History of Plymouth Page 2

Plymouth's Maritime History

Although at the time of the English Civil War, Plymouth was still a relatively small town , it was an important target for many leading Royalists, including King Charles I. The war which lasted from 1642 - 1646 saw Plymouth held under a forty month continuous siege, with a small band of men holding the town for Parliament. The war in general, but especially the siege, took its toll on the populace, and the town was nearly lost due to the high death rate. The regeneration of the town and the growth of the population was slow to recover for many years after the fighting stopped.

The maritime history is so rich that that there are now more than forty places worldwide, which bear the name of the city. Obviously, many influential people have sailed from the original Plymouth over the centuries! Plymouth was also the port that the Pilgrim Fathers set out from on their voyage to the NewWorld on a small ship called The Mayflower.

Captain James Cook set sail from Plymouth on each of his three journeys of discovery around the world, as did Charles Darwin on The Beagle. Sir Francis Chichester also left Plymouth on his voyage to become the first person to solo navigate the world.

The famous Royal Naval Dockyard was built in Plymouth in the late 17th Century and has been a major employer in the town ever since. It still carries out major maintenance work and refits on the navy's ships today. The armed forces have also been responsible for the establishment of other major facilities in the city. These include the Royal Naval Hospital built in the 1760s, the Military Hospital built in 1797, the Royal Marine Barracks and the Royal William Victualling Yard.