Events – Historic Southampton

Southampton’s Royal Visit – 22 June 1939

Posted on June 2 2022
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The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953, over a year after she had acceded to the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. 2022, therefore, marks the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. This article, however, does not look at Her…continue reading →

The Great Snowfall – 25 April 1908

Posted on April 25 2022
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After the people of Southampton had risen from their beds on the morning of 25 April 1908, many would have opened their doors to a veritable winter wonderland. It was a sudden and heavy blizzard that completely covered the entire town in a thick blanket of snow. May was less…continue reading →

The King’s Speech

Posted on July 26 2020
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The Southern Railway company began construction on Southampton's new Western Docks in 1927. Around four hundred acres of land was reclaimed and an entirely new quay was created. This quay was nearly two miles long and it meant that the new docks could accommodate the world's largest liners. It secured…continue reading →

Waterloo

Posted on June 18 2020
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On 18 June 1815 a battle was raging in present-day Belgium. At Mont-Saint-Jean, some fifteen miles south of Brussels, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army came up against a coalition under the command of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington. Napoleon had escaped from exile on Elba one hundred and twelve…continue reading →

The Battle of Cobden Bridge

Posted on May 29 2020
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Cobden Bridge was originally built by the National Liberal Land Company and it was opened to the public in 1883. The company, who had just constructed the brand new Bitterne Park housing estate nearby, named the bridge after Richard Cobden, a liberal politician who had died in 1865. Connecting at…continue reading →

Southampton and the King of Siam

Posted on April 19 2020
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The year was 1897 and the King of Siam had decided to embark upon a tour of Europe. He was the first Siamese monarch to do so and it came just four years after the Franco-Siamese War in which his kingdom had to cede land to the French empire. It…continue reading →

The Victoria Cross

Posted on March 31 2020
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The Victoria Cross is the highest award of the honours system and it was introduced by Queen Victoria in 1856 in order to honour heroes of the Crimean War. Since then, it has been awarded to over 1,300 individuals. One of the earliest recipients of the Victoria Cross was George…continue reading →

The 1837 Fire

Posted on March 21 2020
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It was Tuesday, 7 November 1837. At about ten past eleven on that clear November night, John Wren was getting ready for bed in his home on the corner of Gloucester Square and Southampton High Street. A window was open in an upstairs room and Wren thought he could smell…continue reading →