Website produced and maintained for the Hungerford Historical Association by Hugh Pihlens
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43-410 Roman Occupation1066-1087 William I1086 Domesday Survey1087-1100 William II^ top ^1100-1135 Henry I1103-18 First written mention of "Hungerford" 1135-1154 Stephen1147 First written mention of a church at Hungerford1154-1189 Henry II1170 Burgesses of Hungerford used a 'common seal'1189-1199 Richard I1199-1216 John1199 Survey of Savernake Forest mentions leper house at Hungerford^ top ^1200 Probable period of new town layout 1216-1272 Henry III1227 Henry III's 2nd Charter for deforestation of Berkshire 10th May 12271232 Priory of St John established on 'Bridge Street' island1241 Town call a 'borough' for the first time1248 First mention of a market1248 Theft by William Turnpeny - escaped to Kintbury1272-1307 Edward I1273 Chantry of Blessed Virgin Mary mentioned1275 'Pons de Hungreford' mentioned1275 Two water mills in the town^ top ^1307-1327 Edward II1325 Robert de Hungerford founded Chantry of Holy Trinity 1327-1377 Edward III1340 John of Gaunt born1348-50 The Black Death - 30-60% of population die1360 Probable date of the old 'Courte House'1361 Town Fair mentioned1362 John of Gaunt's wife Blanche inherits Lancastrian estates1377-1399 Richard II1399-1413 Henry IV^ top ^1413-1422 Henry V1422-1461 Henry VI1446 "Town" and "Borough" mentioned in grant to Lord Hungerford1449 Construction of 2-bay cruck house (now 85-86 High Street)1450 Possible date of the first Town Hall?1461-1483 Edward IV1464 First mention of The Bear in Charnham Street1470 Earliest known Rent Roll for Hungerford1483 Edward V1483-1485 Richard III1485-1509 Henry VII1494 Denne Myll (Dun Mill) mentioned^ top ^1509-1547 Henry VIII1522 Muster Roll for Hungerford1537 Bear Inn Landlord gives evidence against highwayman1541 Bear Inn passed to Henry VIII's wives1547 Priory of St. John dissolved by Henry VIII1547-1553 Edward VI1548 Chantry of Holy Trinity dissolved1552 Duchy of Lancaster Survey of Hungerford 1553 Lady Jane Gray1553-1558 Mary I1558-1603 Elizabeth I1566 Great Fire of Hungerford1568-1611 Long wrangle with Duchy over status of townsmen1573 Duchy of Lancaster Survey of Hungerford1573 Second Town Hall built1591 Duchy of Lancaster Survey of Hungerford1591 Survey of Manor of Hungerford and Sanden Fee1592 Queen Elizabeth's coachman died and buried here^ top ^1600's Two fairs and three markets annually1601 Poor Law Act1603-1625 James I1603-04 Plague Epidemic1606 Duchy of Lancaster Survey of Hungerford1617 Debate with Duchy finally settled by Feoffment 1625-1649 Charles I1635 Dr. Sheaff founded Free Grammar School1642-46 First Civil War1643 First Battle of Newbury1644 Second Battle of Newbury1648 Second Civil War 1649-1660 Commonwealth1654 John Evelyn visited1660-1685 Charles II1662 Settlement Act1662 Hearth Tax introduced (repealed 1689)1667 Coal Tax introduced (repealed 1889)1668 Samuel Pepys visited1675 Local felony by John Boone1676 Duchy of Lancaster Rent Roll of Hungerford1676 George Bromham and Dorothy Newman hanged at Combe Gibbet1685-1688 James II1686 White Hart mentioned1687 New clock bought for "Clock House" in Town Hall for £10. Clockwinder John Tubb1688 William of Orange met Commissioners of James II at The Bear1688-1702 William & Mary1689 Hearth Tax (repealed 1689)1695 Window Tax (repealed 1851)1697 Settlement Act^ top ^1702 Fire pump bought for £171702-1714 Anne1702 Interesting account of Hunting in Hungerford1707 Act of Union: England and Scotland forms Great Britain1709 Jethro Tull (inventor of the seed drill) moves to Prosperous Farm 1714-1727 George I1715 Fire in Hungerford mentioned in Constables accounts1718 Lime trees planted around the pond in the High Street1718-1720 First inoculation against smallpox1722 Thomas Guy opens Guy's Hospital1727-1760 George II1727-1788 Thomas Gainsborough – English landscape and portrait painter1728-1779 James Cook – English voyager. Endeavour, Resolution, and Adventure. Discovered New Zealand 17701730 First experiments with gas street lighting (see 1801)1731 Jethro Tull publishes "Horse-hoeing Husbandry"1733 Gate and rails at southern limits of town1738 Charles Wesley founded Methodist Church1740 Bridge Street made1744 Newbury-Marlborough Turnpike Acts1746 Glass Tax introduced (repealed 1845)1750 Tea and coffee houses popular in Britain1750 Bow Street runners – early "police" force1751 William Hogarth "Gin Lane", "Beer Street" etc. 1697-17641751-1816 Richard Sheridan – British dramatist and MP, writer of comedies.1752 Reform of the Calendar1753 Hardwick Marriage Act – all (except Jews and Quakers) must marry in Anglican church1757-1827 William Blake – English artist and poet1758-1805 Horatio, Lord Nelson. Died on "The Victory"1760-1820 George III1762 Murder of William and Anne Cheyney1765 First canal opened1768 Royal Academy founded1770 John Radcliffe opens infirmary in Oxford1775-1851 Joseph Turner – English landscape painter.1776-1837 John Constable – English landscape painter1779 First ironbridge built – Abraham Derby1781 Britain lost American colonies after 8 year war1783 First manned hot-air balloon flight1784 Brick Tax introduced (repealed 1850)1786 Third Town Hall built1788 First meeting to consider Western Canal1788-1824 Lord Byron – English romantic poet1792-1822 Percy Bysshe Shelley - poet1794 Hungerford Troop of Berkshire Yeomanry formed1795-1840 The Regency Period1795 Speenhamland System (linking poor rate to the cost of bread)1796 William Jenner performs first vaccination1798 Western Canal opened to Hungerford^ top ^1800 Georgian period: age of consent 14 yrs for boys, 12 yrs for girls1801 First Congregational Church built1801 Act of Union – United Kingdom: Britain with Ireland (until 1920)1801 General Enclosure Act1801 Gas street lighting becomes widely used – extracted from coal1805 Battle of Trafalgar1805 Pond in High Street filled in1807 First Slave Trade Act – first attempt to abolish the slave trade1807 Old Wesleyan Chapel in Church Lane built1809 George III's Golden Jubilee, 25th Oct1810 Kennet and Avon Canal fully opened 1811-1820 The Regency Period1811 Vaccination in Hungerford: Mr Major and Mr Barker vaccinating1811 Enclosure Act for Hungerford received Royal Assent 25.5.18111813 Large Ordnance Depot built at Picket Field1814 George Stephenson's first steam locomotive to haul coal from mines1814 National School built1814-16 New Church of St Lawrence built1815 3,700 miles of canal in use1815 Battle of Waterloo. Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon's army. 16,000 died1816 "Year Without Summer" caused by the eruption of Indonesian volcano, Mount Tambora, the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history. Local crops lost.1820-1830 George IV1821 Bare Knuckle Fight on Hungerford Common between Bill Neat & Tom Hickman1825 Local theft by John Giles and George Breadmore - transported to Australia1827 Bare Knuckle Fight on Hungerford Common between Marten & Gybletts 1829 Sir Robert Peal organised civilian police force1829 The Rocket wins £500 prize for fastest locomotive. Liverpool & Manchester Railway1830 First bank in Hungerford1830-1837 William IV1830 Agricultural "Swing" Riots locally - Gibbons foundry and Tannery damaged1832 Great Reform Bill passed1833 Slavery finally abolished1834 Poor Law Amendment Act1835 Hungerford & Ramsbury Union formed1834 Tolpuddle martyrs arrested for joining trade union. Transported to Australia1836 Height of coaching era 200 coaches weekly on Bath Road1837-1901 Victoria1837 Turnstiles erected in Little Church Lane1837 More than 20,500 miles of turnpike roads in use1839 Royal Berkshire Hospital opened1840 Meeting about Emigration to New Zealand1840 New Congregational Church built1842 Westfield House School established1845 Canals virtually extinct1845 Hungerford Gas Company registered1845 Glass Tax repealed1847 Railway opened to Hungerford terminus station1848 New workhouse opened off Cow Lane1848 By now only three coaches weekly on Bath Road1850 Brick Tax repealed1851 Window Tax repealed1852 Kennet and Avon Canal bought by GWR1858 Night School established1862 Railway extended west to Devizes1863 Little Church Lane turnstile replaced by posts1864 Primitive Methodist Chapel built1864 Police Station built1868 St Saviours Church built1869 Wesleyan Chapel built1870 Newtown School Chapel (St Mary's Church, Newtown) built1870 Hungerford Post office first connected to the Telegraph system1871 New Town Hall and Corn Exchange built1872 Autumn Troop Manoeuvres around Hungerford1874 Railway converted to standard gauge1876 Murder of two policemen locally1877 Last year canal made a profit1879 Restoration of St Lawrences completed1879 Bullock stampede in Hungerford1884 Old Grammar School in Croft closed1887 Rural Sports, 11th April1887 Queen Victoria's Jubilee, 21st June1889 Coal Tax repealed1891 First steam fire engine "Greenwich"1893 First fire station built in Charnham Street1894 Boundary changes bringing Charnham Street into Hungerford1894 Charnham Street Floods1896 Second railway bridge over High Street1897 Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, 20th June1899 St John's Mission Hall built^ top ^1900 Church House built1901-1910 The Edwardian Period1901-1910 Edward VII1901 Church House club formed1903 Water Works company formed1905 Telephone exchange first installed1907 School added to Primitive Methodist Chapel1908 Formation of Town & Manor Charity, under Charity Commissioners1909 New drainage scheme1910-1936 George V 1910 New motorised fire engine "Dreadnought"1910 New 'council' school built in Fairview Road1912 Visit of King George V to Chilton1914 Post Office built1914-18 First World War1915 180 Company A.S.C.. MT. stationed in Hungerford1919 Peace Celebration Dinner1920 Widening of Bridge Street: Dedication of War Memorial1921 Sports ground opened in The Croft1921 War Memorial Dedication Service1924 Motorised fire engine 'John of Gaunt'1928 Sale of Inglewood Estate (4,225 acres with many local properties and farms)1932 Charnham Street floods, 16 May1932 Lytton Strachey, Bloomsbury Group, dies at Ham Spray House, 28 May 1936 Edward VIII1936-1952 George VI1939-45 Second World War1944 General Eisenhower addressed American troops on Common1948 George VI and Queen Elizabeth passed through Hungerford1948 "Black Legend" - film about Combe Gibbet made by John Schlesinger1952-now Elizabeth II1952 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip passed through the town1953 Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation, 2nd Jun 19531960 Fire destroyed James Mill1963 John of Gaunt Secondary School opened1964 Swimming pool opened1964 Railway station demolished1966 Third railway bridge over High Street1967 Library opened in Church Street1968 New fire station in Church Street built1970 Steam Fairs on the Common in aid of Corn Exchange restoration1971 Railway accident demolished signal box1971 M4 Motorway opened1974 Local government re-organization: first Mayor of Hungerford1974 Re-opening of Kennet and Avon Canal to Hungerford1978 New bells hung in St Lawrence's Church1979 Formation of Hungerford Historical Association1980 Hungerford and Camburn Educational Foundation formed1981 Hungerford twinned with Ligueil1987 Hungerford shooting tragedy1988-89 Archaelogical Dig at Undy's Farm1998 Hungerford Fish Mortality^ top ^2008 New library and council office opened in Church Street
Updated: 27.9.2011
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