparts and moats which encircled the town of Portsea were started. Two gates were erected to give access to the town, Lion Gate at the eastern end of Queens Street and the Unicorn Gate at the western end of Edinburgh Road. In 1871 Lion Gate was moved to become the entrance to the new Anglesey Barracks and in 1929 it was moved again to become the base of the present Semaphore Tower in the Dockyard. Unicorn gate stood close to its present position at the entrance to the dockyard.
The Hampshire Telegraph was founded on the 14th October 1799 at 81, High Street, Portsmouth. The house was formerly occupied by a sea draper. It rapidly established itself as a leading commentator on naval affairs and remained until 1976.
In 1801 Southsea Common was known as The Little Morass because for many years a morass covered a large part of the common. There was also a great morass near Southsea Castle and at the time Milton was just a small village.
In 1805 Nelson left the George Hotel by the back entrance in Penny Street to escape the crowds gathered to greet him as he sailed to the Battle Of Trafalgar. The George Hotel is now a block of flats in the High Street. The ruse was soon discovered and the crowds made their way to see him and wish him farewell.
The people cried out "God bless you, Nelson" as the Admiral embarked to join his ship HMS Victory for the Battle of Trafalgar.
On 7th February 1812 in Commercial Road, which is now Old Commercial Road, Charles Dickens was born. The Dickens family moved to Chatham when Charles Dickens was two and Charles Dickens died at Gadds Hill Kent on 9th June 1870 but Portsmouth holds the claim to fame that Charles Dickens was born here. Charles Dickens revisited the city on a number of occasions; one of the occasions was for research into his book Nicholas Nickleby.
Portsmouth and the surrounding towns were shaken by a violent earth quake in January 1834. It came in the early hours of the morning and was felt in Chichester, Emsworth, Havant and Purbrook. Similar tremors had occurred 20 years earlier and in October 1734.
