From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
'Great' Grimsby is a seaport on the river Humber in the north of England, which has a population of 91,000. 11,000 of the population of Grimsby live in the village of Scartho which was absorbed into Grimsby before laws on the Green Belt were put in place. Formerly in the county of Lincolnshire, it is now in the administrative authority of North East Lincolnshire. Grimsby is also known as Europes Food Town.
Grimsby is traditionally strongly associated with the sea fishing industry. However Fishing has declined greatly in the Latter half of the 20th Century and Grimsbys fish fleet has been reduced to under ten ships. Recently the Local MP for Grimsby Austin Mitchell changed his last name to Haddock in protest of Grimsbys declining influence as a port and fishing town.
In 1201 Grimsby was given a charter by King John. From then on Grimsby had its own court and its own local government. By 1218 Grimsby had a mayor. In the Middle Ages Grimsby was a fair sized town with perhaps 1,500-2,000 inhabitants. Grimsby did 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 Haven began to silt up. As a result Grimsby entered a long period of decline.
During the 16th and 17th centuries Grimsby continued to decline and the population fell. Grimsby dwindled to being little more than a large village with a market. However imports of coal grew steadily more important. Grain from the surrounding countryside was exported from Grimsby.
In 1538 Henry VIII closed the two friaries. The nunnery and priory followed in 1539.
In the late 18th century Grimsby revived a little. In 1768 a turnpike road was built to Wold-Newton. A new town hall was built in 1780. Then in 1796 an act of parliament formed a body of men who set about building new quays and deepening The Haven.
In 1801 Grimsby was a tiny place with a population of just 1,524. Grimsby was no bigger and perhaps slightly smaller than it was in the Middle Ages. However it grew rapidly. By 1831 the population of Grimsby was just over 4,000. By 1851 it had reached 8,860. By the end of the 19th century the population of Grimsby was 75,000.
Grimsby boomed as a port. Iron, timber, wheat, hemp and flax were imported. In the later 19th century coal brought from the South Yorkshire coal field by rail was exported. Many emigrants passed through Grimsby on their way to America. By 1801 The Haven was deepened. However in the 2nd half of the 19th century it was reclaimed and new docks were built. Royal Dock was built in 1852. The Dock Tower was also built in 1852. Alexandra Dock and Union Dock were built in 1879. No 1 Fish Dock was built in 1856 and No 2 Fish Dock followed in 1877. No 3 Fish Dock was built in 1934. During the 19th century the fishing fleet greatly expanded.
The population of Grimsby was 75,000 in 1901. It grew to 92,000 by 1931. The population then levelled off and hardly grew at all in the 20th century. During World War II there were 37 air raids on Grimsby and 197 people were killed.
In the 20th century industries in Grimsby included fishing and food processing. In the late 20th century there was also light engineering, chemicals and plastics. Abbeygate Shopping Centre was built in 1984. Freshney Shopping Centre opened in 1989. The National Fishing Heritage Centre opened in 1991.
There is a also the small town of Grimsby, OntarioHistory
Early History
Grimsby was founded by the Danes in the 9th century AD. It was originally called Grim's by or Grimmr's by. The Danish word 'by' meant village. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1066 Grimsby was a fairly large village with a population of perhaps 200-250. (Many villages were smaller). It was inevitable that Grimsby would grow into a port as it stood on a river called the Haven, which flowed into the Humber. As its name suggests it was a haven for shipping when storms approached. There were rich fishing grounds in the North Sea. The Humber was also full of fish. During the 12th century Grimsby developed into a busy little port. Fishing was, of course, the lifeblood of Grimsby however apart from the fishing vessels ships brought timber from Norway and wine (the drink of the upper class) from France and Spain. Coal was brought by sea along the coast from Newcastle. Wool was exported from Grimsby.1400-Present Day
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