153-569: The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport , Hampshire, which was also known as the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar , was one of Britain's leading Royal Naval Hospitals (and latterly a tri-service MOD hospital) for over 250 years. Built in the 1740s, it was reputedly the largest hospital in the world when it opened, and the largest brick-built building in Europe. In 1998 the closure of the hospital
306-457: A 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (5.6 km) perimeter and is the largest of the Royal Navy's training establishments, with around 3,000 service and civilian personnel when working at full capacity. The Borough of Gosport has the following schools and colleges: There are public libraries at Bridgemary, Elson, and at Gosport Discovery Centre. In 2020, Hampshire County Council announced plans to close
459-520: A Chief Petty Officer called the Wardmaster. Working alongside the Sick Berth Staff, and supervising them in their duties, were a new female corps of trained and experienced Nursing Sisters , recruited from civilian service. (The Royal Navy's Nursing Sisters were later given the designation Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service , in 1902.) When Greenwich Hospital closed in 1869, several of
612-490: A British subject as still "British"; as a result, the Royal Navy impressed over 9,000 sailors who claimed to be American citizens. During the wars with France (1793 to 1815), the Royal Navy aggressively reclaimed British deserters on board ships of other nations, both by halting and searching merchant ships, and, in many cases, by searching American port cities. Although these impressments violated American law, Jefferson ignored them so as to remain on good terms with Britain as he
765-486: A Ladies team and Junior teams. Gosport Borough Cricket Club was formed in 1966 following the merger of Gosport Amateurs & Gosport C.C., and also play at Privett Park. They reached the ECB National Club Cricket Championship final at Lord's in 1980. Future England players Trevor Jesty and Phil Newport played for the club before moving on to first-class careers. In 2008 18 year old Chris Lynn
918-505: A bounty upon joining, unlike pressed men. Seamen were not covered by Magna Carta and "failure to allow oneself to be pressed" was punishable by hanging, although the punishment became less severe over time. In Elizabethan times a statute regulated impressment as a form of recruitment, and with the introduction of the Vagabonds Act in 1597, men of disrepute ( vagrants ) found themselves drafted into service. In 1703, an act passed limiting
1071-449: A burial ground. Burials therein ceased in 1859 when a new naval cemetery was opened a quarter of a mile away at Clayhall. In 1840 the title of Physician was abolished in the Royal Navy. That same year, the title of the senior officer of the hospital changed (having already changed from 'Governor' to 'Resident Commissioner' in 1820): it now became 'Captain-superintendent'. By the early 1850s the staff consisted of: To provide fresh water for
1224-414: A detached chapel, dedicated to St Luke, was constructed at what would have been its centre-point; (within its pediment an original hour-striking clock by Colley of London, dated 1762, continues to do service). Each wing consisted of a double row of buildings, with wards on three storeys and within the attic spaces (except that the ground floor of the inner buildings formed an arcaded walkway, opening on to
1377-468: A few years later, containing a dormitory and kitchen facilities; and in 1917 the Canada Block was opened, which provided mess facilities for the Sick Berth Staff. Between 1899 and 1902 a new zymotic hospital was built in the south corner of the site, where patients with infectious diseases could be isolated. Consisting of four ward blocks connected by a covered way, with a separate administration block in
1530-411: A hotel. The hospital was converted into retirement flats to the designs of Graham Reid Architects and Heber-Percy and Parker Architects between 2018 and 2020. Gosport Gosport ( / ˈ ɡ ɒ s p ɔːr t / GOS -port ) is a town and non-metropolitan district with borough status , on the south coast of Hampshire , England. At the 2021 Census , the town had a population of 70,131 and
1683-500: A jetty directly opposite the main gate (it was not until 1795 that a bridge was built over Haslar Creek, providing a direct link to Gosport; up to this date the hospital employed a ferryman). Built on a peninsula, the hospital's guard towers, high brick walls, and bars and railings throughout the site were all designed to stop patients, many of whom had been press ganged , from going absent without leave . The hospital had been designed to accommodate 1,500 patients, but as early as 1755 it
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#17331055316231836-402: A major part in discovering a cure for scurvy, not least through his pioneering use of a double blind methodology with Vitamin C supplements (limes). In 1794, in order to improve discipline within the hospital, its management was taken out of the hands of the clinicians and vested in serving naval officers. They were housed in a grand terrace of nine new residences, built at the south-west end of
1989-502: A merchantman fired on a cruiser that was attempting to impress its crew; threats of similar violence to avoid sailors being pressed were supposedly not uncommon, especially with the East India ships whose crews had been away from their families and England for a considerable time. In times of an extreme shortage of men, the Navy would "embargo" the coast for a short time; merchantmen had to supply
2142-635: A new building lying between the two wings of the original hospital was opened; housing operating theatres and various patient support services, it was known as the Crosslink. In 1993, following on from the Options for Change review at the end of the Cold War , a decision was taken to cut the number of military hospitals in the UK from seven to three (one for each Service ). The following year, as part of Front Line First , it
2295-410: A new hospital laundry, which was built within the hospital grounds directly opposite the engine house (and connected to it via a tunnel under Haslar Road). The water pumped from the wells was stored in a water tower (which was rebuilt in the 1880s), while hot water from the engine was sent to a separate tank on the roof of the laundry. In 1854 the use of female nurses in the naval hospitals ceased; for
2448-673: A number were established overseas no moves were made to build one in Britain. In a twelve-month period in 1739-40, however, nearly 17,000 sick and wounded seamen came ashore in Portsmouth and Plymouth as a result of the War of Jenkins' Ear , and the old systems of treatment and care were unable to cope. In 1741 the Commissioners for Sick and Hurt Seamen again petitioned the Admiralty to build hospitals to meet
2601-505: A portion of their crew in exchange for permission to sail. Many merchant ships had hiding places constructed where their best crew could hide when approached by a Naval vessel. The owners of British whalers , because of the Press, often appointed a master to them whilst the vessels were in port in order to protect the whalers' crews. Otherwise the Press could take the men for naval service. The owners would then appoint an actual master to replace
2754-464: A third ferry called Solent Enterprise joined the fleet. She was a slightly larger, more luxurious version of the "Queens". The company now operates two new modern ferries along with the two 1966 veterans. The first was built in 2001 and is named Spirit of Gosport . After the retirement of the Solent Enterprise in 2003, a second modern and slightly larger ferry was added to the fleet and was named
2907-787: A tourist attraction. The tiles were produced by Poole Pottery . The International Festival of the Sea drew over 250,000 tourists to the Portsmouth Harbour area in 1998, 2001 and 2005. The most recent festival was held in 2007. The Royal Navy maintains a presence in Gosport at HMS Sultan , which is the home of the Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE) and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (RNAESS). The Sultan site occupies 179 acres (72 ha) of land within
3060-434: A uniform and relative rank, and clearer conditions of appointment. Notable physicians associated with Haslar in the 19th century included Sir John Richardson , Thomas Henry Huxley and William Balfour Baikie , while Sir Edward Parry served as captain-superintendent for a time in the 1840s-50s. Although it was a naval hospital, Haslar also treated large numbers of wounded soldiers, particularly between 1803 and 1815 (during
3213-572: A way around this policy by "landing" cargoes from Europe in the United States and issuing certificates that duty had been paid. The ship would then sail, with the cargo never having been offloaded or duty actually paid, as now bona fide commerce between neutral America and the West Indies. The British became aware of the practice during the court case involving the seizure of the Essex . The court ruled that
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#17331055316233366-444: Is a legend; press officers were subject to fines for using trickery and a volunteer had a "cooling-off" period in which to change his mind. The great majority of men pressed were taken from merchant ships at sea, especially those homeward bound for Britain. This was legal as long as the Navy replaced the man they took, and many Naval captains would take the best seamen, replacing them with malcontents and landsmen from their own ship. It
3519-504: Is also used as a base for glider clubs, light aeroplanes, HM Coastguard heliport and police aircraft. In the west of Gosport is the naval base HMS Sultan . West of Sultan is the district of Rowner, which includes Alver Village. There are several districts north, northwest and west of the town centre. These include areas that extend to the inland areas of the peninsula, Hardway (including Priddy's Hard and Forton Lake ) Elson, Brockhurst, Bridgemary and Rowner. Hoeford (A32 Gosport Road)
3672-481: Is likely these were pressed men who became "volunteers" to get the sign-up bonus, two months' wages in advance and a higher wage. It is known that large numbers did this. Volunteering also protected the sailor from creditors, as the law forbade collecting debts accrued before enlistment. A disadvantage was that volunteers who deserted were liable to execution if captured, whereas pressed men were simply returned to service. Other records confirm similar percentages throughout
3825-485: Is the area of Clayhall. West, Northwest and South of Stoke Lake is the district and village of Alverstoke . To the west of which is Browndown, where the River Alver flows into The Solent at Stokes Bay. Further west from Browndown point is the district of Lee-on-the-Solent with the former RNAS Daedalus which is now home to a hovercraft museum and several marine related businesses, and CEMAST College (Fareham College). It
3978-462: Is the most northwesterly area within Gosport, and ends at the boundary with the Borough of Fareham . The climate of Gosport is milder than that of the surrounding areas, winter frosts being light and short-lived and snow quite rare. Temperatures rarely drop much below freezing, because the peninsula has water to the south and east. Portsdown Hill also protects the town from the cold northerly winds during
4131-485: Is very long, and the town has several buildings of historic interest as well as connections with many people who became famous. Most of the former naval and military installations have closed since the Second World War , leaving empty sites and buildings. In response to this, museums have opened, and many of the fortifications and installations (such as Fort Brockhurst , Priddy's Hard (formerly an Armament Depot , now
4284-480: Is widely purported to derive its name from "goose". An alternative etymology of "gorse" (from the bushes growing on local heathland) is not supported by the regional name for the plant, "furze". A third theory, claiming a derivation from "God's Port" is believed to be a 19th-century invention. This is, however, the slogan of Gosport as demonstrated on its emblem. The Town area of the Borough, including Newtown, consists of
4437-454: The Court of King's Bench . He went on to lobby for changes in law and practice, publishing Letters on the evils of impressment: with the outline of a plan for doing them away, on which depend the wealth, prosperity, and consequence of Great Britain in 1816. Patrolling in or near sea ports, the press gang would try to find men aged between 15 and 55 with seafaring or river-boat experience, but this
4590-555: The Easton Massacre in 1803 (see caption at right), resulted in a press gang firing on a crowd, killing four people in the village of Easton on the Isle of Portland, where they were trying to impress the quarrymen. In 1808, Thomas Urquhart was saved from a press gang of three or four men when a London passersby intervened. Urquhart complained to local officials, identified at least one of the men involved and successfully sued for damages in
4743-621: The English Civil War was largely manned by impressment. After the restoration of the monarchy , impressment into the army was discontinued. During the American Revolutionary War, after the losses at the Battle of Saratoga and the impending hostilities with France, the existing voluntary enlistment measures were judged to be insufficient. Between 1775 and 1781, the regular army increased from 48,000 to 110,000. Two acts were passed,
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4896-911: The Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower ) and the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Haslar Road) have been opened to the public as tourism and heritage sites. One of the more recent additions is the Diving Museum at No 2 Battery at Stokes Bay which is bidding to become the National Diving Museum for the British Isles. Several sites have also been redeveloped to provide housing, including the New Barracks (opened 1859, renamed St George Barracks in 1947, having served as HMS St George during
5049-672: The First World War . In 1918 officers of the Royal Navy Medical Service were given naval rank; until the 1970s the Medical Officer in Charge of the hospital was a Surgeon Rear-Admiral . Between the wars Haslar continued to provide preliminary training to new surgeon lieutenants, and instruction to new Sick Berth Staff. During the Second World War the hospital established the country's first blood bank , treated casualties from
5202-482: The Gosport War Memorial Hospital in town. The town is served by these local newspapers The town of Gosport has many sports clubs and organisations including boxing , judo , angling , rugby , cricket , football , model yachting , sailing , and ice hockey . Gosport Borough F.C. play their home games at Privett Park and cater for players of either sex from age six upwards. The club play in
5355-501: The NHS withdrew in 2009 and the hospital closed). Forton Barracks (opened 1811, closed 1923, re-opened as HMS St Vincent in 1923, closed 1969) was part-demolished and is now St Vincent College . There has also been extensive redevelopment of the harbour area as a marina. In November 1850, two ships of the Ottoman Navy, Mirat-ı Zafer and Sürağ-ı Bahri Briki , anchored off
5508-670: The Napoleonic Wars on. The impressment of seamen from American ships caused serious tensions between Britain and the Thirteen Colonies in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War . One of the 27 colonial grievances enumerated in the Declaration of Independence directly highlights the practice. It was again a cause of tension leading up to the War of 1812 . After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Britain formally ended
5661-625: The Napoleonic Wars ) and during the Crimean War in the 1850s. During such times Army medical personnel were drafted in to work alongside their naval counterparts. In 1818 the southernmost block of the main hospital was set aside for the treatment of officers and seamen with psychiatric disorders. Haslar Naval Lunatic Asylum was at the time the only such institution for naval personnel in the UK (apart from some provision at Greenwich Hospital); previously, affected personnel had been sent to Hoxton House . An early superintending psychiatrist (from 1830-38)
5814-636: The Navigation Acts , to make experienced English seamen more available to serve on ships of war. In 1740, impressment was limited to men between 18 and 45, and it also exempted foreigners. As part of a wider effort to build colonial capability and harass its enemies, Parliament passed the Trade to America Act 1707 ( 6 Ann. c. 64). Section 9 mandated that mariners serving on board privateers and trading ships in any part of America, and those on shore, are not liable for impressment. Lingering questions remained whether
5967-509: The Normandy landings and deployed clinicians to field hospitals in Europe and in the Far East. It was also a key medical supplies centre for the fleet and for the various shore stations and auxiliary hospitals of Portsmouth Command . During 1940 and 1941 there were frequent air raids: on one occasion 80% of the medical stores were destroyed by incendiary bombs; on another the library and museum (which
6120-541: The Recruiting Act 1778 and the Recruiting Act 1779 , for the impression of individuals into the British Army. The chief advantages of these acts was in the number of volunteers brought in under the apprehension of impressment. To avoid impressment, some recruits incapacitated themselves by cutting off the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, making it impossible to use a musket or sword . The Recruiting Act of 1779
6273-638: The Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium project, a large sundial, known as the Millennium Timespace, was installed on the harbour front in 2000. Alongside this sundial, a long meandering path of designed paving stones can be found, known as the Millennium Path; this can also be seen across the Solent in Portsmouth. Though there are multiple theories which point towards the etymology of Gosport, it
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6426-602: The Southern Football League and represent the town at a national level in the FA Cup and FA Trophy . The area also has another Non-League football club Fleetlands F.C. who play at Lederle Lane Stadium. RMLI Gosport F.C. were a former team to represent the town winning the 1910 FA Amateur Cup . Gosport and Fareham Rugby Football Club has six senior sides, a Ladies team, and 10 youth sides. Gosport Borough Hockey Club, based at St Vincent College, has three Men's teams,
6579-525: The Spirit of Portsmouth . All ferries have been able to carry cycles and motorcycles. Gosport received its railway before Portsmouth, but it closed to passengers in 1953. In 1841 a railway opened between the London and Southampton Railway at Eastleigh via Fareham to Gosport, where a terminus was built to an Italianate design of Sir William Tite . Gosport railway station was intended to serve Portsmouth across
6732-725: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland between 1801 and 1922. The Royal Navy recruited heavily in Ireland during these periods, including using impressment. For example, in 1734, impressment took place in Wicklow . Impressment was also common during the Napoleonic wars, although poverty in Ireland made sure that volunteers were usually available. The Royal Navy also used impressment extensively in British North America from during
6885-470: The in-pensioners moved in to the hospital at Haslar, and were accommodated in their own dedicated wards. Out-pensioners could also apply for entry. A handful of ex-Greenwich pensioners were still living there in the early 20th century. In 1870 the placing of naval officers in charge of hospitals was discontinued. In place of the Captain-superintendent and Lieutenants, the senior medical officer of
7038-790: The 1778 Act applied only to Scotland and the area around London, excluding Wales and the rest of England, to avoid interfering with harvesting. The 1779 Act applied to all of Great Britain, but was initially suspended everywhere except the area around London, and actually applied to all of Great Britain for only six months, until the 1779 act was repealed in May 1780, and army impressment ceased in Britain. Unlike naval impressment, army impressment applied only to "able-bodied idle, and disorderly Persons, who could not, upon Examination, prove themselves to exercise and industriously follow some lawful Trade or Employment, or to have some Substance sufficient for their Support and Maintenance", as well as smugglers, according to
7191-557: The 1790s, set up a separate operating room in the Royal Hospital Haslar (which was the first in any naval hospital). Prior to this innovation, surgery had been performed on the wards in front of the other patients. The hospital treated foreign nationals as well as British service personnel. There are records of Portuguese sailors suffering from typhus being treated in the hospital in the 1790s, as well as French prisoners of war (who were being held on prison hulks nearby). By
7344-566: The 18th and 19th centuries. Navy press gangs sparked resistance, riots, and political turmoil in seaports such as Halifax , St John's , and Quebec City . One of the largest impressment operations occurred in the spring of 1757 in New York City , when 3,000 Royal Navy sailors under the command of Sir Charles Hardy entered the city and scoured the taverns and other sailors' gathering places. "All kinds of tradesmen and Negroes" were hauled in, nearly eight hundred in all. Four hundred were retained in
7497-503: The 18th century. Average annual recruitment 1736–1783 All three groups also suffered high levels of desertion. In the 18th century, British desertion rates on naval ships averaged 25% annually, with slight difference between volunteers and pressed men. The rate of desertion started high, then fell heavily after a few months on board a ship, and generally became negligible after a year—because Navy pay ran months or years in arrears , desertion might mean not only abandoning companions in
7650-641: The Admiralty would order a "hot press", which meant that no-one remained exempt. The Royal Navy also impressed seamen from inbound British merchant ships at sea, though this was done by individual warships, rather than by the Impress Service. Impressment, particularly press gangs , became consistently unpopular with the British public (as well as in the American colonies), and local officials often acted against them, to
7803-490: The Continental Navy, James Nicholson , was appointed to command Virginia . When it was fitted out in 1777, Nicholson received orders to sail to Martinique . Many of Nicholson's crew had deserted to sign on as privateers, for higher pay at less risk. Therefore, Nicholson impressed about thirty citizens of Baltimore , an act expressly forbidden by Maryland law. Maryland governor Thomas Johnson demanded immediate release of
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#17331055316237956-641: The French invasion threat of 1779. By 1860, the Gosport Lines had 58 guns. No.1 Bastion, for example, had mounted 14 guns in brick lined emplacements firing over the parapet. The 1859 Royal Commission on the Defences of the United Kingdom proposed the completion of a line of forts to protect the outer approach to Gosport town, making the earlier defences redundant. However, they were retained to constrain any expansion of
8109-537: The Gosport Gallery and reference library. The museum is run by Hampshire Cultural Trust. It is part of the council's urban regeneration plans. One of the aims of Hampshire Cultural Trust is to get "the community back in. We want to get the building back into use and the public back into the High Street ... [and to attract people] who do not normally go to museums". The town has a theatre, Thorngate Hall, which
8262-517: The Gosport waterfront. There, the M4 Sherman tanks were backed into position in preparation for the Channel crossing. The initial plan was for the invasion to begin on 5 June, but bad weather, with the various vessels riding at anchor off Calshot in the Solent, delayed the plans by one day. Gosport has no railway station. However, it may be considered that the town does not require a railway station due to
8415-466: The Hardway near Gosport. The visit lasted several months and during this time some of the members of the crew contracted cholera and were admitted to Haslar Hospital for treatment, where most of them died. In addition, some other sailors died because of training accidents. In total 26 died and were laid to rest in the grounds of Haslar. At the turn of the 20th century the bodies were exhumed and transferred to
8568-505: The High Street, Stoke Road shopping area, Walpole Park, Royal Clarence Yard and three modern marinas: Royal Clarence, Gosport Marina and Haslar Marina. South of the centre is Haslar Creek, which flows into Portsmouth Harbour near the harbour mouth. The lowest part of Haslar Creek is called Haslar Lake; at its western end, the creek splits into two branches. These are called Workhouse Lake (the northern branch) and Stoke Lake (the southern branch). South East of Stoke Lake and along Gilkicker Point
8721-595: The Museum'; appointed in 1827, he continued in this role alongside his work at the Asylum. Sir John Richardson succeeded him in 1838; under his curation the museum was regarded as a scientific institution of national importance, but following his resignation in 1855 much of the collection was dispersed (with several items going to Kew Gardens and the British Museum). The museum was gradually restocked, but later destroyed by bombing in
8874-649: The Navigation Act 1703 ( 2 & 3 Ann. c. 6) was passed "for the Encrease of Seamen and better Encouragement of Navigation, and the Protection of the Coal Trade". This act gave parish authorities the power to indenture and apprentice boys to the sea, from as young as 10, until age 21; it also reaffirmed that rogues and vagabonds were subject to be pressed into the navy. The act establishes administration and regulations for
9027-605: The Navy had to quickly recruit an extra 20,000 men in the early 18th century, and 40,000 men in the late 18th century. Privateers , the Royal Navy, and the Merchant Navy all competed for a small pool of ordinary and able seamen in wartime, and all three groups were usually short-handed. The recruitment figures presented to Parliament for the years 1755–1757 list 70,566 men, of whom 33,243 were volunteers (47%), 16,953 pressed men (24%), while another 20,370 were listed as volunteers separately (29%). Although there are no records that explain why volunteers were separated into two groups, it
9180-411: The R.N. Military Cemetery, Clayhall Road, in Alverstoke . In the first week of June 1944, tanks, scout cars and wheeled vehicles of the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment , Canadian Army loaded Landing craft tanks in Gosport. Convoys of vehicles had been carefully concealed from German discovery in the areas further inland, and in daylight on 3 June moved through Titchfield and Stubbington to G3 Hard on
9333-404: The Royal Navy a sufficient number of volunteer recruits to meet its manpower needs. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century changes in manpower needs and improved conditions of service permitted the Royal Navy to rely on voluntary enlistment to meet its requirements, augmented by the recall of reservists when necessary. This continued to be the case until World War I, when organised conscription
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#17331055316239486-429: The Royal Navy was additionally known to pay wages up to two years in arrears. The Navy always withheld six months' pay as a standard policy, in order to discourage desertion. Naval wages had been set in 1653, and were not increased until April 1797 after sailors on 80 ships of the Channel Fleet based at Spithead mutinied . Despite this, there were still many volunteers for naval service. The work for individual sailors
9639-420: The Second World War. (The Library, however, survived; it has since been amalgamated into the collections of the Institute of Naval Medicine .) In the 18th and early 19th century deceased patients were buried (usually in unmarked graves) over a wide area at the south-west end of the site (later known as the Paddock). In 1826 part of it (to the north-west of the Terrace) was enclosed behind walls and consecrated as
9792-404: The Second World War; closed 1991), the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard (opened 1828 on the site of an earlier victualling facility, closed 1992) and Royal Hospital Haslar (formerly the last military hospital of the UK: opened as a Royal Naval Hospital in 1753, later served other armed forces personnel and latterly the wider community of Gosport; closed as a military hospital in March 2007,
9945-409: The Steward and the Agent (who was responsible to the Sick and Hurt Board for assessment of new arrivals, among other duties). Accommodation was provided for the senior medical staff in two pairs of semi-detached houses, standing to either side of the main front. Dr James Lind (1716–1794), the 'Father of Naval Medicine', served as leading physician at Haslar from 1758 till 1785. In that time he played
10098-426: The Sugar Trade Act 1746 ( 19 Geo. 2 . c. 30) stating that impressment was forbidden in the West Indies, but it added certain exceptions and made no specific mention of America. This would lead to the Knowles Riot in Boston the following year, and continuing colonial questions, particularly in heavily maritime New England . The last law was passed in 1835, in which the power to impress was reaffirmed. This limited
10251-403: The United States and Jefferson later wrote: "The affair of the Chesapeake put war into my hand, I had only to open it and let havoc loose". He ordered the state governors to ready their militias, but the Embargo Act of 1807 that he eventually passed only ordered all British armed vessels out of American waters and forbade all contact with them if they remained. As a cause of the War of 1812 ,
10404-477: The Vane A class, Vane 36, 1 meter, multihull, dragon force and laser. Model yachting used to be one of the most popular sports in Britain. Now it is one of only a few lakes in the world that still races vane steered boats, the more traditional kind without remote control or electricity. A greyhound racing track called the Gosport Greyhound and Whippet Track existed from April 1930 until June 1936 and held racing every Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. The racing
10557-428: The act, including youth who volunteer for the indenture and certain seamen engaged in the coal trade supplying cities, are exempt from impressment for three years. This act was followed by the Recruiting Act 1703 ( 2 & 3 Ann. c. 13), which allows impressing able-bodied men into the army and navy who did not have visible means of subsistence; also as a wartime measure the act relaxes English crewing requirements under
10710-412: The ages of 18 and 55 years". Non- seamen were sometimes impressed as well, though rarely. In addition to the Royal Navy's use of impressment, the British Army also experimented with impressment from 1778 to 1780. Impressment was strongly criticised by those who believed it to be contrary to the British constitution . Though the public opposed conscription in general, impressment was repeatedly upheld by
10863-444: The allies restored the Bourbon kings to the throne, and France was no longer an enemy of Great Britain. The naval war was over and Britain could now sharply reduce its Royal Navy. It had no need to impress sailors, and never again used that means of forced recruitment, although it did not officially renounce the practice. By the time of Britain's next major war, against Russia in 1853 , a new system of fixed-term engagements had given
11016-530: The attendants. Under him, patients were given use of the hospital grounds; they partook of music and dancing, and were also regularly taken on boating trips in Portsmouth Harbour. To give them a view of the Solent, which lay beyond the high walls of the airing ground adjacent to the Asylum, Anderson created two grass-covered mounds topped by summer houses (one of which still survives). In 1863 the Naval Asylum
11169-619: The cargo of the Essex had never been intended for American markets, so the voyage had not been broken and could thus be considered continuous. The result was the blockade of New York Harbor by two British frigates, the Cambrian and the Leander , which provoked public demonstrations. For the next year scores of American ships found violating the Rule of 1756 were condemned in admiralty courts and their crews were impressed with increasing frequency until, in
11322-453: The centre ground). The tall centrepiece of the main front, which was aligned with the main entrance, was topped with a sculpted pediment in Portland stone , while an archway below led to the courtyard beyond. The side wings were of a plainer design, with low pavilions at the centre on each side (which were used as store rooms in the early years). The corner blocks initially contained apartments for
11475-507: The commander shouted a warning to which Barron replied "I don't hear what you say". Leopard then fired two shots across the bow and almost immediately poured a broadside into Chesapeake . The Chesapeake did not return fire but Leopard fired another two broadsides; three sailors onboard Chesapeake were killed and eighteen were wounded. The boarding party from Leopard arrested Martin, Strachan, Ware and Ratford. The Chesapeake – Leopard affair provoked an outcry for war from all parts of
11628-693: The connection to Fareham was closed for passenger services in 1953 and to freight traffic in 1969, although trains to the armament depot in Frater ran until the late 1970s. The trackbed of the former Gosport – Fareham railway is now an exclusive fast bus route and cycle lane. Tite's station building has been retained for its historical and architectural value and has been converted into a small number of residential properties and offices. The main gate in Spring Garden Lane has been opened up for vehicle access. A further development of six terraced homes has been built at
11781-487: The council-run Elson library. Following this, a bid was made to save the library from closure, following consultations with the community. The library reopened on 12 May 2021, operating as Elson Community Library and Hub, registered as a charity. In November 2022 the Gosport Museum and Art Gallery opened in the old Gosport Grammar School building. The building had previously been the Gosport Museum from 1975, and then
11934-459: The courts, as it was deemed vital to the strength of the navy and, by extension, to the survival of the British realm and influence. Impressment was essentially a Royal Navy practice, reflecting the sheer size of the British fleet and its substantial manpower demands. While other European navies applied forced recruitment in times of war, this was generally done as an extension of the practice of formal conscription applied by most European armies from
12087-552: The defence and supply infrastructure of Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth . As such over the years extensive fortifications were created. The first fortifications were in 1678 during the reign on Charles II. These consisted of two forts, Fort James and Fort Charles, and a series of bastions and double ditches to encircle the town, known as the Gosport Lines. During the Georgian period in 1751 and 1752 they were rebuilt, enlarged and extended. Further additions were made in response to
12240-497: The defence and supply infrastructure of His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth . As such over the years extensive fortifications were created. Gosport is still home to HMS Sultan and a Naval Armament Supply Facility , as well as a helicopter repair base. The Town area of the Borough, including Newtown, consists of the town centre, Stoke Road shopping area, Walpole Park, Royal Clarence Yard and three modern marinas: Royal Clarence, Gosport Marina and Haslar Marina. As part of
12393-502: The district had a population was 81,952. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour , opposite the city of Portsmouth , to which it is linked by the Gosport Ferry . Gosport lies south-east of Fareham , to which it is linked by a Bus Rapid Transit route and the A32 . Until the last quarter of the 20th century, Gosport was a major naval town associated with
12546-526: The early summer of 1807, when three deserters from the British frigate HMS Melampus lying in Chesapeake Bay enlisted on the American frigate USS Chesapeake . After searching Chesapeake , the deserters, David Martin, John Strachan, and William Ware, were found to be native-born Americans who had been wrongly impressed. The search also established that another crew member, listed as Jenkin Ratford,
12699-518: The end of the century the senior staff at Haslar are listed as a Governor and three Lieutenants, three Physicians, three Surgeons, the Agent, the Steward, a Dispenser and a Chaplain . Women were employed as nurses, and there was also a support staff of labourers, cooks and other workers. In 1805 the medical staff of the naval hospitals became somewhat more integrated into Royal Navy as a whole: they were given
12852-667: The execution of King Charles I , the Rump Parliament passed several acts in 1649 and 1650 concerning the encouragement of officers, mariners and for the impressment of seamen (e.g. 22 February 1648/9 ). In 1695, an Act was passed to build a permanent register of 30,000 men for ready call-up by the navy, "without having recourse to the barbarous and unconstitutional practice of pressing". The act also established basic rules and benefits for all types of seamen, including access to Greenwich Hospital . With wars raging in Europe and in America
13005-744: The federal constitution. There is one documented case of a British seaman impressed by the US Navy in 1810. In 1795, the Jay Treaty went into effect, addressing many issues left unresolved after the American Revolution , and averting a renewed conflict. However, the treaty's neglect to address British impressment of sailors from American ships and ports became a major cause of complaint among those who disapproved of it. While non-British subjects were not impressed, at this point Britain did not recognize naturalised American citizenship and treated anyone born
13158-571: The ferry connection to Portsmouth Harbour . The Gosport Ferry provides quick access to Portsmouth Harbour railway station , terminus of the Portsmouth Direct Line to London . Due to heavy traffic (see below) this ferry is very well used. At one time the Gosport Ferry Company operated steam ferries, until the arrival in 1966 of two identical (and then very modern) diesel ferries, named Gosport Queen and Portsmouth Queen . In 1971
13311-635: The government announced its intention to close Royal Hospital Haslar, which was by that time the UK's last remaining military hospital. In 2001 Royal Hospital Haslar began to be run by the Ministry of Defence and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust in partnership; but in March 2007 the MOD withdrew its involvement. To mark the handover of control to the National Health Service the military medical staff "marched out" of
13464-473: The harbour to construct, and would alleviate traffic congestion in Gosport and the surrounding area. The tunnel was intended for construction in 2002, but financial problems delayed the project. The government declined to fund the initiative in 2005. The 2001 Census recorded 54,854 people in Gosport of working age between the ages of 16 and 74. The economic activity of the residents in the Gosport Borough
13617-531: The hospital (who was now called the Inspector General) regained administrative oversight. From 1881, newly-admitted naval surgeons began to be sent routinely to Haslar for a course of initial instruction (previously they had been sent to the Army's hospital at Netley ). A laboratory was set up for their use in the ground floor of one of the ward blocks, which was used until 1899 when a purpose-built laboratory block
13770-425: The hospital a 146 ft (45 m) well had been sunk in the 18th century (on what later became the site of an adjacent naval facility: Haslar Gunboat Yard ). The water was raised by horse engine until 1855, when a steam engine was installed. Four years later a second well was sunk, to a depth of 340 feet (100 m). As well as driving the pumps for the wells, the engine provided water, steam and motive power for
13923-401: The hospital's burial ground, by archaeologists from Cranfield Forensic Institute , was featured on Channel 4 's television programme Time Team . It established that a large number of individuals (calculated as approximately 7,785) had been buried in unmarked graves. Plans were released in 2014 for a £152 million redevelopment scheme involving housing, commercial space, a retirement home and
14076-467: The hospital, exercising the unit's rights of the freedom of Gosport. All remaining medical facilities at the site were closed in 2009. After services were transferred to the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham , Portsmouth , the hospital closed in 2009. The 25-hectare hospital site was sold to developers for £3 million later that year. On 17 May 2010 an investigation of
14229-515: The impressed men and Congress convinced Nicholson to release them all. Nicholson avoided impressment on land and instead stopped two American merchant ships at sea in 1780, to impress men from their crews. The individual states did not deny the concept of impressment for their own navies, but were reluctant to grant the right to the Continental Congress. The concept of drafting men into armed service remained contentious, even after adoption of
14382-493: The impressment and ship seizures caused serious diplomatic tension, and helped to turn American public opinion against Britain. Impressment was widely perceived as humiliating and dishonoring the U.S. because it was unable to protect its ships and sailors. Britain fought the war against Napoleon on the high seas, enlarging its Royal Navy from 135 ships in 1793 to 584 in 1812, and expanding personnel from 36,000 seamen in 1793 to 114,000 in 1812. In spring 1814 Napoleon surrendered,
14535-459: The impressment of boys under 18 years of age to those who were not apprenticed. A further act in 1740 raised the maximum age to 55. Although no foreigner could normally be pressed, they lost their protection if they married a British woman or had worked on a British merchant ship for two years. Some governments, including Britain, issued "protections" against impressment that protected men had to carry on their person at all times, but in times of crisis
14688-447: The latter were employed inland away from coastal ports; notably Portsmouth, Plymouth, Harwich and Yarmouth. However, convicted petty criminals were often given the option of volunteering for naval service as unskilled "quota men" by parish constables and inland courts (see below). There were occasions when the local populace would band together to oppose the activities of the press where these exceeded legal bounds. One such incident,
14841-437: The law applied only to the navy, or to civil authorities as well, and whether it applied only to the current war or to all future wars. Two attorneys-general of Great Britain, one in 1716, and another in 1740, issued opinions that the 1707 Act was no longer in effect, but many American colonists disagreed. Despite doubts over the continuing legality of impressment in continental waters, but for similar reasons, Parliament passed
14994-543: The league and playoffs in 2022/23. The women's team, Solent Amazons play in the WNIHL structure. Gosport has two Synchronised Ice Skating teams who compete in national level competitions, including the British Synchronised Skating Championships. The club uses Planet Ice Gosport to train. Gosport has a model yachting lake which has had national and international events held there. Boats sailed include
15147-459: The length of service of a pressed man to five years, and added the provision that a man could not be pressed twice. Although Britain abandoned the practice of impressment in 1815, impressment remained legal until the early 1900s, and the various laws authorising impressment have never been repealed. Starting in 1645, the New Model Army raised by Oliver Cromwell to overthrow Charles I during
15300-555: The local infant and junior schools. The barracks at Browndown (Stokes Bay) were used in the ITV series Bad Lads' Army . The borough is administered by Gosport Borough Council . In the House of Commons , Gosport has been represented by Caroline Dinenage of the Conservative Party since 2010. Until the last quarter of the 20th century, Gosport was a major naval town associated with
15453-512: The main building): the Surgeons' Quarters (also called the Medical Officers' Mess) provided bedrooms, a dining room and social facilities for the junior medical officers; while the nearby Nursing Sisters' Mess (which was later renamed Eliza MacKenzie House) provided similarly for the staff of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service up until 1996. A separate hall for the labourers was opened
15606-436: The middle, it was enclosed within its own boundary wall. A separate block was opened in May 1904 for the treatment of sick officers; previously they had been treated in their own designated rooms within the main hospital building. (It was later put to other uses, and latterly functioned as the hospital's administration block.) In 1905 a set of dynamos was installed in the engine house; as well as generating electricity for
15759-411: The navy, hard though it was, as still preferable to their previous lives on shore, and to volunteer for further service when the opportunity came to leave the ship. For major voyages, shipowners and governments routinely estimated that 50% of the sailors would die due to scurvy . The main problem with naval recruitment was a shortage of qualified and experienced seamen during wartime; for example, when
15912-535: The new route avoiding lengthy queues on the A32 and speeding up commuting time between the towns for bus passengers. Gosport bus station serves the town. In 1999, a study was undertaken by the Light Rail Transit Association in regard to a proposed tunnel connecting Gosport to Portsmouth, crossing under Portsmouth Harbour . The study proposed a 670m Immersed tube which would not require long closures of
16065-489: The next thirty years their place was taken by men (most of whom were pensioners, discharged from active service). A new system was however instituted across the Royal Navy in 1884, with the pensioners being replaced by Sick Berth Staff (most of whom initially were boys recruited directly from Greenwich Royal Hospital School ). They followed a course of training while at Haslar, and on passing an examination were rated as Sick Berth Attendants . The Sick Berth Staff were overseen by
16218-420: The north western end of the site linking with George Street. Being a peninsula town without a railway system, Gosport relies heavily upon the major A32 road in and out of the town. Plans existed in the 1970s to widen the road to accommodate expected increases in traffic flow, but this did not take place. In the early 1990s a computerised system controlling traffic lights along the route was installed to improve
16371-495: The officers of the hospital. Around the hospital were some 33 acres (13 ha) of 'airing grounds' (where patients could walk and take the air); the site as a whole, of around 46 acres (19 ha), was enclosed within high brick walls. Building works cost more than £100,000, nearly double the cost of the Admiralty headquarters in London. In its early years it was known as the Royal Hospital Haslar. Patients usually arrived by boat, at
16524-503: The option of completing their sentence or volunteering. Apart from the probably lower quality of recruits taken by this means, another downside of the Quota System was the frequent introduction of disease, especially typhus , to healthy ships. Ireland formed a separate but subordinate state, the Kingdom of Ireland , between 1534 and 1800. All of Ireland was united to Great Britain to form
16677-500: The peninsula investigated. Bronze Age items found in a 1960s construction in HMS ; Sultan included a hoard of axe heads and torcs. A three-celled dwelling unearthed during construction of the Rowner naval Estate in the 1970s points to a settled landscape. Next to the River Alver which passes the southern and western edge of Rowner is a Norman motte and bailey, the first fortification of
16830-603: The peninsula was settled by the Anglo-Saxons , and is mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle as Rughenor ("rough bank or slope"). Both Rowner and Alverstoke , the name coming from the point where the River Alver entered the Solent at Stokes Bay , were included in the Domesday Book . Rowner was the earliest known settlement of the peninsula, with many Mesolithic finds and a hunting camp being found, and tumuli on
16983-457: The peninsula, giving a vantage point over the Solent, Stokes Bay , Lee-on-the-Solent and the Isle of Wight . Gosport Town Hall , designed by W. H. Saunders and Sons, was completed in 1964. The former Rowner naval married quarters estate, now mostly demolished, and HMS Sultan were built on a former military airfield, known first as RAF Gosport and later as HMS Siskin , which gives its name to
17136-460: The placeholder masters. In addition to impressment, Britain also used the Quota System (or The Quod ) from 1795 to 1815, whereby each county was required to supply a certain number of volunteers, based on its population and the number of its seaports. Unlike impressment, the Quota System often resulted in criminals serving on board ships as counties who failed to meet their quota offered prisoners
17289-607: The point of imprisoning officers from the Impress Service or opposing them by force of arms. At the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, over half the Royal Navy's 120,000 sailors were pressed men. The power of the Impressment Service to conscript was limited by law to seafarers, including merchant seamen , longshoremen , collier crews and fishermen. There is little basis to the widespread impression that civilians without any seafaring background were randomly seized from home, country lane or workplace by press gangs or that
17442-538: The practice; later conscription was not limited to the Royal Navy but covered all British armed forces. Working and living conditions for the average sailor in the Royal Navy in the 18th century were very harsh by modern standards. Naval pay was attractive in the 1750s, but towards the end of the century its value had been steadily eroded by rising prices. Sailors' pay on merchant ships was somewhat higher during peacetime, and could increase to double naval pay during wartime. Until 19th-century reforms improved conditions,
17595-535: The press " or the " press gang ", is a type of conscription of people into a military force, especially a naval force, via intimidation and physical coercion, conducted by an organized group (hence "gang"). European navies of several nations used impressment by various means. The large size of the British Royal Navy in the Age of Sail meant impressment was most commonly associated with Great Britain and Ireland . It
17748-458: The pressing need. Eventually the Admiralty concurred that they would indeed be a good investment; and in 1744 an Order in Council was issued for the establishment of Naval Hospitals close to Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham. The Admiralty selected and acquired the site for the Portsmouth hospital in 1745: Haslar Farm (whose name came from Anglo-Saxon Hæsel-ōra English: Hazel Bank ). The building
17901-411: The pumps and the laundry, they provided power for electric lighting, which was installed throughout the hospital (replacing the gas lamps previously employed). A new psychiatric unit was built in 1908-10, consisting of two twelve-bed wards and a padded cell ; it served as an assessment unit from which patients, following diagnosis, would be sent to RNH Great Yarmouth. The hospital was kept busy during
18054-475: The rate of flow of traffic but this failed to work and had to be switched off since it could not cope with the traffic volumes. Now, in the 21st century, the A32 is much the same as it was thirty years ago and the traffic using it has increased to such an extent that the journey time to the nearby M27, about 5 miles (8 km), can routinely take anything from 45 minutes and often longer at peak times between 07:30 & 09:00 and 16:00 & 18:30. The station site
18207-521: The service The Royal Navy extended the reach of its press gangs into coastal areas of British North America by the early 19th century. In response, sailors and residents fought back with a range of tactics. They sometimes reacted violently. The riots in St John's in 1794 and Halifax in 1805 led to a prohibition on impressment on shore for much of the Napoleonic Wars. The protest came from a wide swath of
18360-492: The ship's company, but also the loss of a large amount of money already earned. If a naval ship had taken a prize , a deserting seaman would forfeit his share of the prize money. In a report on proposed changes to the RN written by Admiral Nelson in 1803, he noted that since 1793 more than 42,000 sailors had deserted. The Impress Service, colloquially called the "press-gang", was formed to force sailors to serve on naval vessels. There
18513-451: The site (beyond the chapel), facing the main quadrangle, the Governor (the officer in charge) being housed in the large residence in the centre of the terrace. At the same time 12 ft (3.7 m) high railings were installed across the fourth (open) side of the quadrangle to prevent desertions, and the ground floor windows of the wards were barred. Robert Dods, who was Surgeon at Haslar in
18666-416: The site; they are currently (2024) in the process of being converted to a variety of residential, business, retail and leisure uses. The 18th-century quadrangle blocks are Grade II* listed , as is the hospital chapel; while around a dozen other buildings and structures on the site are listed at Grade II . Most of the post-war hospital buildings have now been demolished. At the start of the 18th century there
18819-476: The street would first be asked to volunteer for naval service. If the potential recruit refused he was often plied with alcohol or simply seized and taken. A commonly held belief is that a trick was used in taverns , surreptitiously dropping a King's shilling ("prest money") into a man's drink, as by "finding" the shilling in his possession he was deemed to have volunteered, and that this led to some tavern owners putting glass bottoms in their tankards. However, this
18972-405: The town towards the new line of forts. From the 1890s road widening meant some parts of the ramparts and gates were demolished. Further sections were demolished in the 1920s and 1960s. Today, the little that remain are protected ancient monuments. The town is still home to HMS Sultan and a Naval Armament Supply Facility as well as a Helicopter Repair base; however, Gosport's naval history
19125-485: The urban community, including elites, rather than just sailors, and had a lasting negative impact on civil–military relations in what became Canada. The local communities did not encourage their young men to volunteer for Royal Navy service. The American Continental Navy impressed men into its service during the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress authorized construction of thirteen frigates, including USS Virginia in 1775. The senior captain of
19278-539: The water, but was sited at Gosport away from the harbour because the railway company was not allowed to breach either the Hilsea Lines , defences at the northern end of Portsea Island protecting Portsmouth , or the Gosport Lines protecting depots such as Royal Clarence Yard. An extension to Royal Clarence Yard was opened in 1846, and branch lines to Stokes Bay (open from 1863 to 1915), and to Lee-on-the-Solent (open to passengers 1894 to 1931). Due to declining traffic,
19431-600: The winter months. Located on the south coast, Gosport also receives more sunshine per annum than most of the UK. The average maximum temperature in January is 8C with the average minimum being 3C. The average maximum temperature in July is 21C, with the average minimum being 14C. The record high temperature is 32C and record low is -9C. The Met Office has a weather station at the M.R.S.C. in Lee-on-the-Solent. The Rowner area of
19584-417: Was 46.7% were in full-time employment, 12.9% were in part-time employment, 6.1% were self-employed, 2.7% were unemployed, 2.5% were students with jobs, 2.5% were students without jobs, 14% were retired, 6.2% were looking after the home or family and 3.8% were permanently sick or disabled. As part of the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Millennium project, a large sundial, known as the Millennium Timespace,
19737-480: Was actually a British deserter; however, he could not be found. Admiral Berkeley issued an order to all commanders in the North Atlantic Squadron to search Chesapeake if encountered on the high seas. Eight miles southeast of Cape Henry a boat from the British frigate HMS Leopard intercepted her but Commodore James Barron declined to permit his crew to be mustered. Leopard began approaching and
19890-549: Was also common for "trusted" volunteers to act as substitutes; they would then desert as soon as the merchant ship docked, and return to their Navy ship. Outbound merchant ships, officers and apprentices were exempt from impressment. When war broke out, the Navy would deploy frigates and vessels off the coast to intercept inbound merchantmen. Reportedly some merchant captains redirected their ships to Irish ports to offload favoured crewmen, before making final landfall in England. In 1740,
20043-604: Was announced that two more hospitals would close, leaving only Haslar (which would be reconstituted as a Joint Services institution). The hospital's remit duly became tri-service in 1996 (whereupon it reverted to being called the Royal Hospital Haslar). A hyperbaric medicine unit was established at the hospital at that time. Finally in December 1998, following on from the Strategic Defence Review of that year,
20196-525: Was announced, conditional on the establishment of an MOD Hospital Unit at a nearby civilian hospital. In 2007 the military withdrew; Haslar then continued to function for a short time under civilian management, before closing entirely in 2009. In 2018, the historic buildings began to be converted into retirement flats, and in 2020 the site reopened as Royal Haslar : a 'luxury waterfront residential village'. A significant number of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian former hospital buildings are being preserved on
20349-433: Was built in the late 19th century. The Gosport peninsula has 17 miles (27 km) of waterfront on Portsmouth Harbour and The Solent . The pebble beach at Stokes Bay slopes steeply into the sea and offers views of the shipping going in and out of Portsmouth and Southampton and the many pleasure craft from the many marinas along The Solent and the Isle of Wight . Impressment Impressment , colloquially "
20502-459: Was constructed (this is the only building on the site which is not on the same axis as the main hospital blocks; its south-facing windows were designed to provide the best light for microscopy work). By this time the new recruits were receiving instruction over a four-month course in 'hygiene, the diseases of foreign stations, bacteriology and naval surgery'. In 1901 two new blocks were opened which provided staff accommodation (freeing up space within
20655-421: Was designed by Theodore Jacobsen . Foundations were laid in 1746 and the main front building was completed in 1753. The first hundred patients were admitted on 23 October that year, but the hospital was still unfinished; construction continued until 1762, when the two parallel side wings were finished. Even then the hospital remained incomplete: the planned fourth side of the quadrangle was never built. Instead
20808-636: Was housed in one of the side pavilions) was completely destroyed. In 1954 Royal Hospital Haslar was renamed the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar (a designation which had already been used interchangeably at times in the 19th century) to reflect its naval traditions. A series of new extensions were begun in 1976, built over what had once been the 'airing ground' of the Asylum: the Galley, General Stores, Junior Rates Mess, Senior Rates Mess and West Wing. In 1984
20961-582: Was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club ) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks. The stadium was located on the Forton Road and distances raced were mainly over 400 yards. Gosport and Stokes Bay Golf Club is located on the Southern tip of the Gosport peninsula. The original 9-hole golf course
21114-428: Was installed on the harbour front in 2000. Its timekeeping is partially restricted each day by shadowing caused by large tower blocks either side of the 'timespace'. These towers, Seaward Tower and Harbour Tower, were built in 1963. Their surfaces are covered in mosaic murals designed by Kenneth Barden that rise the full height of the buildings and are illuminated at night. They were controversial initially but are now
21267-408: Was introduced in 1916 for all the military services. The first Act of Parliament legalising this practice was passed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1563 and was known as "An Act touching political considerations for the maintenance of the navy". It was renewed many times until 1631. In the Vagabonds Act 1597 , several lists of persons were subject to impressment for service in the fleet. Following
21420-408: Was less than on merchant ships, since the naval crew size was determined by the number needed to man guns – around four times more than the number of crew needed to simply sail the ship. Furthermore, the food supplied by the Navy was plentiful, regular, and of good quality by the standards of the day. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was not at all unusual for impressed men to view life in
21573-607: Was linked with the South Hampshire Rapid Transit scheme, which would have made use of the former railway route. However, due to Government refusal to fund the scheme, it was formally abandoned in November 2006. During 2010, construction started on the same route to provide a rapid bus route between the Holbrook area of Gosport and the town of Fareham. Now completed, regular service buses between Gosport and Fareham divert onto
21726-458: Was little provision for the medical care of naval personnel beyond the presence of surgeons on naval ships. If necessary, on-shore premises could be hired to serve as temporary 'sick quarters', beds might be reserved for naval use in the main London hospitals and civilian surgeons engaged under contract. The Fifth Commission for Sick, Wounded and Prisoners had lobbied for the establishment of dedicated naval hospitals as early as 1702, but although
21879-648: Was negotiating to obtain Florida from the Spanish. This changed in 1805 when the Royal Navy began seizing American merchantmen violating British law by trading with the West Indies , condemning the ships and their cargoes as prizes and impressing their crews. Under the Rule of 1756 , in times of war direct trade between a neutral state and a British colony was forbidden if such trade had not existed in time of peace. American merchants found
22032-480: Was no concept of "joining the navy" as a fixed career-path for non-officers at the time, since seamen remained attached to a ship only for the duration of its commission. They were encouraged to stay in the Navy after the commission but could leave to seek other employment when the ship was paid off. Impressment relied on the legal power of the King to call men to military service, as well as to recruit volunteers, who were paid
22185-502: Was not essential. Potential crewmen with no experience were called " landsmen ". From 1740, landsmen were legally exempt from impressment, but this was on occasion ignored in wartime unless the person seized was an apprentice or a " gentleman ". Two landsmen were considered by captains to be the equivalent of one able seaman. If a landsman was able to prove his status to the Admiralty he was usually released. Court records do, however, show fights breaking out as people attempted to avoid what
22338-967: Was opened in 1960. It is named after an earlier Thorngate Hall, on a different site in South Street, which was destroyed by bombing in the Second World War. The earlier hall was built in 1885 and funded by the Thorngate Trust. The town had an earlier theatre, opened in 1923. Regional TV news is provided by BBC South and ITV Meridian . Television signals are received from the Rowridge TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Solent on 96.1 FM, Heart South on 97.5 FM, Capital South on 103.2 FM, Easy Radio South Coast on 107.4 FM, Nation Radio South Coast on 106.0 FM, Radio Victory on 95.8 FM, Angel Radio on 98.6 FM and Gosport Hospital Radio that broadcast local programming to patients from
22491-471: Was perceived as wrongful impressment, and the London Times reported occasions when press gangs instituted a "hot press" (ignoring protections against impressment) in order to man the navy. Merchant seamen ashore from their ships (and usually conspicuous by their clothing, rolling stride, tattoos and generally weathered appearance) were however another matter. Anyone with seafaring experience encountered in
22644-456: Was reconfigured to make room for up to 1,800. By 1790 overcrowding had become a serious problem, there now being 2,100 patients in the main building, and others accommodated on board hulks in Portsmouth Harbour. In the mid-18th century the hospital was administered by a 'Physician and Council': the Physician was the hospital's Senior Medical Officer; the Council consisted of two master Surgeons,
22797-546: Was removed from Haslar to the Royal Naval Hospital in Great Yarmouth . In the 1820s a library was established at Haslar and a museum of specimens from around the world, both created at the instigation of Sir William Burnett , which the Admiralty continued to add to over the years. The Librarian was also required to offer a course of lectures twice a year. Dr James Scott was the first 'Librarian, Lecturer and Curator of
22950-421: Was repealed on 26 May 1780, and army impressment was permanently discontinued. During the experiment, the British government allowed army impressment under severely restricted circumstances — both acts emphasized volunteering over impressment, and offered strong incentives to volunteers as a " carrot and stick " tactic, to encourage the men to volunteer lest they be pressed instead. The impressment portion of
23103-404: Was the phrenologist, Dr James Scott (1785–1859), a member of the influential Edinburgh Phrenological Society . Under the supervision of Dr James Anderson (who was at Haslar from 1842 until his death in 1853) Haslar Asylum became known for its pioneering humane approach in treating mental illness: he abolished chains and restraints, removed the iron bars from the windows and reformed the practices of
23256-551: Was their overseas player, later going on to represent Australia in ODI & T20I matches. They currently run four adult league sides, and colts teams from Under 9 to Under 15. Gosport is known for its ice hockey. Solent Devils , the top level men's team are based out of Planet Ice Gosport and play in the NIHL South 1 with the club's second team playing in South 2. The Devils were runners up in
23409-419: Was used by the Royal Navy in wartime, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries as a means of crewing warships , although legal sanction for the practice can be traced back to the time of Edward I of England . The Royal Navy impressed many merchant sailors, as well as some sailors from other, mostly European, nations. People liable to impressment were "eligible men of seafaring habits between
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