87-581: Thomas Delarue was a co-educational special secondary boarding school in Tonbridge , Kent, England that was established in 1955 and closed in 1989. It was run by The Spastics Society and catered for pupils with cerebral palsy . Thomas Delarue School was established by The National Spastics Society in Tonbridge , Kent in 1955. It initially occupied Dene Park House, a converted mansion house and World War 2 battle school in Hadlow parish ( TQ 597 504 ). The school
174-713: A Vets team. The club has two girls teams (Under 15 and 18), and a junior and mini section. Tonbridge's football team, the Tonbridge Angels , play in the National League South – with the former manager of the England national football team , Roy Hodgson having played for them. The town has a canoe club that has produced a number of Olympic participants, and a dinghy sailing club, the Tonbridge Town Sailing Club, which holds events at Haysden Country Park on
261-549: A bridge belonging to the estate or manor (from the Old English tun), or alternatively a bridge belonging to Tunna, a common Anglo-Saxon man's name. Another theory suggests that the name is a contraction of "town of bridges", due to the large number of streams the High Street originally crossed. Until 1870, the town's name was spelt Tunbridge , as shown on old maps including the 1871 Ordnance Survey map and contemporary issues of
348-503: A campaign led by Edgar Ætheling . The new king recognised William's authority over Lothian and attended William's court. William made two forays into Wales in 1097. Nothing decisive was achieved, but a series of castles were constructed as a marchland defensive barrier. In 1096, William's brother Robert Curthose joined the First Crusade . He needed money to fund this venture and pledged his Duchy of Normandy to William in return for
435-504: A council at Rockingham to bring Anselm to heel, but the archbishop remained firm. In October 1097, Anselm went into exile, taking his case to the Pope. The diplomatic and flexible Urban II , a new pope, was involved in a major conflict with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV , who supported Antipope Clement III . Reluctant to make another enemy, Urban came to a concordat with William, whereby William recognised Urban as pope, and Urban gave sanction to
522-506: A defect of William's reign in particular. Of course, contemporary churchmen were themselves not above engaging in such politics: it is reported that, when Archbishop Lanfranc suggested to William I that he imprison the rebellious bishop Odo of Bayeux , he exclaimed "What! He is a clergyman." Lanfranc retorted that "You will not seize the bishop of Bayeux, but confine the earl of Kent." (Odo held both titles.) While there are complaints of contemporaries regarding William's personal behaviour, he
609-476: A few countrymen, including Eli who discovered the body. To the chroniclers, men of the Church, such an " act of God " was a just end for a wicked king, and was regarded as a fitting demise for a ruler who came into conflict with the religious orders to which they belonged. Over the following centuries, the obvious suggestion that one of William's enemies had a hand in this event has repeatedly been made: chroniclers of
696-499: A new archbishop for many years, appropriating ecclesiastical revenues in the interim. In panic, owing to serious illness in 1093, William nominated as archbishop another Norman-Italian, Anselm – considered the greatest theologian of his generation – but this led to a long period of animosity between Church and State, Anselm being a stronger supporter of the Gregorian reforms in the Church than Lanfranc. William and Anselm disagreed on
783-464: A nun in order to protect her from the lust of William Rufus, which angered Edith's father because of the effect it might have on her prospects of marriage. The historian Emma Mason has noted that while during his reign William himself was never openly accused of homosexuality, in the decades after his death numerous medieval writers spoke of this and a few began to describe him as a "sodomite". Modern historians cannot state with certainty whether William
870-646: A payment of 10,000 marks, which equates to about a quarter of William's annual revenue. In a display of the effectiveness of English taxation, William raised the money by levying a special, heavy, and much-resented tax upon the whole of England. He then ruled Normandy as regent in Robert's absence. Robert did not return until September 1100, one month after William's death. As regent in Normandy, William campaigned in France from 1097 to 1099. He secured northern Maine but failed to seize
957-427: A portion of his lands. The two made up their differences and William agreed to help Robert recover lands lost to France , notably Maine . This plan was later abandoned, but William continued to pursue a ferociously warlike defence of his French possessions and interests to the end of his life, exemplified by his response to the attempt by Elias de la Flèche , Count of Maine , to take Le Mans in 1099. William Rufus
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#17328760948281044-583: A prisoner of war camp was built at the junction of Tudeley Lane and Pembury Road on land belonging to Somerhill House . It held German pilots who had been shot down, and captured Italian soldiers. After the war the camp was used as temporary housing for people made homeless by the Blitz . The site is now occupied by the Weald of Kent Girls' Grammar School. Ruth Ellis , the last woman in the United Kingdom to be hanged,
1131-436: A range of ecclesiastical issues, in the course of which the king declared of Anselm that, "Yesterday I hated him with great hatred, today I hate him with yet greater hatred and he can be certain that tomorrow and thereafter I shall hate him continually with ever fiercer and more bitter hatred." The English clergy, beholden to the king for their preferments and livings, were unable to support Anselm publicly. In 1095 William called
1218-453: A short walk from the High Street along Canon Lane, on the outskirts of the town. The Borough Council has published proposals to improve the town's shopping and leisure facilities. During the early 20th century Tonbridge became the South East hub for plastic moulding / engineering and printing, with many well-known companies such as The Crystalate Gramophone Record Company, which claimed to be
1305-462: A specialist school for languages and science; the Judd School for Music with English and also now Science with Maths; Hayesbrook School for boys, a specialist sports college; and Hillview School For Girls , with Performing Arts Status. Hugh Christie Technology College has IT expertise. Further and higher education is available at West Kent College on Brook Street. There is also a small campus of
1392-401: A war between William and his brother Robert, which would result in one of them being eliminated, thus opening the way for Henry to acquire both England and Normandy through a single assassination. Tirel fled immediately. Henry had the most to gain by his brother's death. Indeed, Henry's actions "seem to be premeditated: wholly disregarding his dead brother, he rode straight for Winchester, seized
1479-531: Is Kelly Holmes ' former club. The Tonbridge Half Marathon has been held in September since 2011. Tonbridge has a Rugby union club, Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Football club., often referred to as TJs. The 2009/10 season saw the club's first XV win promotion and go unbeaten in the league for the second year running, they played their rugby in 2010/11 in London 1. The senior men's section of the club fields five sides plus
1566-561: Is a market town in Kent , England, on the River Medway , 4 miles (6 km) north of Royal Tunbridge Wells , 12 miles (19 km) south west of Maidstone and 29 miles (47 km) south east of London . In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling , it had an estimated population of 41,293 in 2019. The town was recorded in Domesday Book 1086 as Tonebrige , which may indicate
1653-684: Is also served by the A21 trunk road between London and Hastings and the A26 between Maidstone and Brighton. It is also close to the M25 motorway . Tonbridge is served by numerous bus routes, most of which are run by Arriva Southern Counties . Dualing of the A21 from Castle Hill to Pembury , where a new regional hospital opened in 2011, has now been completed and opened in 2018. Before World War I , aviation pioneers Frank Gooden and Richard Johnson tried to establish an airfield to
1740-455: Is claimed to mark the spot where William fell. The claim that this is the location of his death appears to date from no earlier than a 17th century visit by Charles II to the forest. At the time the most popular account of William's death involved the fatal arrow deflecting off a tree, and Charles appears to have been shown a suitable tree. Letters in The Gentleman's Magazine reported that
1827-458: Is in the parliamentary constituency of Tonbridge . The town's development is shaped by the Medway valley and the railway lines, with development forming a rough 'hourglass' shape centred on the river and the castle. The residential areas north of the town centre include the mostly post-war Trench Wood and Cage Green (north of the town centre) and Higham Wood (north east). Areas in the south part of
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#17328760948281914-464: Is in the centre of the town. Around 60% of the boys there are boarders, and live in the school's houses, which are all close to the school. The town is also home to several Grammar Schools , including The Judd School , Weald of Kent Grammar School and Tonbridge Grammar School. A number of Tonbridge's secondary schools have specialist status, including Tonbridge Grammar School for Maths and ICT, as well as Languages; Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls,
2001-459: Is no longer used, but that probably referred to a location on what is now Park Farm on the Beaulieu estates. A memorial stone in the grounds of Beaulieu Abbey , Hampshire, states "Remember King William Rufus who died in these parts then known as Truham whilst hunting on 2nd August 1100". The king's body was abandoned by the nobles at the place where he fell. An arrow maker, Eli Parratt, later found
2088-609: Is not absolutely certain, but four sisters are more securely attested: Records indicate strained relations between the three surviving sons of William I. William's contemporary, chronicler Orderic Vitalis , wrote about an incident that took place at L'Aigle in Normandy in 1077 or 1078: William and Henry, having grown bored with casting dice, decided to make mischief by emptying a chamber pot onto their brother Robert from an upper gallery, thus infuriating and shaming him. A brawl broke out, and their father had to intercede to restore order. According to William of Malmesbury , writing in
2175-542: Is the oldest established cricket club in Tonbridge. Its large secluded ground features a modern pavilion, offering facilities to club members and visitors alike. The club competes in the Kent Cricket League Division IV on a Saturday and plays friendly matches, under the banner of Tonbridge Exiles CC, on a Sunday. The club has a junior section. Tonbridge Athletic Club which trains on the Tonbridge school track,
2262-557: The Bradshaw railway guide. In 1870, this was changed to Tonbridge by the GPO due to confusion with nearby Tunbridge Wells , despite Tonbridge being a much older settlement. Tunbridge Wells has always maintained the same spelling. Tonbridge stands on a spur of higher land where the marshy River Medway could be more easily forded. Ancient trackways converged at this point . There is no record of any bridge before 1191. For much of its existence,
2349-488: The English Channel . Since the younger William and his brother Robert were natural rivals, these nobles worried that they could not hope to please both of their lords, and thus ran the risk of losing the favour of one ruler or the other, or both. The only solution, as they saw it, was to unite England and Normandy once more under one ruler. The pursuit of this aim led them to revolt against William in favour of Robert in
2436-574: The Old Bailey . Tonbridge is in the county of Kent . After the Norman Conquest Richard fitz Gilbert acquired Tonbridge and the surrounding area, this district being known as the Lowy of Tunbridge . The lowy covered the approximate area of the later parishes of Tonbridge, Tonbridge Rural, Southborough , Hildenborough and Hadlow . The separate administration of the lowy continued until at least
2523-622: The Rebellion of 1088 , under the leadership of the powerful Bishop Odo of Bayeux , who was a half-brother of William the Conqueror. As Robert failed to appear in England to rally his supporters, William won the support of the English with silver and promises of better government, and defeated the rebellion, thus securing his authority. In 1091 he invaded Normandy, crushing Robert's forces and forcing him to cede
2610-621: The University of Kent . Tonbridge has many primary schools including Hilden Grange School and infant nurseries/daycare. The 2007 Tour de France passed through the centre of Tonbridge on 8 July, as part of the first stage (London to Canterbury). The riders climbed Quarry Hill at the south of the town, a Grade 4 and the first King of the Mountains climb of the Tour. The town is home to two cricket clubs: Cowdrey CC and Tonbridge CC. Cowdrey Cricket Club
2697-402: The 12th century, William Rufus was "well set; his complexion florid, his hair yellow; of open countenance; different coloured eyes , varying with certain glittering specks; of astonishing strength, though not very tall, and his belly rather projecting." The division of William the Conqueror's lands into two parts upon his death presented a dilemma for those nobles who held land on both sides of
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2784-436: The 13th century became an official residence and records repository of Edward II . In later medieval times, Tonbridge was considered an important strategic settlement. Some evidence shows Henry III intended it to be a walled town, and a charter was issued allowing for walls to be built, a market to be held, court sessions to be held and two members from the town to attend parliament. The walls were never built, perhaps because
2871-506: The 14th century, after which it became regarded in a similar way to the other hundreds of the county. In the 1894 local government reforms Tonbridge and Southborough became urban districts and the rest of the area became part of Tonbridge Rural District. Since 1974 the town has been part of the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling , and is divided into the five local government wards of Cage Green and Angel, Castle, Higham, Judd, Trench and Vauxhall. These wards have 12 of
2958-608: The 48 seats on the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. As of May 2023, 6 of these seats were held by the Green Party, 3 by the Lib Dems and 3 by the once-dominant Conservatives. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council is responsible for running local services, such as recreation, refuse collection and council housing ; while Kent County Council is responsible for education, social services and trading standards. Both councils are involved in town planning and road maintenance. Tonbridge
3045-529: The Anglo-Norman ecclesiastical status quo . Anselm remained in exile, and William was able to claim the revenues of the archbishop of Canterbury to the end of his reign. However, this conflict was symptomatic of medieval English politics, as exemplified by the murder of Thomas Becket during the reign of the later Plantagenet king Henry II (his great-nephew through his brother Henry) and Henry VIII 's actions centuries later, and as such should not be seen as
3132-598: The British record until 2003. However, this temperature was later rejected as being around 2 °C (3.6 °F) too high. Major industries include light engineering, printing and publishing, distribution and financial services. Tonbridge, together with its neighbour Tunbridge Wells, has been designated by the South East Assembly as a Regional Hub. The town has largely retained its 'market town' atmosphere and has many attractions to visitors and residents alike, including
3219-707: The Earth and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council. The project also received some support from some local shopkeepers and residents. Parts of Tonbridge are at risk of flooding. Significant flooding occurred in 1968 , which led to the construction of the Leigh Barrier; and in 2013 which resulted in the Environment Agency building a 320-metre long flood defence along Avebury Avenue in 2015. Despite these measures, significant flooding occurred again in December 2019. The area to
3306-619: The English monarchy. If he was less effective than his father in containing the Norman lords' propensity for rebellion and violence, through charisma or political skills, he was forceful in overcoming the consequences. In 1095, Robert de Mowbray , the earl of Northumbria , refused to attend the Curia Regis , the thrice-annual court where the King announced his governmental decisions to the great lords. William led an army against Robert and defeated him. Robert
3393-700: The French-controlled part of the Vexin region. According to William of Malmesbury he was planning to invade the Duchy of Aquitaine at the time of his death. William went hunting on 2 August 1100 in the New Forest , probably near Brockenhurst , and was killed by an arrow through the lung, although the circumstances remain unclear. The earliest statement of the event was in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , which noted that
3480-667: The Rufus Stone reads: Here stood the Oak Tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a Stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. That the spot where an Event so Memorable might not hereafter be forgotten; the enclosed stone was set up by John Lord Delaware who had seen the Tree growing in this place. This Stone having been much mutilated, and
3567-449: The Welsh chronicles claim that Henry was able to succeed to the throne because his brother had made use of concubines and thus died childless, although no illegitimate offspring are named. Barlow also allows that William may have been sterile. Noting that no " favourites " were identified, and that William's "baronial friends and companions were mostly married men", despite having concluded that
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3654-537: The West Kent Police Division, prior to the West Division being again headquartered at Maidstone. Royal Mail's TN postcode main sorting office is located on Vale Road in the town. Tonbridge is also the location of Carroty Wood, an outdoor activity and residential centre run by Rock UK , offering groups of young people the opportunity to try out a variety of outdoor activities. A former oast house on
3741-456: The arrival of the railway in 1842 the company went into a steep decline and all commercial traffic ceased in 1911 when the company collapsed. Some of the original warehouses and the wharves are still recognisable today, downstream of the town's main bridge. Later, the town and its surroundings became famous for the production of finely inlaid wooden cabinets, boxes and other objects called Tunbridgeware , which were sold to tourists who were taking
3828-471: The body. William's younger brother, Henry , hastened to Winchester to secure the royal treasury (initially defended by the Norman St William of Breteuil in deference to the claims of Duke Robert), then to London, where he was crowned within days before either archbishop could arrive. William of Malmesbury , in his account of William's death, stated that the body was taken to Winchester Cathedral by
3915-478: The castle's large outer bailey could have easily accommodated the townspeople in times of strife. A surrounding bank and ditch known as The Fosse was erected. Today only traces of this encircling defence now remain. The historic core of the town still contains a large number of working buildings dating from the 15th century: the oldest is Port Reeves in East Street. Tonbridge School , the famous public school,
4002-519: The crowd finally dispersed at midnight. The United Kingdom's first speeding fine was handed out by Tonbridge Petty Sessions court in 1896. The guilty driver was a Mr Walter Arnold of East Peckham , who was fined one shilling for speeding at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) in a 2 mph (3 km/h) zone in Paddock Wood , in his Karl Benz powered car. Mr Arnold was apprehended by a policeman who had given chase on his bicycle. During World War II
4089-458: The inscriptions on each of its three sides defaced, this more Durable Memorial, with the original inscriptions, was erected in the year 1841, by Wm [William] Sturges Bourne Warden. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that City. William
4176-454: The king was "shot by an arrow by one of his own men." Later chroniclers added the name of the killer, a nobleman named Walter Tirel , although the description of events was later embroidered with other details that may or may not be true. The first mention of any location more exact than the New Forest comes from John Leland , who wrote in 1530 that William died at Thorougham, a placename that
4263-410: The north of Tonbridge at Cage Green Fields, at the top of the ridge which The Ridgeway ascends, and east of Shipbourne Road . An accident is recorded as having occurred on 24 December 1913 at the airfield, although neither Gooden or Johnson was injured. The scheme was ended by the outbreak of war. Tonbridge School , founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde , is a major independent school for boys, which
4350-565: The oldest record producer in Britain. They bought out The Vocalion Gramophone Company in 1932 when the principal labels included Rex, Nine-Inch Broadcast, and Ten-Inch Broadcast. From the early post-war years, Crystalate was very much involved in producing the 1 mini-disc, which was sold in Marks & Spencers, Woolworths and probably other stores for 6 d (2.5p) each between 1930 and 1937, with labels such as Crown, Embassy and Eclipse. In 1937, Crystalate
4437-600: The outskirts of the town. Tonbridge Canoe Club was formed in 1977 to promote the various disciplines of canoeing from its base on the River Medway opposite Tonbridge Castle. The club meets every Saturday morning throughout the year, and on various weekday evenings for race training and general club sessions, the club has members actively participating in racing (sprint and marathon), touring, open canoeing and recreational paddling William Rufus William II ( Anglo-Norman : Williame ; c. 1057 – 2 August 1100)
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#17328760948284524-551: The pressure on the Vexin ." William's exact date of birth is not known, but according to Frank Barlow it occurred by 1060. He was the third of four sons born to William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders , the eldest being Robert Curthose , the second Richard , and the youngest Henry . Richard died around 1075 while hunting in the New Forest . William succeeded to the throne of England on his father's death in 1087, but Robert inherited Normandy. William had five or six sisters. The existence of sisters Adeliza and Matilda
4611-481: The realm, rendering him relatively impervious to papal condemnation. In 1097 he commenced the original Westminster Hall , built "to impress his subjects with the power and majesty of his authority". Less than two years after becoming king, William II lost his father's adviser and confidant, the Italian-Norman Lanfranc , Archbishop of Canterbury . After Lanfranc's death in 1089, the king delayed appointing
4698-491: The road to Hildenborough has been converted to a small theatre called the Oast Theatre . Tonbridge Medical Group built a substantial new medical centre in 2020 to replace their ageing Pembury Road and Higham Lane sites. Tonbridge railway station is one of Kent's busiest with 4.1 million passengers using it each year. It is an important railway junction with lines to London, Ashford , Hastings and Redhill . The town
4785-717: The school had 87 pupils. The next head teacher retired at the end of the Spring Term, 1967. His name was Mr Tudor. In 1979, a film was made about the school by members of Sevenoaks School . It was made to show the work of the Sevenoaks Voluntary Service and to give an insight into working with people with disabilities. Thomas Delarue School closed in 1989. 51°13′32″N 0°17′21″E / 51.22556°N 0.28917°E / 51.22556; 0.28917 Tonbridge Tonbridge ( / ˈ t ʌ n b r ɪ dʒ / TUN -brij ) (historic spelling Tunbridge )
4872-415: The theory is not universally accepted. Barlow says that accidents were common and there is not enough hard evidence to prove murder. Bartlett notes that hunting was dangerous. Poole says the facts "look ugly" and "seem to suggest a plot." John Gillingham points out that if Henry had planned to murder William it would have been in his interest to wait until a later time. It looked as though there would soon be
4959-449: The time point out themselves that Tirel was renowned as a keen bowman, and thus was unlikely to have loosed such an impetuous shot. Moreover, Bartlett says that rivalry between brothers was the pattern of political conflict in this period. William's brother Henry was among the hunting party that day and succeeded him as king. Modern scholars have reopened the question, and some have found the assassination theory credible or compelling, but
5046-623: The town but were repulsed. In 1740 an Act of Parliament was passed to make the River Medway navigable to Tonbridge by the Medway Navigation Company, allowing such materials as coal and lime to be transported to the town, and gunpowder, hops and timber to be carried downriver to Maidstone and the Thames. For a hundred years the Medway Navigation Company was highly profitable, paying out good dividends to its investors, but after
5133-502: The town centre. The high street has a variety of bars, restaurants, estate agents, clothes shops, hairdressers, banks, charity shops, cafes, bakers, a butchers and a fishmongers. There are relatively few empty high street premises compared to the mid-1990s, reflecting the town's increasing prosperity. There are relatively few high street chain stores that have tended to move to large shopping centres such as Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Bluewater , although there are some major retail outlets
5220-551: The town include the estates off Brook Street which have Radburn layouts (south west), the Victorian railway terraces around Douglas Road and Barden Park, and Vauxhall (to the south east). In 2014 the Angel Community Garden was created to eliminate eyesores in the area, and encourage bees which are declining. The garden was put along the edge of Sainsbury's car park. It was formed in collaboration with Tonbridge Friends of
5307-462: The town remained to the north of the river, since the land to the south was subject to extensive seasonal flooding. One part of the town is called 'Dryhill'. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare founded the Priory of St Mary Magdalene in 1124. A motte and bailey castle was built here in the 11th century by Richard Fitz Gilbert , son of the murdered guardian of the infant William the Conqueror . Richard
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#17328760948285394-534: The town was chosen for a place of execution of a number of Protestants; and in 1555 James Tutty and Margery Polley were burned at the stake in the town and Joan Beach met the same fate in 1556 at Rochester. A memorial to Margery Polly is on the green at Pembury . During the Civil War , the town was garrisoned by the Parliamentarian side who refortified the castle. Royalist sympathisers made several attempts to take
5481-523: The tradition of Norman leaders, William scorned the English and the English culture. Contemporaries of William raised concerns about a court dominated by homosexuality and effeminacy, epitomised through seemingly "luxurious" attire and unusual footwear than with sexual practices. Citing the traditions of Wilton Abbey in the 1140s, Herman of Tournai wrote that the abbess had ordered the Scottish princess Edith (later Matilda, wife of Henry I ) to become
5568-539: The treasury (always the first act of a usurping king), and the next day had himself elected." William's remains are in Winchester Cathedral , scattered among royal mortuary chests positioned on the presbytery screen, flanking the choir. His skull appears to be missing, but some long bones may remain. A stone known as the "Rufus Stone", close to the A31 near the village of Minstead ( grid reference SU270124 ),
5655-449: The tree was cut down and burned during the 18th century. Later in that century the Rufus Stone was set up. Originally it was around 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall with a stone ball on top. King George III visited the stone in 1789, along with Queen Charlotte , and an inscription was added to the stone to commemorate the visit. It was protected with a cast iron cover in 1841 after repeated vandalism. The inscription on
5742-588: The two kings quarrelled over Malcolm's possessions in England, and Malcolm again invaded, ravaging Northumbria. At the Battle of Alnwick , on 13 November 1093, Malcolm was ambushed by Norman forces led by Robert de Mowbray. Malcolm and his son Edward were killed and Malcolm's brother Donald seized the Scottish throne. William supported Malcolm's son Duncan II , who held power for a short time, and then another of Malcolm's sons, Edgar . Edgar conquered Lothian in 1094 and eventually removed Donald in 1097 with William's aid in
5829-571: The waters at the nearby springs at Tunbridge Wells. Another speciality in the town was until recently the production of cricket balls (the original cricket ball factory in Preston Road was demolished in 2012 to make way for housing) and other sports goods. The Corn Exchange in Bank Street, which was originally conceived as a chapel, dates from 1790. During the March 1880 parliamentary election, Tonbridge
5916-449: The well-maintained Castle Gatehouse, a large country park and activities based around the river. Sports facilities including an indoor/outdoor swimming pool , a leisure centre and a large sports ground are all located close to the town centre. Many of the facilities are provided or subsidised by the local authority. Most of the town's shopping facilities are concentrated on the High Street, which runs for about 1 mile (2 km) through
6003-416: The west is retained as floodplain including Tonbridge Park. Tonbridge experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ), like all of Kent, and similar to almost all of the United Kingdom. Temperatures all year round are mild, with a low amount of precipitation. Snow sometimes occurs in the winter. On 22 July 1868, the temperature was supposed to have reached 38.1 °C (100.6 °F),
6090-504: Was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland . He was less successful in extending control into Wales . The third son of William the Conqueror , he is commonly referred to as William Rufus ( Rufus being Latin for "the Red"), perhaps because of his ruddy appearance or, more likely, due to having red hair. William
6177-423: Was Ranulf Flambard , whom he appointed Bishop of Durham in 1099: this was a political appointment, to a see that was also a great fiefdom . The particulars of the king's relationship with the people of England are not credibly documented. Contemporaries of William, as well as those writing after his death, roundly denounced him for presiding over what these dissenters considered a dissolute court. In keeping with
6264-694: Was "[a] rumbustious, devil-may-care soldier, without natural dignity or social graces, with no cultivated tastes and little show of conventional religious piety or morality – indeed, according to his critics, addicted to every kind of vice, particularly lust and especially sodomy." On the other hand, he was a wise ruler and victorious general. Barlow noted, "His chivalrous virtues and achievements were all too obvious. He had maintained good order and satisfactory justice in England and restored good peace to Normandy. He had extended Anglo-Norman rule in Wales, brought Scotland firmly under his lordship, recovered Maine , and kept up
6351-464: Was a boarding school. The first headmaster was a Mr Davies, In 1959, The De La Rue Company donated 1,000 guineas to the school instead of sending out Christmas cards . A purpose-built school located on Starvecrow Hill ( TQ 599 498 ) was opened on 19 September 1963. On 9 June 1964, The Duke of Edinburgh visited the school to perform the official opening ceremony. Mr Davies retired in July 1964. In 1966,
6438-527: Was a figure of complex temperament, capable of both bellicosity and flamboyance. He did not marry nor have children, which – along with contemporary accounts – has led some historians to speculate on homosexuality or bisexuality . He died after being hit by an arrow while hunting. Circumstantial evidence in the behaviour of those around him – including his younger brother Henry I – raises strong, but unproven, suspicions of murder. Henry I hurriedly succeeded him as king. Historian Frank Barlow observed William
6525-498: Was absorbed by Decca, which was itself purchased by Polygram (Philips). Some manufacturing still remains in Tonbridge: Enalon Limited, founded in 1946, is the last remaining plastic moulder and toolmaker based in the town. In 1999, Harvester Trust Tonbridge bought a derelict site on Medway Wharf Road, in the centre of Tonbridge. A£4 million building which can be used as a church, community centre and conference centre
6612-528: Was an effective soldier, but he was a ruthless ruler and, it seems, was little liked by those he governed. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , he was "hated by almost all his people and abhorrent to God." Chroniclers tended to take a dim view of William's reign, arguably on account of his long and difficult struggles with the Church: these chroniclers were themselves generally clerics, and so might be expected to report him somewhat negatively. His chief minister
6699-466: Was dispossessed and imprisoned, and another noble, William of Eu , accused of treachery, was blinded and castrated . In external affairs, William had some successes. In 1091 he repulsed an invasion by King Malcolm III of Scotland , forcing Malcolm to pay homage. In 1092 he built Carlisle Castle , taking control of Cumberland and Westmorland , which had previously been claimed by the Scots. Subsequently,
6786-503: Was established in 1552 under letters patent of Edward VI , to educate the sons of local gentry and farmers (There was already a nearby school in existence for poorer boys, now Sevenoaks School.) During Queen Mary's reign Tonbridge was involved in an unsuccessful uprising against the Queen's marriage to the King of Spain, with 500 townspeople involved in the Battle of Hartley in 1554. As a result,
6873-688: Was founded as Tonbridge Printers in 1948. On the club's 50th anniversary in 1998, it was decided to make a name change in honour of Lord Colin Cowdrey of Tonbridge. Cowdrey Cricket Club has a junior section and academy, as well as two Saturday teams – the 1st XI playing in Division III of the Kent League, and the 2nd XI in Division IV. The club plays at the Swanmead Sports Ground. Tonbridge Cricket Club
6960-452: Was given planning permission in March 2000. Work began in 2001. The River Centre was officially opened in January 2003, and hosted a wide variety of events from product launches to awards ceremonies, as well as international church conferences. In August 2016, Hillsong Church purchased the building and is the current owner. The police station, on Pembury Road, was previously the headquarters of
7047-429: Was homosexual or not; however, he never took a wife or a mistress, or fathered any children. As a bachelor king without an heir, William would have been pressed to take a wife and would have had numerous proposals for marriage. That he never accepted any of these proposals nor had any relations with women may show that he either had no desire for women, or he may have taken a vow of chastity or celibacy. Barlow said that
7134-452: Was instrumental in assisting the foundation of Bermondsey Abbey , endowing it with the manor of Bermondsey, and it is reported that his "customary oath" was "By the Face at Lucca !" William Rufus inherited the Anglo-Norman settlement detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey undertaken at his father's command, essentially for the purposes of taxation, which was an example of the control of
7221-529: Was married at the registry office in Tonbridge on 8 November 1950. Tonbridge was the location of the largest cash theft in British criminal history. On 22 February 2006, over £53.1 million was stolen from the Securitas cash-handling depot in Vale Road to the east of the High Street. During the following police investigation, around half of the money was recovered. On 28 January 2008 five people were convicted at
7308-550: Was responsible for governing England in William I's many absences. The town was besieged by William Rufus , soon after his accession to the throne, because the Earl had pledged allegiance to William's brother, Robert . William Rufus died from an arrow wound a few years later, in an incident generally reported as a hunting accident, when he was shot by Walter Tirel , Richard Fitz Gilbert's son-in-law, & born in Tonbridge himself. The town
7395-484: Was soon afterwards taken again, this time by King John only a few months after the signing of the Magna Carta . Both the Earl and his son were signatories and guardians of the document responsible for its compliance. It was subsequently besieged by Prince Edward , son of Henry III . On this occasion the besieged garrison burnt the town rather than see it fall. The town and Tonbridge Castle were rebuilt after this and in
7482-592: Was the scene of a riot. On the announcement of the results, several thousand people started to hurl stones and cobbles at each other in the High Street near the Rose and Crown Hotel. The county's Chief Constable Captain Ruskin, with over a hundred policemen, charged the crowds many times during the evening, only to end up as the target of the crowd, who started hurling stones and cobbles at them instead of each other. Many people, including twelve policemen, were seriously injured before
7569-613: Was thus secure in his kingdom. As in Normandy, his bishops and abbots were bound to him by feudal obligations, and his right of investiture in the Norman tradition prevailed within his kingdom during the age of the Investiture Controversy that brought excommunication upon the Salian Emperor Henry IV . The king's personal power, through an effective and loyal chancery , penetrated to the local level to an extent unmatched in France. The king's administration and law unified
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