History of York

The history of York, capital of the north and second city of the realm, is the history of England. It is one of the world's fascinating cities. It began as a fortress, built in AD71 by the Roman 9th Legion. After the Ninth Legion had subdued these troublesome barbarians the camp soon became a permanent fortress. Situated at the junction of the Rivers Ouse and Foss, the fortress enclosed over 50 acres and, at its height, held a force of some 6000 soldiers. In time a thriving civilian population grew up around the area and Eboracum became one of the leading cities in the Roman empire. Here, Constantine the Great, who later founded Constantinople, was made Roman Emperor in AD306.
Constantine's statue & Multangular tower(roman walls)

 

Around AD400 fighting in Gaul (France) put a great strain on Roman resources and the legions based in York were withdrawn to join the struggle.
In the 5th century Germanic tribes of Anglo Saxons invaded Britain and overtook the city (despite a legendary recapture by King Arthur), renaming it Eoforwic, and making it the centre of the independent kingdom of Northumbria.
During the 7th century, the Anglo Saxon warlord Edwin reintroduced Christianity to Northumbria and married a Christian princess from the South, she brought with her a priest called Paulinus who baptised Edwin and many of his subjects on Easter Day 627 in a small timber church. This modest building was the first cathedral of York Minster and Paulinus later became the city's first bishop.
By the eighth century Eoforwic dominated this region of Britain but the kingdom of Northumbria was in decline. Late in the ninth century the arrival of 'Ivar the Boneless' and his hordes of Danish Vikings heralded another important chapter in the city's history. It was the Vikings who gave York its name, derived from Jorvik or Yorwik. Despite their rather bloody reputation, York's Viking settlers led a generally peaceful farming existence and Jorvik became a major river port in the Viking network of trading routes throughout northern Europe.


Clifford's Tower & City walls

 

The last Viking ruler of York, Eric Bloodaxe, was driven from the city in 954 by King Eadred of Wessex who formed a union between the old region of Northumbria and the southern kingdom. A tumultuous period followed with the city undergoing both a local rebellion and invasion by Norwegian forces. The Norwegians were finally defeated in 1066 by King Harold II at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. However, this new situation was short-lived as King Harold fell only three weeks later before the Norman forces of William the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings. their brief but flourishing kingdom. Norman rule was to last longer and it was the Norman who made the city a vital centre of government, commerce and religion for the north. York become the second largest city in the country.

 

Monk bar
Their work prepared it well for its important role in the reigns of the Plantaganet Kings and, in 1485 when this era ended and the Tudor age began, York was already at its zenith. The magnificent Minster had finally been completed, after work lasting 250 years.

 

York minster
Its city was worthy of it: a robust civic pride and long year of prosperity had ensured that. By the 1400's however, the population was declining. Important industries, foremost among them the wool trade, had begun to move elsewhere with the War Of The Roses (1453-1487) bringing yet further turmoil. During the War Of The Roses York was sympathetic to the Lancastrian side, and in the aftermath of the conflict this fact was not forgotten by King Edward IV. He never forgave the city for its lack of loyalty and ruled the city with an iron fist. This was a dark period in York's history with severe epidemics striking the population, the decimation of the wool trade and the shift of much commercial activity to London.
In 1533 King Henry VIII renounced the Church of Rome, formed the Church of England (instating himself as head) and began the dissolution of the monasteries. York, a major religious centre suffered greatly.
King Henry VIII did however strengthen the old Council in the Northern Parts, basing it in York, thus helping York regain its title as England's second city.
By the time Charles left York in 1642 the Parliamentary opposition had grown stronger, Civil war was declared and in April 1644 a 40,000 strong Parliamentary army began the siege of York. In June of the same year Charles' nephew Prince Rupert arrived with over 150,000 troops and chased the Parliamentarians to nearby Marston Moor. However, even though they were greatly outnumbered, the Parliamentarians managed to counter-attack, defeating the Royal force and renewing their siege of the city.
The city eventually surrendered on 15th June 1644 and many buildings were destroyed by the invading force. Fortunately, the Parliamentarian general, Sir Thomas Fairfax was a local man who managed to prevent his troops pillaging most of York's magnificent churches.
Castle museum & Yorkshire museum

 

It was not until the 18th century, when it became a fashionable resort and centre, that there was any marked change in the city's outward character. Hudson brought the railway to York in 1839 and by the beginning of the 20th century the city was a major railway centre employing over 5,500 people directly and several thousand more in the manufacturing industries which sprung up around it. The strength of the railway system can be directly linked to the expansion of Rowntree's Cocoa Works and Terry's Confectionery Works and in Victorian times, the construction of numerous new churches, banks, offices, schools and colleges. Georgian elegance added to its architectural attractions.
In the following century, the coming of the railway marked the start of a new era of growth and prosperity. Today York houses Britain's National Railway Museum which is the largest railway museum in the world.
In more recent years, although traditional manufacturing has declined, new industries have risen up on the City's growing industrial and commercial sites with tourism being a major source of income for the city and its people.
The map identifies the best known places of interest in the old, city a few of which are detailed overleaf. But wherever you go in York you will find evidence of its history an make discoveries of your own.

 

 
The Castle Museum

It is called the 'Castle' museum because there have been castles on this site since 1068 when William The Conqueror built a wooden keep here.

A larger, stone castle was built by Henry III between 1245 and 1258. The remains of the keep, now known as Clifford's Tower, stand opposite the Museum today.


It was housed in the city`s old prison buildings, the museum also gives intriguing glimpses of the prison life of 200 years ago. Continuing the real-life experience, you can walk down a genuine cobbled Victorian street, peer into replica shop windows, call at the Victorian police station and Edwardian pub, and step into family living rooms recreated from centuries ago.


The three main collections are:

Social History

The Castle Museum houses a remarkable collection of objects telling a story of every day life from the past four hundred years. These nationally designated collections include probably the best collection anywhere of British household items from 1600 -2002.


The parlour is decorated in the high Victorian style, with highly carved furniture, and many decorative ornaments. This style of decoration was very popular at the time.

Military History

There's also a collection of arms, armour and militaria. From medieval to civil war to modern day body armour, visitors can learn and experience the realities of battle protection. This gallery shows to explore the practicalities of arms and armour.
The Castle Museum also has one of the most comprehensive collections of English Civil War armour in the country. The siege of York can be followed to the bitterly fought and decisive battle of the English Civil War at Marston Moor in 1644.

Costume History

Costumes and textiles aramongst the most fragile objects in the Museum collections. This means that when you visit the museum you will see an ever-changing display of costume through the centuries.
The collection includes - men's, women's and children's clothes and accessories, household furnishings and needlework and covers over two hundred years.
Mary Oddy wore this dress on 25th January 1865, when she married Joseph Jackson in Bradford. Although white weddings were popular, many brides wore coloured wedding-dresses.
Clothes were very expensive, and Mary would have worn her blue dress again as fashionable day-dress.

This unusual and dramatic silk quilt was made by Ann Hutton-Wilson of Yarm, Yorkshire. Mrs. Hutton-Wilson's husband Robert - an engineer - designed the striking layout, which demonstrates the remarkable needlework skills of his wife, who was said to have no eye for colour. Amazingly, it was originally much bigger. (It measures 86"x84"). In 1870 a border about one yard wide was removed and made up into a second cover so that daughters Louise and Florence could both have a bedcover!
Victorian jewellery could be elaborate; design elements were borrowed from many sources, and a wide variety of materials were used. This brooch is made of tortoiseshell, pearls, and gold filigree, in the shape of a Maltese cross.


Dick Turpin & Cells


The notorious highwayman Dick Turpin spent his last days locked in the cells that now form part of the Castle Museum. After spending 6 months in the Castle Gaol, on the 7th of April 1739 Turpin was led from his cell to the Knavesmire to be executed.
It is doubtful that Turpin ever actually committed highway robbery but he is known to have been a murderer. Ironically, he was hanged for stealing a horse.

The cramped and crowded ground floor cells of the Debtor's Prison were filled with people who locked up for coin clipping, horse and sheep stealing and highway robbery - all capital offences in the eighteenth century.

Visitors entering these dark cells can sense the atmosphere and imagine the despair which the prisoners must have felt.

Half Moon Court


This wonderfully recreated Edwardian (1901 - 1910) street was built in the half moon shaped part of the original prison yard.

The shop fronts are a far cry from the original use of the area, given it was here that the shackles would be cut off prisoners before trial, execution, deportation or release. Haunting wall carvings are a sombre reminder of the prisoners that left their messages on the walls for us to read.

Half Moon Court allows visitors to be transported back in time to a point where cars were still a rare sight and petrol was 6p a gallon!

Visitors can peer into Harding's Drapery store and wonder at the bizarre collection of bric-a-brac that includes ostrich feathers, hat pins and table linens. The early twentieth century Edwardian Street includes the garage of Wales and Son with its 1899 Grout Steam Car, an ironmonger's and a public house. In the street a gypsy caravan, a street piano, and a butcher's van can be seen, complete with sausages!

Kirkgate

The most famous part of York Castle Museum is Kirkgate, a recreated
Victorian street, complete with a Hansom cab and a stage coach.

The street was designed by Dr. J.L. Kirk, the founder of the
museum. John Lamplugh Kirk was a doctor who worked in North Yorkshire in
the early twentieth century. He recognised that a whole way of life was
disappearing around him and so began a collection of objects, which soon
outgrew his house. This became the core of York Castle Museum's exceptional
collection.

Visiting Kirkgate creates a real sense of entering another age.
There is gas street lighting, cobbles, a mounting block and rows of shop
windows, all original to the period. The numerous shops include an apothecary's with its jar for leeches, a toy shop, a gentlemen's outfitters and, of course, a Victorian sweet shop. There is also a candle maker's workshop with boilers for melting tallow, a fire station with engine and a police station complete with padded cell.


There is also an exhibition giving a unique insight to the traditions surrounding birth, marriage and death in England over the past 300 years.
Experience the intensity of Victorian mourning preparations and come face-to-face with the risks of pregnancy and childbirth in the reality of Cradle to Grave.

And another exhibition exploring the many ways people kept themselves and their houses clean in the past. Find out about water supplies, sanitation, hip baths and flushing water closets. Discover how the vacuum cleaner revolutionised housework and why early washing machines were harder work than dolly tubs and pegs.