| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Boston, population 54,000 ( 1996), is a town on the North Sea coast of England in Lincolnshire which received its charter in 1545 and is a twin town with Laval, France. It is the main town in the borough of Boston. The name "Boston" is a contraction of "Saint Botolph's Town". Its primary landmark is The Stump, the parish church with the highest tower in all of England, visible in the flatlands of Lincolnshire for miles. Residents of Boston are known colloquially as "Bostonians".
A settlement in Boston is believed to date back to 654, when a Saxon monk named Botolph established a monastery on the banks of the River Witham. This story is disputed by some historians who believe the town had a different origin.
Boston was not mentioned in the 1086Events Domesday Book is completed in England Emperor Shirakawa of Japan starts his cloistered rule Imam Ali Mosque is rebuilt by the Seljuk Malik Shah I after being destroyed by fire. Deaths May 25, Pope Gregory VII September 25 William VIII, Duke of Aqui Domesday BookThis article is about the 11th century census. See BBC Domesday Project for the multimedia project. Domesday Book (also known as Domesday or Book of Winchester , was the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William the Con; however the small settlement of Skirbeck is mentioned. Skirbeck is now considered part of Boston but the name remains as a church parishA parish is a subdivision of a diocese or bishopric within the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, and of some other churches. In Roman Catholicism, each parish has the services of a parish pri. Boston grew into a town during the 11th and 12th Century.
It was a significant port in the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages formed the middle period in a schematic division of European history into three 'ages': Classical civilization, the Middle Ages, and Modern Civilization. It is commonly dated from the end of the Western Roman Empire ( 5th century) until th for trade with the continentDymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (from the Latin continere for "to hold together") is a large continuous mass of land on the planet Earth. There is no single standard f of Europe. Much of Boston's trade at this time was in wool and Boston is often quoted as being "built on wool" by the locals. Apart from wool, Boston also exported salt, grain and lead. The wool industry began to decline in the 15th Century as the industry shifted to different parts of the country. Boston's wealth also declined as a result from then on.
In the 13th and 14th Century four orders of friars came to Boston, Dominicans, Franciscan, Carmelites and Augustines . The friaries were eventually closed by King Henry VIII during his split from the Catholic church. The dining room of one of the friaries was converted into a theatre in 1965 and is now known as Blackfriars Arts Centre.
The town received its charter in 1545 from Henry VIII and Boston had 2 Members of Parliament from 1552 onwards.
In 1607 a group of Pilgrims led by William Brewster and William Bradford attempted to escape to Holland from Boston. At the time emigration was illegal and they were imprisoned in the Guildhall. Most of the pilgrims were released the following year and set sail for The Netherlands, settling in Leiden. Concerned with the morals of the time in Holland and the fact the children were being brought up in a Dutch environment they decided to move to a place better suited and set sail for the Americas on the ship Mayflower from Plymouth in 1620. These people became known as the Pilgrim Fathers.
Boston remained a hotbed of religious dissent. In 1612, John Cotton became the vicar of the Stump and although persecuted by the Church of England at the time for his non-conformist preaching he is responsible for causing a large increase in the Church's population. He encouraged members who disliked the lack of religious freedom in England to join the Massachusetts Bay Company and later helped with the foundation of the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Unable to tolerate the religious situation any longer he eventually emigrated himself in 1633.
Boston saw a revival during the late 18th Century when the fens were drained. The land was fertile and Boston began exporting cereals to London. In 1774 the first bank was opened and in 1776 an act of parliament allowed watchmen to begin patrolling the streets at night.
During the 19th Century Boston once again became an important port when new docks were constructed in 1884. The railway came to Boston in 1848. Boston was a major railway terminal but was hit hard by the Dr Beeching cutbacks of the 1960s.
In the 20th Century Boston continued as a major port, exporting grain, fertilizer and timber. The first cinema opened in 1910 and in 1913 a new town bridge was constructed. Central Park was purchased in 1919 which is now one of the focal points of the town. Electricity came to Boston during the early part of the century and electrical street lighting was available from 1924. A large number of Bostonians fought in World War I and World War II and a war memorial exists in Wide Bargate, close to the town centre. An annual parade and service of thanksgiving is held their on Remembrance Sunday
In the 21st Century, a new shopping centre named Pescod Centre has opened bringing many new stores into the town. Further development is planned.
Boston has seen a large increase in immigrants, most notably from Eastern Europe. This has led to some racial tension which came to a head during the 2004 European Football Championship when the town was hit by rioting.