Plymouth Maritime History Timeline
| Year | Event | Monarch | War |
| c. 2500BC | Bronze age settlement at the head of Sutton Pool | ||
| c. 450BC | Iron age settlements on Mount Batten | ||
| 9th C | Plymouth known as Tamarworth, 'the island of the Tamar' | ||
| 877 | Viking fleet wrecked on Mount Batten | ||
| The town of Sutton or 'Sudtone' established | |||
| 997 | Vikings venture up the river Tamar as far as 'Liddyford' (Lydford) | ||
| 11th C | Plymouth develops as a fishing village | ||
| 1066 | Norman invasion of England | William I | |
| 1154 | Henry II | ||
| 1189 | Richard I | ||
| 1199 | John | ||
| 1211 | The name 'Plym Mouth' first used, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls | ||
| 1216 | Henry III | ||
| 1254 | Charter granted to Plymouth to be a market town | ||
| 1272 | Edward I | ||
| 1307 | Edward II | ||
| 1327 | Edward III | ||
| 1337 | Start of the Hundred Years War | Hundred Years War | |
| 1339 | French fleet of 18 galleys and pinnaces attacks and burns houses in Plymouth | ||
| 1348 | Edward, Prince of Wales, makes Plymouth his headquarters for his campaign against France | ||
| 1362 | The first wreck recorded in Plymouth, the Tarrit | ||
| 1377 | Plymouth attacked and burnt by the French | Richard II | |
| 1399 | Henry IV | ||
| 1400 | Plymouth attacked and burnt by the French | ||
| 1403 | Plymouth attacked and burnt by the French, led by Sieur du Chastel of St Malo | ||
| 1413 | Henry V |
||
| 1422 | Henry VI | ||
| 1453 | End of the Hundred Years War | Hundred Years War | |
| 1461 | Edward IV | ||
| 1470 | Henry VI | ||
| 1471 | Edward IV | ||
| 1483 | Edward V | ||
| 1483 | Richard III | ||
| 1485 | Henry VII | ||
| 1509 | Henry VIII | ||
| 1537 | Defences of Plymouth increased by the order of Henry VIII, including Fishers Nose, the Artillery Tower and St Nicholas Is. | ||
| 1540 | Francis Drake born at Tavistock | ||
| 1540 (c) | The Cattewater Wreck sunk in the Cattewater | ||
| 1547 | Edward VI | ||
| 1553 | Mary I | ||
| 1558 | Elizabeth I | ||
| 1585 | Start of the Anglo-Spanish War | Anglo-Spanish War | |
| 1588 | Spanish Armada passes Plymouth | ||
| 1598 | Building work completed building a Fort above the Barbican | ||
| 1603 | James I | ||
| 1604 | End of the Anglo-Spanish War | Anglo-Spanish War | |
| 1620 | The Mayflower leaves Plymouth for America | ||
| 1625 | Charles I | ||
| 1637 | English East Indiaman Palsgrave lost on Drake's Island | ||
| 1642 | Start of the English Civil War | ||
| 1643 | First attack on Plymouth by the Royalist army from Cornwall in the English Civil War | English Civil War | |
| 1646 | Siege of Plymouth lifted | ||
| 1649 | Execution of Charles I | ||
| 1651 | End of the English Civil War | English Civil War | |
| 1652 | Start of the First Anglo-Dutch War | Anglo-Dutch War | |
| 1653 | Oliver Cromwell | ||
| 1654 | End of the First Anglo-Dutch War | Anglo-Dutch War | |
| 1654 | Start of the Anglo-Spanish War | Anglo-Spanish War | |
| 1658 | Richard Cromwell | ||
| 1660 | End of the Anglo-Spanish War | Anglo-Spanish War | |
| 1660 | Charles II reclaims the throne of England | Charles II | |
| 1665 | Start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War | Anglo-Dutch War | |
| 1665 | Building of the Citadel begins on the Hoe | ||
| 1667 | End of the Anglo-Dutch War | Anglo-Dutch War | |
| 1671 | King Charles II inspects the Citadel | ||
| 1672 | Start of the Third Anglo-Dutch War | Anglo-Dutch War | |
| 1674 | End of the Third Anglo-Dutch War | Anglo-Dutch War | |
| 1685 | James II | ||
| 1688 | William, Prince of Orange, lands at Brixham and his fleet is welcomed into Plymouth Sound | ||
| 1688 | Start of the Nine Years War | Nine Years War | |
| 1689 | William III | ||
| 1689 | HMS Henrietta and HMS Centurion wrecked on Mount Batten | ||
| 1689 | Devonport selected as the major base for the Royal Navy in the south-west | ||
| 1691 | HMS Coronation wrecked off Penlee Point and HMS Harwich sunk in the Barn Pool | ||
| 1697 | End of the Nine Years War | Nine Years War | |
| 1699 | Winstanley completes the first Eddystone lighthouse | ||
| 1702 | Start of the War of the Spanish Succession | Queen Anne | Spanish Succession |
| 1703 | Eddystone lighthouse destroyed in the Great Storm, along with Winstanley | ||
| 1707 | Kingdom of Great Britain formed | ||
| 1713 | End of the War of the Spanish Succession | Spanish Succession | |
| 1714 | George I | ||
| 1717 | Start of the War of the Quadruple Alliance | Quadruple Alliance | |
| 1720 | End of the War of the Quadruple Alliance | Quadruple Alliance | |
| 1721 | VOC ship Aagtekerke wrecked in Bovisand Bay | ||
| 1725 | VOC ship Astrea wrecked in Plymouth Sound | ||
| 1727 | George II | ||
| 1740 | Start of the War of Austrian Succession | Austrian Succession | |
| 1748 | End of the War of Austrian Succession | Austrian Succession | |
| 1754 | Start of the Seven Years War | Seven Years War | |
| 1755 | Rudyerd's Eddystone lighthouse destroyed by fire | ||
| 1758 | The turnpike road from London to Plymouth is completed | ||
| 1759 | Smeaton's stone lighthouse completed on the Eddystone | ||
| 1760 | HMS Conqueror wrecked on Drakes Island | George III | |
| 1762 | A third dry dock, the North Dock, was built in the dockyard | ||
| 1763 | End of the Seven Years War | Seven Years War | |
| 1773 | The first bridge was built over Stonehouse Creek linking Plymouth with Plymouth Dock | ||
| 1774 | Mr Day and the Maria make a one-way trip to the bottom of Drake Channel | ||
| 1774 | The roundhouse of HMS Kent was blown up whilst at anchor in the Sound | ||
| 1775 | Start of the American War of Independence | American War of Independence | |
| 1779 | A combined Franco-Spanish fleet of 60 ships arrives in Cawsand Bay but left without firing a shot | ||
| 1781 | HMS Echo wrecked in the Cattewater | ||
| 1783 | End of the American War of Independence | American War of Independence | |
| 1786 | Die Frau Metta Catharina von Flensburg sunk in the Barnpool | ||
| 1788 | First plan to build a breakwater across Plymouth Sound proposed by William Smith | ||
| 1789 | French Revolution | ||
| 1791 | The ferry from Plymouth Dock to Torpoint began operating | ||
| 1792 | Start of the French Revolutionary Wars | Revolutionary Wars | |
| 1793 | Coates family begin distilling Plymouth Gin in the former Black Friars monastery | ||
| 1795 | Marshland at Laira was drained and Embankment Road built | ||
| 1796 | HMS Amphion blew up in the Hamoaze | ||
| 1796 | English East Indiaman Dutton wrecked on the Hoe | ||
| 1798 | HMS Pallas wrecked in Jennycliff Bay | ||
| 1802 | End of the French Revolutionary Wars | Revolutionary Wars | |
| 1803 | Start of the Napoleonic Wars | Napoleonic Wars | |
| 1804 | HMS Fearless wrecked on Redding Point | ||
| 1808 | HMS Crane wrecked on the Hoe | ||
| 1811 | HMS Amethyst wrecked in Jennycliff Bay | ||
| 1812 | Start of the War of 1812 | War of 1812 | |
| 1812 | Building of the Breakwater started by John Rennie | ||
| 1812 | The prize Arrow taken to Plymouth and made into HMS Whiting | ||
| 1813 | HMS Captain burnt at her moorings in the Hamoaze | ||
| 1815 | End of the Napoleonic Wars, Battle of Waterloo | Napoleonic Wars | |
| 1815 | End of the War of 1812 | War of 1812 | |
| 1815 | The Thames steam boat arrives in Plymouth, 'rapidly gliding on without masts or sails' | ||
| 1817 | HMS Jasper and HMS Telegraph were wrecked in the Sound | ||
| 1820 | George IV | ||
| 1823 | Plymouth Dock changes its name to Devonport | ||
| 1824 | Work on the Victualling Yard at Stonehouse was started | ||
| 1827 | Laira Bridge was opened | ||
| 1830 | William IV | ||
| 1833 | The Royal Navy starts experimenting with steam engines in its ships | ||
| 1835 | Building work on the Victualling Yard was completed at a cost of £700,000 | ||
| 1837 | Victoria | ||
| 1844 | The Breakwater was completed, using 3,500,000 tons of stone and rubble | ||
| 1845 | Work started building Fort Bovisand, designed to mount twelve 18 pounder guns | ||
| 1852 | Ocean Queen wrecked on the Mewstone | ||
| 1853 | Start of the Crimean War | Crimean War | |
| 1854 | Paddlesteamer Ajax wrecked on the Mewstone | ||
| 1856 | End of the Crimean War | Crimean War | |
| 1867 | Work started building the Breakwater fort on the stump of Shovel Rock | ||
| 1877 | Steamship Rothesay wrecked on the Shagstone | ||
| 1878 | Work starts on Mount Batten Breakwater in April | ||
| 1884 | Promenade Pier built on the Hoe | ||
| 1890 | Tug Lucy rammed and sunk in Jennycliff Bay | ||
| 1901 | Edward VII | ||
| 1905 | Submarine A8 sinks off the Knapp Buoy and was successfully salvaged | ||
| 1910 | George V | ||
| 1912 | Vectis wrecked on Andurn Point, south of Bovisand Bay | ||
| 1914 | The three towns of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport incorporated into the County Borough of Plymouth | ||
| 1914 | Submarine A7 founders off Rame Head | ||
| 1914 | Start of the First World War | World War I | |
| 1916 | Armed trawler Abelard lost on the Breakwater | ||
| 1917 | SS Rosehill sunk by UB40 in Whitsand Bay | ||
| 1917 | HMS Foyle sunk under tow after hitting a mine | ||
| 1918 | The end of the First World War | World War I | |
| 1936 | Edward VIII | ||
| 1936 | George VI | ||
| 1939 | The start of the Second World War | World War II | |
| 1940 | Poulmic sunk by a mine off the breakwater | ||
| 1940 | HMT Elk sunk by a mine south of the breakwater | ||
| 1940 | Armed trawler Kingston Alalite sunk in Plymouth Sound | ||
| 1941 | Trawler Asama lost in Plymouth Sound | ||
| 1942 | Sunderland flying boat W6054 lost in the Sound | ||
| 1942 | Messerschmitt ME109 crashed in Cawsand Bay | ||
| 1943 | Lancaster bomber ED450 crashed onto the Breakwater | ||
| 1944 | Sunderland flying boat DD852 wrecked in Jennycliff Bay | ||
| 1945 | Liberty ship SS James Eagan Layne sunk in Whitsand Bay | ||
| 1945 | Persier sunk in Bigbury Bay | ||
| 1945 | The end of the Second World War | World War II | |
| 1952 | Elizabeth II | ||
| 1953 | The British Sub-Aqua Club formed | ||
| 1970 | Plymouth Ocean Projects take over Fort Bovisand | ||
| 1970 | Glen Strathallan scuttled off the Shagstone | ||
| 1984 | The Fylrix capsised and sank in Jennycliff Bay | ||
| 1995 | Pilot cutter Tavy scuttled off the Breakwater Fort by PMARIG | ||
| 1996 | Trawler Viking Princess founders off Hilsea Point | ||
| 2004 | HMS Scylla scuttled off Whitsand Bay by Plymouth Marine Aquarium | ||
| 2009 | SHIPS Project started |
If you can provide more information about this then please contact us.
