History of York
A short history of York
The city of York is capital of the largest county in the United
Kingdom. It is fortified by medieval walls and contains many
ancient buildings. Though Celtic settlements existed at the site
before the Roman invasion, in AD 71 the Romans established what
became Eboracum, a thriving town and military fort. After the
Romans left Britain in the middle of the 5th century,
the town was taken over by the new invaders, the Anglosaxons
(English). In the 8th and 9th centuries an
arrangement was reached with Viking invaders under which about half
of England from just north of London to the North West at the
Scottish border became "Danelaw" (Danish/Norse) and this is
reflected in the numerous city, town and village names of
Scandinavian origin. A church in the city is dedicated to St Olaf,
king and patron saint of Norway. The town was now known as Jorvik,
part of which has been excavated in the city and is well worth a
visit. We are considering including this in the
Accompanying Persons Programme. Of course, the
momentous events of 1066 were profoundly influenced by the invasion
of King Harald III of Norway, whom King Harold of England had to
defeat just outside York before a forced march to Hastings on the
South Coast to meet William, later to become "the Conqueror".
The minster or monastery church of York is one of the most
spectacular in Europe, being on the site of the first minster built
in 627AD. The present minster was completed in 1100AD, and in its
present form in the 1400's.
The King's Manor, belonging to the King in 1561, was held for
several centuries by the president of the Council of the North
(similar to a devolved northern parliament). It eventually became
part of the University of York, and this is where the Society will
hold is Annual Dinner this year.
Guy Fawkes, the notorious would-be bomber of Parliament, was
born in York in 1570 and later went to fight the Dutch in Spain
before being arrested and executed in London.
In more recent times, York was a Royalist stronghold during the
Civil War, being captured in 1642 by Lord Fairfax for the
Parliamentarians. Dick Turpin, the notorious highwayman, was
executed and buried in York in 1739.
By 1840, an intercity railway line ran from London to York, and
a thriving railway construction industry was established. This can
be explored in the National Railway Museum in the city.
The Quakers of York have a strong history of philanthropy. The
Rowntree family, who were Quakers, established their world -famous
chocolate business in York in 1862 and this flourished for over a
century. They founded The Retreat in 1792 for the humane treatment
of mental illness. York University has a world-leading, politically
independent Social Policy Department situated in the Seebohm
Rowntree Building.
