Sussex history - key dates

This is our list of some of the key dates which have helped shape the history of the West Sussex we know today.

West Sussex's history is made up of a mish-mash of its landscape, environment, people and their knowledge. Our list is highly subjective, and we make no apology for that. We keep finding things that we want to add to it too.

AD 43

Invasion of Britain by the Romans, who land on the Sussex coast

70

Fishbourne Roman Palace built near Chichester.

410

Roman Emperor Honorius tells Sussex he will not help them defend themselves from marauding Saxons.

477

Saxon Aelle lands in Sussex heralding a new era in Sussex history - Saxon Sussex.

664

Great pestilence ravages the island of Britain, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

665

St Wilfrid makes his first visit to West Sussex.

681

St Wilfrid returns to Sussex and starts to convert the County to Christianity.

858

King Aethelwulf, father of Alfred the Great, buried at Steyning.

895

Danish invaders defeated near Chichester, possibly at Kingley Vale.

994

Vikings cause havoc in Sussex, slaughtering people and burning villages.

1064

Harold Godwinson leaves Bosham to visit Normandy on a state visit. This is commemorated on the Bayeux Tapestry.

1066

Following the Norman Conquest, William of Normandy grants the 5 administrative rapes of Sussex, based around Chichester, Arundel, Bramber, Hastings and Lewes, to his leading nobles, making Sussex his beachhead for securing rule of England.

1070

Bramber Castle built by William de Braose.

1075

The HQ of the church in West Sussex moves from Selsey to Chchester.

1086

The Domesday Survey finds some parts of Sussex so poor that they are ignored altogether.

1100

Work on Marlipins at Shoreham though to have been started

1102

Three month blockade of Arundel.

1114

Fire causes extensive damage to Chichester Cathedral.

1125

The Knights Templar granted the Manor of Shipley.

1184

Consecration of Chichester Cathedral.

1187

Another massive fire at Chichester Cathedral .

1199

King John lands at Shoreham-by-Sea on his way to be crowned King of England.

1208

King John confiscates Bramber Castle and Knepp Castle

1216

Chichester Castle besieged by rebel barons.

1217

Chichester Castle recaptured by royalist forces and destroyed.

1243

The Fitzalan family acquire the Honour of Arundel.

1247

East Grinstead receives its first charter, allowing it to hold regular markets plus an annual fair.

1264

The Battle of Lewes. King Henry III is captured by Simon De Montfort.

1279

First record of the annual Crawley fair.

1285

Arundel granted its annual fair, boosting its economy considerably.

1309

Henry de Percy granted permission to turn his house at Petworth into a castle - now Petworth House.

1312

The Knights Templar in Sussex dissolved by a decree of Pope Clement V.

1315

Terrible crop failures bring hunger to Sussex and southern England.

1348

The Black Death hits Sussex and the rest of England.

1353

Chichester's wool exporting business boosted by being granted the status of Staple Port.

1377

Amberley Castle crenallated by Bishop Reede, turning it from a manor house to a castle.

1425

The Priest House at West Hoathly built.

1444

The people of Tarring (now part of Worthing) asked King Henry VI for permission to hold a market so that their property would not be looted by the French while they were attending markets in other towns.

1501

Bishop Storey builds the market cross in Chichester.

1529

William Fitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton buys Cowdray at Midhurst.

1538

Henry VIII makes his first visit to Cowdray.

Vandalism of the shrine of St Richard at Chichester Cathedral during the Reformation.

1545

French marauders attack Shoreham and other parts of the Sussex coast.

1556

Protestants burned at East Grinstead.

1567

Huguenots feeing France establish the Sussex glass making industry around Wisborough Green.

1577

Work starts on Parham House near Storrington.

1587

A system of beacons set up all over the county to help provide a warning of any attack by the Spanish.

1591

Queen Eliabeth I visits Cowdray near Midhurst.

1608

Sackville College, East Grinstead founded by Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset.

1615

Acts of Parliament prohibits the use of wood as fuel for glass making, killing off the West Sussex glass industry. It was thought that it diverted resources from the ironworks, which were more important for military reasons.

1636

Collapse of the North West tower of Chichester Cathedral.

1642

General Waller's parliamentarian army captures Chichester.

1643

Royalist troops capture Stansted and Cowdray.

Parliamentary troops under General Waller destroy Aldingbourne Castle.

1645

The Clubmen meet on the Trundle and other Sussex hilltops.

1651

Charles II escapes to France along the route now called the Monarch's Way via Shoreham Harbour.

1655

Founder of the Quaker movement George Fox visit Sussex for the first time.

1672

Foundation of Midhurst Grammar School.

1676

A Meeting House for Quakers established at Ifield, the first of many in Sussex.

1688

Work begun on a huge new mansion at Petworth House.

1691

The Blue Idol at Coolham converted into a Quakers Meeting House.

1703

A huge storm causes havoc along the West Sussex coast, killing many and destroying part of Shoreham-by-Sea.

1712

Pallant House, Chichester built for Henry Peckham.

1721

35 people in Goring die of the Black Death.

1723

The Cogidubnus Stone unearthed in Chichester.

1731

Storrington Church spire destroyed by lightning.

1735

Final instance of a prisoner being pressed to death at Horsham gaol.

1748

Murder of Chater & Galley marks the beginning of the end for the members of the Hawkhurst smuggling gang.

1749

Opening of the first Turnpike Road in West Sussex. It ran from Hindhead to Chichester via Fernhurst and Midhurst and is more or less the route of today's A286.

1750

Richard Russell publishes a dissertation concerning the use of sea water in the diseases of the glands. In doing so he unwittingly catalysed the development of the Sussex coast as a seaside spa location.

1752

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown begins the remodelling of Petworth Park.

1755

Turnpike road from London to Horsham opened.

1760

A ring of trees planted at the iron age hill fort of Chanctonbury Ring.

1770

The London to Brighton road becomes a turnpike

1781

Shoreham's iconic wooden bridge built over the River Adur estuary.

1783

The Prince of Wales makes his first visit to Brighton, suddenly making the resport fashionable.

1785

Sir Richard Hotham starts to develop Hothampton, later to become modern Bognor Regis.

St Swithin's Church in East Grinstead falls down.

1789

First bathing machines used on Worthing beach.

1791

Western Rother Waterways Act passed by Parliament.

1792

Birth of Percy Byshe Shelley at Warnham near Horsham.

1793

Cowdray House destroyed by fire caused by forgetful builders.

Death of John Olliver, the eccentric miller who lived and worked on Highdown Hill above Worthing.

Leconfield Hall in Petworth built.

1798

Princess Amelia is sent to Worthing to recuperate from illness, heralding the start of Worthing's development as a fashionable seaside resort.

1799

Richard Hotham dies, leaving behind the seeds of the resort of Bognor Regis.

1803

An Act of Parliament gives Worthing town status.

1804

Birth of Richard Cobden, liberal politician and Midhurst local hero.

William Blake tried for sedition in Chichester.

The 35th Regiment of foot is renamed the Royal Sussex Regiment.

1807

Princess Charlotte visits Worthing

1808

Chichester Buttermarket opens in North Street.

1810

Worthing's first market opens.

1811

Discovery of Bignor Roman Villa.

1812

Horsham Town Hall opened.

1813

Start of construction of the Wey and Arun Canal.

St John's Chapel opens in Chichester.

1820

Work starts on the building of Worthing Esplanade.

1821

The entrance to modern day Shoreham Harbour completed.

1822

Spectacular exterior of Brighton Pavilion completed.

1823

Brighton Chain Pier opened. The pier was intended to allow berthing facilities for cross-channel steamers

Building of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal, linking Chichester Harbour to the River Arun.

1828

Royal West Sussex Hospital opens in Chichester.

1829

Mad Jack Fuller buys the battered remains of Bodiam Castle, thereby saving it from demolition.

1830

Captain Swing riots in much of West Sussex.

1832

Customs Officers and smugglers fight a running battle at Broadwater in Worthing.

1833

The neo-classical cornmarket in Chichester opens. In due course the Cornmarket was to become a cinema, a fast-food restaurant and now shops.

1834

Death of Sussex character Mad Jack Fuller.

1838

Life in Arundel brightened by the introduction of gas lighting

1840

Opening of the Brighton to Shoreham railway line.

1841

London to Brighton railway service inaugurated.

1845

First train service from Shoreham to Worthing.

1848

The railway reaches Crawley

1850

Brighton council buys the Royal Pavilion.

11 Worthing fishermen perish while trying to rescue the stricken boat Lallah Rooke.

1851

Beeding Cement Works opened on the east bank of the Adur.

1853

Closure of the Portsmouth and Arun Canal.

1855

East Grinstead becomes connected to the railway network.

1858

Ardingly College founded.

1859

Horsham to Petworth railway line opened.

St Francis' Hospital opened at Haywards Heath as Sussex's first mental hospital.

1861

Clayton railway tunnel disaster.

Dramatic collapse of the tower and spire of Chichester Cathedral.

The famous Selsey lifeboat starts its operations.

1862

Worthing Pier is opened.

1864

Bognor connected to the railway network with the new line to and from Barnham junction.

1865

Death of West Lavington free trader Richard Cobden.

Opening of Bognor Pier.

1866

Jack Windmill built above Clayton.

Petworth to Midhurst railway opened along the banks of the River Rother.

1868

Work starts on the building of Gothic masterpiece Lancing College Chapel.

1870

The first major concrete sea wall at Bognor built.

1880

Homefield Park in Worthing opened - it was initially called the People's Park.

1881

The Brighton to Chichester railway line opens by extension of the line from Shoreham. In the same year the Midhurst to Chichester line was opened.

1884

Salvation Army Riots in Worthing.

1890

Worthing incorporated as a Borough.

Ludwig Messel buys Nymans Gardens and starts to transform it into one of Sussex's great gardens.

1893

A typhoid epidemic strikes Worthing, killing 188 people and turning Worthing temporarily into a ghost town.

1894

Oscar Wilde writes The Importance of Being Earnest while on holiday in Worthing.

1896

Brighton Chain Pier destroyed in a big storm.

1897

Opening of the Selsey Tram, running from Chichester to Selsey.

1902

Local education boards were abolished and Sussex County Council became responsible for education in the county.

Christ's Hospital School moves to Horsham from the big smoke.

1906

Writer Hilaire Belloc moves to Shipley, where he buys Kings Land, including Shipley�s beautiful smock mill.

1910

First plane takes off from Shoreham Airfield.

A large storm breaches the sea defences at Pagham Harbour, turning reclaimed land back into sea.

1913

The last Midsummer Fair is held at St John's Common in Burgess Hill.

1923

Formation of the Southern Railway Company.

1924

The last ever Crawley Fair.

1925

The iron age site and hillside at Cissbury Ring donated to the National Trust following public subscription aimed at protecting it from housing development in the Findon Valley.

1926

Foundation of the Society of Sussex Downsmen.

1929

King George V visits Bognor to convalesce.

Bishop George Bell becomes Bishop of Chichester.

1930

Aerodrome built at Gatwick - later to become one of the busiest airports in the world.

1933

The world�s largest sea water swimming pool is opened in Brighton.

1935

The much-derided Selsey Tram is closed after running its final journey

1936

Art Deco terminal at Shoreham Airport built.

1940

7 people killed by bombing in Horsham.

1942

28 schoolchildren and 2 adults killed when German bombs are dropped on Petworth.

1943

108 people killed in East Grinstead by a German bombing attack on the town centre. Another 253 were injured.

1946

New Towns Act designates Crawley as a new town, catalysing massive growth in the size of the town.

1947

Petworth House given to the National Trust.

1950

Princess Elizabeth opens the Manor Royal Industrial Estate in Crawley.

1958

Queen Elizabeth II opens the newly expanded Gatwick Airport as London's second airport.

1960

Butlins, now South Coast World, opens in Bognor Regis.

Formation of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.

1961

Discovery of Fishbourne Roman Palace.

1962

Chichester Festival Theatre opens to great acclaim.

1964

The Edward James Foundation established at West Dean on the death of great patron of the arts Edward James.

1965

Arundel's catholic church of St Philip Howard granted the status of Cathedral.

1967

Foundation of The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in the Lavant Valley at Singleton.

Chichester's architecturally distinctive new library opens.

1972

The Sussex section of the South Downs Way opened as a National Trail.

1984

The Grand Hotel in Brighton attacked by a terrorist bomb.

1987

Hurricane smashes into Sussex destroying thousands of mature trees.

1988

The Hawth Theatre built in Crawley.

1989

Fire sweeps through Uppark, leading to one of the most thorough restorations of a historical building ever undertaken.

1990

Chichester Cattle Market closes - it's now a car park.

1993

Boxgrove Man discovered.

1994

Flooding in central Chichester as the River Lavant misbehaves

1998

A freak tornado hits Selsey, causing extensive property damage.

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