Home » York history timeline

A York history timeline by Louise Robson. Some more specific ones coming soon.

			AD 71	Romans set up military camp. 5000 men of the ninth legion march from Lincoln to conquer the native tribe - 'The Brigantes' (who occupied most of Britain between the Humber and the Scottish lowlands). Quintus Petilius Cerialis chooses to establish a legionary fortress base between the Ouse and the Foss called Eboracum.
			100
			200
			AD 209	Emperor Septimus Severus and his court reside in York.
			AD 237	First record of Colonia at York - a colonia being a chartered town and the highest title attainable for a Roman settlement. This is perhaps accorded when York becomes capital of Britannia Inferior, one of two provinces in which Britain is split.
			300
			AD 306	Death of Emperor Constantius Chlorus in York. Troops proclaim son Constantine Emperor, who then has to return to Rome to fight for the title
			AD 314	Bishop of York attends Council of Arles, proving that Christianity did exist in York at this time.
			400
			AD 400	Many from the garrison withdrawn to fight on the continent amidst civil and barbarian unrest within the Empire. Streets fell out of use. Buildings were demolished. Germanic settlers make way to York.
			500
			600
			AD 601	Pope Gregory chooses York to be the centre of Christianity in the North
			AD 627	Edwin, Anglian King of Northumbria conquers the region, accepting the Christian faith and being baptised in what is thought to have constituted the first York Minster Church. Edwin's anglo-Saxon settlement was renamed Eorforwic and became a port of call for international merchants. The port (wic being a trading centre) served the needs of the Northumbrian Kings and Archbishops.
			AD 640c	Oswald continues to build Edwin's stone Church
			700
			AD 735	York becomes Archbishopric. A monastry is founded which became internationally renowned for scholarship.
			800
			AD 866	'Great Pagan Army' of Vikings attack Northumbrian Kingdom.
			AD 876	Jorvik is the capital of the Scandinavian Kingdom in Britain.
			900
			AD 936	King Athelstan founds the Hospital of St. Peter in what is now the Museum Gardens
			AD 954	The last viking King, Eric Bloodaxe is expelled. Intermarriage if Vikings and localls create an Anglo-Scandinavian culture which lasts until the Norman conquest.
			1000
			1066	Invading Norwegian King, Harold Hardraada wins the first battle of his campaign for England at Fulford. Five days later, the English King Harold defeated Hardraada's Norwegian force at Stamford Bridge, before going to Hastings and being beaten by Duke William of Normandy.
			1068	William marches North. York surrenders to the new king who then sets about asserting his authority by building a motte and bailey castle on Baile Hill.
			1069	The north of England rebels against Norman rule and the sovereignty of William of Normandy. A fleet of ships, led by King Swein of Denmark sails up the Ouse and meets with support from the local population. Both Norman castles - Baile Hill and Clifford's Tower - are surrounded. The Norman garrison set fire to timber buildings around the castles to deprive the rebels of shelter and siege material.The flames quickly spread out of control and destroy much of the city, overwhelming the Normans and giving the Anglo-Danish force the opprtunity to dismantle the castles. William returns to York with a relief expedition and exacts his revenge on the northern people. The 'Harrying of the North' would establish the Norman invaders an indomitable force and William the true King of England. To consolidate his position further he sets about repairing York Castle and building a string of others throughout Yorkshire.
			1070	First Norman minster begun
			1086	Shambles receives a mention in the Domesday book
			1088	St Mary's Abbey founded by a Benedictine monk from Whitby. It was to become the richest and most powerful Abbey in England.
			1100
			1132	Prior Richard and twelve other monks leave St Mary's Abbey in York and establish Fountains Abbey near Ripon. They are inspired to do so after witnessing the strict religious lifestyles being led by the Cistercians at the newly founded Rievaulx Abbey.
			1135	The Hospital of St. Peter, established by King Athelstan in 935, is refounded as St. Leonard's Hospital. St. Leonard's would reach the height of its influence at the end of the 13th Century when it became the largest hospital in the England housing 230 men and women. It was blessed with the patronage of Kings and Popes. In 1154 the English Pope, Adrian IV wrote to the Dean and Chapter of York exhorting them to cherish and care for the needs of St. Leonards.
			1142	The leper hospital on the outskirts of the city is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
			1153	William Fitzherbert returns from exile in Sicily and is elevated to his former post of Archbishop. On his return to York, he is met by such a large crowd of supporters that Ouse Bridge collapses under the weight of everyone. The fact that nobody is killed is attributed to William's praying and is quickly proclaimed a miracle. The miracles would continue on his death - only one month after his return, which many believe was due to poison.
			1154	York obtains its first charter from Henry II - a frequent visitor to York Castle.
			1175	King of the Scots submits to the supremacy of Henry II in York.
			1190	York's Jewish community are massacred at Cliffords Tower. Over 150 die - many by suicide, and the tower is destroyed by subsequent fire. Over the next four years, Richard I rebuilds the 'King's Tower' at a cost of two hundred pounds and raises the level of the motte.
			1200
			1200	King John stays at Cliffords Tower before and after signing the Magna Carta. Begins replacing the outer walls with Stone but retains the wooden keep.
			1227	Building of the present Minster begins and coincides with the Canonisation of William Fitzherbert, former Archbishop of York.
			1228	York Castle's wooden keep blows down during severe gales
			1244	Threatened by the prospect of war with the Scots, Henry III orders York Castle keep to be rebuilt in Stone. The four-leafed clover design would be unique in the British Isles and come at a cost of 2,450 to build.
			1262	Clifford's Tower is completed. The City Walls are begun in stone.
			1290	Edward I expels all jews.
			1298	Edward I's parliament meet in York
			1299	Edward makes repairs to York Castle in order to accommodate the royal Court and treasury. During this period of warfare with the Scottish people - including William Wallace - England would be ruled from York Castle.
			1300
			1312	Edward II takes refuge within castle walls when the nobility rise up against him
			1314	Edward II shelters in castle after defeat at Battle of Bannockburn.
			1322	Edward II fights at Battle of Boroughbridge. Rebel leader Robert de Clifford is captured and executed, his body hung in chains from Cliffords Tower. It is perhaps from this incident that Clifford's Tower would get its name, that alternative theory being that it came from the name of the hereditary constables of the castle.
			1328	Royal Wedding. Edward III and Philippa of Hainault get married at York Minster
			1346	William of Hatfield, son of Edward III and Queen Philippa, dies and is interred in York Minster, the only member of the royal family to do so.
			1349	The Black Death reaches York.
			1357	Work starts on the contruction of the Merchant Adventurers Hall, with its hospital and chapel in the undercroft. The Merchant Adventurers controlled the cloth trade.
			1399	Harry Bolingbroke overthrows Richard II to become Henry IV. The heads of rebels who opposed him are spiked at Micklegate Bar.
			1400
			1400	Medieval York at height of prosperity and power
			1421	Henry V comes to York with Queen Katherine
			1455	Outbreak of War of the Roses. York Castle had not been used defensively for over 300 years and had fallen into disuse and disrepair.
			1461	After the Battle of Towton, Henry VI and the defeated Lancastrians fled toYork but had no time to fortify the castle before heading north. A victorious Edward IV - from the House of York - later stayed at the castle and displayed the heads of the lancastrian leaders on Micklegate Bar. St William's college also founded at this time as a home for chantry priests.
		1472	Minster completed
		1483	Richard III and his Queen are greeted at the West door of the Minster by the Dean and clergy. Next day, wearing their crowns they attend mass and Richard, sitting in the chapter house grants the city relief from a number of taxes.
		1485	Death of Richard III. Popular with people of York. His death and defeat are recorded with dismay in the city.
		1486	Marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth of York, uniting the houses of York and Lancaster. The union is marked by the red and white roses within the great Rose Window of York Minster.
		1500
		1513	Over 500 men from York march North with Henry VIII and his armies to fight at Flodden. The body of James IV of Scotland is brought back to York.
		1515	Henry VIII grants exemption to St. Leonards from all tithes and subsidies in virtue of its depressed state.
		1529	Thomas Wolesey, Archbishop of York falls out of favour with the Henry VIII the night before his split with Rome.
		1536	Robert Aske, leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace executed in York. Aske hanged in chains from Cliffords Tower. Led the uprising of 30,000 Northerners against the King's dissolution of the monastries. King so alarmed at the size of the uprising, he offers the leaders an unlimited pardon and a parliament in York.
		1537	King revives Council of North to meet in York.
		1539	St Mary's Abbey dissolved by Henry VIII. Much of the stone was to be used later in the construction of Ouse Bridge and the County Gaol.
		1541	Henry VIII visits York.
		1550	Serious outbreak of plague.
		1570	Guy Fawkes born and baptised at St Michael Le Belfrey, York.
		1586	Death of Margaret Clitheroe a butcher's wife from the Shambles. She had been arrested for celebrating mass and for hiding Jesuit priests in the attic of her home. Her execution was by means of a wooden door weighted with stones being placed on top of her until she was slowly crushed to death.
		1597	The gaoler of York Castle begins to dismantle the walls and sell off the Stone. The castle had slipped into decay and gaoler Robert Redhead removed more of the limestone to sell for "his own profit". He had demolished part of the outer curtain wall and started to dismantle Clifford's Tower when protests from the city council and citizens halted him.
		1600
		1603	Queen Elizabeth dies having never visited York. Preparations are made to greet King James I who passes through on his way to London for his coronation. He visits York Minster where members of the Chapter had hurredly placed a statue of him in the empty niche of the choir screen, formerly housing one of Henry VI.
		1603	December. A man on Foss Bridge dies of Plague. By March there were more isolated cases. Council hoped the danger was over. By June the councillors and officials flee.
		1605	Plague abates. York born Guy Fawkes is executed for his part in the Gunpowder plot
		1614	James I leases out Cliffords Tower to avoid the cost of repair but the bailey continues to be held by the Sheriff so the courts and prisons could be properly maintained.
		1633	Charles I visits York.
		1639	Charles I keeps Royal Maundy in the Minster and holds a chapter of the order of the garter in the chapter house.
		1641	Charles I moves his court to York prior to his break with parliamnt. King's Manor becomes seat of the council of the north.
		1642	Civil War breaks out. York Castle is garrisoned by a 200 strong Royalist army. Hereditary constable Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland carries out repairs to strengthen the castle.
		1644	York is besieged by parliamentarians. It is eventually relieved with the arrival of Prince Rupert arriving from Lancaster with fresh troops. He pursues the retreating parliamentary army but is himself defeated at the Battle of Marston Moor - the bloodiest battle of the civil war. York falls into parliamentary hands and is governed by Lord Fairfax.
		1650	Oliver Cromwell is met with a gun salute from Cliffords Tower.
		1680	Father Thomas Thwing, a Douai priest dies at the Knavesmire, the last martyr to be hanged, drawn and quartered and the last but one to die for their faith. The last would be Viscount Stafford who died on Tower Hill.
1684		During a seven gun salute to mark St George's Day, severe fire guts Clifford's Tower and brings down the roof. Some suspected arson as the town was military presence, derisively calling the tower "the minced pie". The damage was so severe the tower could no longer accommodate a royal garrison.
1700
	1701	The prison is replaced by a new county gaol, to be known later as the Debtors' prison.
	1725	Work begins on the construction of the Mansion House, home to the Lord Mayor of York. It is thought to have been designed by the artist William Etty.
	1732	Assembly rooms open. Daniel Defoe commented how "a man converses here with all the world as effectively as London.
	1739	Dick Turpin is tried and found guilty on two counts of horse theft. He is buried in St George's churchyard. No evidence exists to say he rode from London to York in a day on a horse called Black Bess. This was probably done by a highwayman named Nevison in 1676.
	1744	The cloisters of St. Leonard's Hospital are leased and bought for the construction of the Theatre Royal.
	1746	After collapse of last Jacobite rebellion at the Battle of Culloden, rebel prisoners lodge at the castle and are tried there. Many are executed at Tyburn
	1757	Ouse stops being tidal when Naburn lock is built.
	1759	'Tristam Shandy', a satirical novel by Laurence Sterne is printed in Stonegate. Sterne was a vicar and then prebend at York Minster where he was famous for preaching eccentric sermons. The novel was seen as sensational and contains characters based on local people.
	1760s	Fairfax house designed and built by John Carr for 9th Viscount of Fairfax
	1773	Female prison built
	1780	Construction begins on the Assize Courts (now the Crown Court) to a design by John Carr. They are built on the site of the old Grand Jury House.
	1782	Death of the Marquis of Rockingham, the only Prime Minister to be buried in the Minster
	1800
	1801	In the first ever census, York's population totals 16,846
	1809	Mary Bateman - "The Yorkshire Witch", with a reputation as a fortune teller, is hanged for murder. Her skin is tanned and cut into pieces before being sold
	1810	The old Ouse bridge together with its chapel are taken down and replaced by the present structure, twice the width of the old one.
	1813	Luddite rioters brought to trial at York Assizes. Seventeen would later be executed in one day for smashing industrial machinery.
	1829	Jonathan Martin - brother of the famous artist John Martin - sets fire to the Minster. He has returned from the Napoleanic wars as a madman and his threats to burn down the Minster were ignored until he set fire to choir stalls, organ and the roof of the east end. His actions would prompt the foundation of the York Minster police force - the only one of its kind in the country.
	1837	York's graveyards are declared full following the massive population growth of the industrial revolution. York public cemetery is founded, one of the first of such in the country. Shares are sold at ten pound each. Some of the capital raised was then used to buy a site subsequently landscaped with a chapel and gatehouse.
	1839	George Hudson brings the railways to York. The first train arrives onto a wooden platform in Queen Street. Hudson recognised the potential of the railways and builds a grander station. He builds up a railway empire covering a quarter of the railway network and contributed significantly to the commercial success of York in the 19th century. Hudson was Lord Mayor of York three times and was an MP before shady financial dealings disgraced him.
	1840	A fire is accidentally started in the Minster when a Clockmaker's candle is left burning in the south west corner of the tower. The nave is destroyed.
	1851	Census year. It is shown that in Britannia Yard, off Walmgate, 171 people are sharing 1 water pipe, 1 open drain and 4 privvies (ash midden privvies in the back yard). All the untreated sewage goes directly into the Ouse or Foss, thus polluting the City's water supply.
	1868	Last public executions take place at the Tyburn as they are moved into the castle, within the prison walls. Many still lie in unmarked graves in the castle museum.
	1900
	1900	Castle ceases to serve as a Civil prison as the army use it as a detention barracks.
	1938	Castle Museum opens after Dr John Kirk, a country doctor gives his collection of objects to the city of York. Objects had been collected during house calls, often taking items in payment of medical fees.
	1940	Second World War continues. York City Council develops a scheme for use during bomb and gas attacks. This includes gas masks and access to air raid shelters for all (including some pets).
	1942	York is targeted during Hitler's Baedeker raids on England. It is chosen for its cultural heritage following similar attacks by allied forces on Germany - notably Dresden. Ninety five civilians are killed as the Luftwaffe use the reflection from the moon on the River Ouse to guide their bombs
	1951	York relaunches its Mystery Plays as part of the Festival of Britain and York City Council invite top architects to design two blocks of flats for retired residents in Gloucester House, Castlegate and Festival Flats, Paragon Street.
	1961	In the presence of the Queen, the Duke of Kent marries Miss Katherine Worsley at York Minster, the first royal marriage there since Edward III and Philippa of Hainault.
	1968	The centre of York becomes a conservation area
	1970	Margaret Clitheroe is canonised with her home on the Shambles becoming a shrine.
	1984	York Minster is struck by lightening triggering a fire in the South transept and famously damaging the Rose Window.
	1985	The Middleham Jewel is found between Jervaulx and Coverham Abbeys, near the birthplace of Richard III at Middleham Castle. It is by the Yorkshire Museum in 1991 for 2.5 million.
	1990s	Excavation and reconstruction of Barley Hall, former home of William Snowsell, a fifteenth century alderman. It has been restored to how it was in 1483.
	2000