History of Milford Haven facts for kids
Milford Haven is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was started in 1793 by Sir William Hamilton. He first invited Quaker whalers from Nantucket, USA, to live there. Then, in 1797, the Navy Board decided to build a dockyard for warships in the town.
The Milford Haven Waterway itself has a much older history. It was a useful stop for ships traveling to Ireland. Even Vikings used it as a safe place to shelter.
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Early History of Milford Haven
From the 790s until the Norman Invasion in 1066, Vikings often used the waterway for shelter. In 854, a Viking leader named Hubba stayed there with 23 ships. The area of Hubberston is named after him. It's likely the Vikings used the area as a base after 914 for their travels in the Celtic Sea.
People have found signs of metalworking from 750 to 1100, showing that some industry existed. Old hill forts at Thornton and Priory also offered great views over the land. A medieval castle was built near the town's eastern edge, by an inlet called Castle Pill.
A religious house called Pill Priory was built in 1170. It was part of a larger religious group and was dedicated to St Budoc. It stood until King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries.
Milford Haven was important for invasions of Ireland. In 1167, Richard de Clare started his invasion of Leinster from here. In 1171, King Henry II chose the area as the meeting point for his Irish army. A huge force of 400 warships, 500 knights, and 4,000 soldiers gathered before sailing to Waterford and Dublin. This was the first time an English king set foot in Ireland. Henry's son, King John, also sailed from here twice to control the Irish.
The St Thomas à Becket Chapel was built in 1180. It looked out over the Haven from the north side of the town. Later, it was used as a beacon to guide sailors in bad weather.
Even Shakespeare mentioned Milford Haven in his play Cymbeline (1611). He wrote:
...how far it is to this same blessed Milford: and by the way tell me how Wales was made so happy as to inherit such a haven...
In 1603, George Owen of Henllys called Milford Haven "the most famous port of Christendom." However, the Tudor kings and queens worried about it. Because of its location, it was open to attacks from Ireland, which could then be used to invade England through Wales.
In 1405, French forces landed here to support Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion. In 1485, Henry Tudor landed here with his uncle, Jasper Tudor, before marching to the Battle of Bosworth.
The Tudors realized how important it was to defend the area. This led to the building of forts at West Blockhouse and East Blockhouse. Milford Haven was also a target during the Spanish Armada of 1597. Although a storm scattered most of the Spanish ships, some reached the Cleddau. Welsh soldiers arrived, and the Spanish were forced to leave. One Spanish ship was captured by Welsh boats, and its cargo of gold and silver caused a fight among the captors. Piracy was also a problem, partly because there weren't enough defenses.
In April 1603, Martin Pring started his trip to Virginia from the Haven.
During the 17th century, Milford Haven became a military base for King Charles I's supporters (Royalists) in the English Civil War. A fort was built at Pill to stop Parliamentarian forces. However, in 1644, Parliamentarian soldiers captured the fort and the St Thomas a Becket chapel. Just five years later, in 1649, Oliver Cromwell chose Milford Haven as the starting point for his invasion of Ireland. Cromwell arrived on August 4 and left for Dublin on August 15.
By the late 1700s, the areas of Hakin and Castle Pill were used as harbors for loading and unloading goods like coal. A ferry service to Ireland ran from Hakin around this time. The only buildings on the future site of Milford were the medieval chapel and Summer Hill Farm.
The 18th Century – How the Town Began
By the mid-1700s, the land belonged to Catherine Barlow. In 1758, she married Sir William Hamilton. When she died in 1782, he inherited the land. He wanted to develop the land and harbor into a town. His nephew, Hon. Charles Francis Greville, was put in charge of the project. In 1790, a special law was passed to allow the building of the town.
There were already some Quakers in Pembrokeshire, but their numbers were falling. Greville invited seven Quaker families from Nantucket, USA, to settle in the new town. They arrived in 1792, led by the Starbuck family. Their goal was to start a whaling fleet to meet the growing need for whale oil for street lighting.
Because there weren't enough homes, new houses were built above the harbor. The town was laid out with three long streets, one above the other, with smaller streets crossing them. The Front Street had simple homes for the Quakers, allowing them to see the sea. The Middle Street became the main shopping area, and the back street was for craftspeople. By 1810, the town had 150 houses, businesses, and a hotel.
In 1797, the Navy Board built a dockyard that made warships. Seven royal ships were built there, including HMS Surprise. The town grew quickly. In 1802, Admiral Horatio Nelson visited the town. He praised Milford Haven, calling its harbor one of the best he had ever seen.
Greville also planned to build "The College of King George the Third" with an observatory in Hakin. The observatory was built, but the college never fully opened. A church, dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, was opened in 1808. By the early 1800s, a mail coach ran between London and Hubberston, connecting with the ferry to Ireland.
The 19th Century – Growing the Town
Between 1801 and 1803, temporary forts protected the town and waterway. In 1814, the Royal Dockyard moved to Pembroke Dock, which slowed Milford's growth. However, new commercial docks were being built, which people hoped would bring more trade with America.
In 1824, Robert Fulke Greville inherited the estate. He made improvements, including a wooden pier and a hotel for Irish travelers. He also built two bridges across Milford's two inlets. In 1857, a law was passed to appoint commissioners to manage the town.
The town's population grew with more Quaker whalers and a growing fishing industry. By 1849, Hakin was known for boat building, with about 200 shipbuilders.
The Milford Docks Act of 1874 allowed the building of docks in Hubberston Pill. They were finally finished in 1888. People hoped this would allow travel between London and New York in less than seven days. However, the transatlantic trade didn't happen as hoped. Instead, the new dockyard became a huge fishing port. By 1906, Milford was the sixth largest fishing port in the UK. While other parts of Pembrokeshire saw people leave for the South Wales Coal fields, Milford's population grew.
In 1863, the railway arrived in Milford, connecting it to Haverfordwest. In 1866, the railway was extended to the docks.
Between 1875 and 1886, the huge ship Great Eastern stayed at Milford Docks for long repairs. Its arrival showed that the town could handle very large ships. In 1889, the liner City of Rome arrived from New York City with 134 passengers, mainly from Barnum's Circus. They immediately took a train to London. In 1900, the liner City of Paris also came to the docks for repairs.
In the late 1850s, a network of forts was built around the Milford Haven estuary. These were meant to defend the UK from a French invasion, but they were never used for this purpose. One notable fort in the town was Fort Hubberstone.
In 1894, the Milford Improvement Commissioners were replaced by the Milford Haven Urban District Council.
The 20th Century
By 1901, the town's population was 5,102, and by 1931, it had doubled to 10,104. During World War I, the Haven was a meeting point for convoys of ships traveling to Gibraltar. It was also a base to fight German U-boats. Many Belgian refugees from Ostend came to the town, helping the fishing fleet.
The early 1900s saw more buildings in the area. Between World War I and 1937, 312 council houses were built. In 1926, the Urban District Council finished an electricity plant, bringing power to the town. A sewage plant followed in 1930, and a new waterworks in 1932. In the same year, the old toll bridge linking Milford and Hakin was replaced with Victoria Bridge. In 1939, Milford Haven Town Hall opened.
During Second World War, Milford Haven was a base for American troops. About 1,000 American military people lived there. They ran a base that included a hospital and docks. This base played a role in preparing for D-Day. The Haven was often attacked by aircraft, but Milford town itself didn't suffer much damage from German bombs. Despite its importance, a big attack on the town never happened.
The Oil Age
By the 1950s, the fishing industry was shrinking, and unemployment was high. Over-fishing and economic problems caused a big decline. By 1972, only twelve fishing boats were left. However, there was a building boom after World War II, with over 1,000 new homes built.
The wide, sheltered waterway, cheap land, and government support led to the decision in 1957 to create a major oil port. In 1958, the Milford Haven Conservancy Board was set up. In 1960, the Esso Company opened an oil refinery near the town. Other major oil companies followed. BP opened a deep-water terminal, and Texaco built a refinery in 1964. The Gulf Refinery opened in 1968, and the Amoco Refinery in 1973. All these refineries were connected to the railway. In 1973, Pembroke Power Station started using fuel from the refineries. By 1974, Milford handled three times more oil than all other Welsh ports combined.
By the early 1980s, the Esso refinery was the second largest in the UK. However, the oil industry didn't create many jobs for local people. Large building projects attracted workers from outside the area, and when these projects finished, many people faced unemployment.
In 1983, a large fire at the Amoco Refinery took two days to put out. In 1984, an explosion on a tanker being repaired in the Haven killed three people. In 1996, the oil tanker Sea Empress ran aground, causing a big oil spill.
What's in a Name?
The name Milford Haven comes from an old Scandinavian name, Melrfjordr. Melr meant sandbank, and fjordr meant inlet. This became "Milford." Later, the word "Haven" was added, around 1868, when the railway station was built.
The Welsh name for Milford Haven is Aberdaugleddau. This name describes the estuary where the "White River Cleddau" (Afon Cleddau Wen) and the "Black River Cleddau" (Afon Cleddau Ddu) meet. "Aber" means where a river pours out. The word Cleddau might refer to a tool cutting through the land. Sometimes, you might hear the Welsh name "Milffwrd" for the town.
Images for kids
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Milford Haven in 1776, painted by Attwood.
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Pill Priory near Milford Haven in 1829, painted by Henry Gastineau.
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St Thomas a Becket Chapel, dedicated in 1180. It was used as a beacon for ships.
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A plan of Milford Haven from 1758.
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A street plan of Milford Haven from 1868.
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A view of Milford Haven from Hakin in 1829.
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Milford Harbour before the main docks were built.
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Milford Docks in 2009.
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"Milford Haven - Where Fish Comes From" - a Great Western Railway poster from 1921.
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A British convoy, with balloon protection, leaving Milford Haven during World War II.
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Aerial view of Milford looking west towards Pill.
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Milford looking east towards Hakin.
