Grimsby

Great Grimsby (typically known simply as Grimsby) is a seaport on the river Humber in the north of England, which has a population of 91,000. It is physically linked to the adjoining town of Cleethorpes, and 11,000 of its inhabitants live in the village of Scartho (which was absorbed into Grimsby before laws on the Green Belt were put in place).

History

Grimsby was founded by the Danes in the 9th Century AD, although there is some evidence of a small town of Roman workers sited in the area some seven centuries earlier. Located on the River Haven, which flowed into the Humber, Grimsby would have provided an ideal location for ships to shelter from approaching storms. It was also well situated for the rich fishing grounds in the North Sea.

Related Topics:
Danes - Humber - North Sea

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The name Grimsby probably originated from Grim's by, or "Grim's Village".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grimsby is listed in the Domesday Book, having a population of around 200, a priest, a mill and a ferry. During the 12th Century Grimsby developed into a fishing and trading port, at one point ranking twelfth in importance to the Crown in terms of tax revenue. The town was granted its charter by King John in 1201. The first mayor was installed in 1218.

Related Topics:
Domesday Book - King John - 1201 - 1218

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grimsby does not have town walls. It was too small and was protected by the marshy land around it. However, the town did have a ditch.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 15th Century the River Haven began to silt up, preventing ships in the Humber from docking. As a result, Grimsby entered a long period of decline which lasted until the late 18th Century. In 1801, the population of Grimsby numbered 1,524, around the same size that it had been in the Middle Ages.

Related Topics:
1801 - Middle Ages

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the early 19th Century the town grew rapidly. The Great Grimsby Haven Company was formed by Act of Parliament in May 1796 (the Grimsby Haven Act) for the purpose of "widening, deepening, enlarging, altering and improving the Haven of the Town and Port of Great Grimsby". Grimsby's port boomed, importing iron, timber, wheat, hemp and flax. New docks were necessary to cope with the expansion. The Grimsby Docks Act of 1845 allowed the necessary building works. The Royal Dock was completed in 1852, at the same time as the Dock Tower. No.1 Fish Dock was completed in 1856, followed by No.2 Fish Dock in 1877. Alexandra Dock and Union Dock followed in 1879. During this period the fishing fleet was greatly expanded.

Related Topics:
1796 - 1845

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The arrival of the railway in 1848 made it far easier to transport goods to and from the port. Coal mined in the South Yorkshire coal fields was brought by rail and exported through Grimsby.

Related Topics:
Railway - 1848

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The population of Grimsby grew from 75,000 in 1901 to 92,000 by 1931 but then remained fairly static for the rest of the 20th Century.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During World War II, Grimsby's status as a major port made it a focus of the German Luftwaffe. Grimsby suffered many air raids and 197 people were killed.

Related Topics:
World War II - Luftwaffe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~