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Boston, England)
- For other uses, see Boston (disambiguation).
Boston, population 54,000 (1996), is a town in Lincolnshire, on the East coast of England. It received its charter in 1545, and is twinned 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 England, visible in the flatlands of Lincolnshire for miles. Residents of Boston are known as "Bostonians".
History
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.
Mediæval to early modern times
Boston was not mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book; however the small settlement of Skirbeck is mentioned. Skirbeck is now considered part of Boston, but the name remains as a church parish. Boston grew into a town during the 11th and 12th centuries.
It was a significant port in the Middle Ages for trade with the continent of Europe. Much of Boston's trade at this time was in wool, and Boston is often said by the locals to have been built on wool. Apart from wool, Boston also exported salt, grain, and lead. The wool trade began to decline in the 15th Century as the industry shifted to different parts of the country, and Boston's wealth began to decline with it.
In the 13th and 14th centuries four orders of friars arrived in Boston: Dominicans, Franciscan, Carmelites, and Augustinians. Their 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 now houses the Blackfriars Arts Centre.
The town received its charter from Henry VIII in 1545, and Boston had two Members of Parliament from 1552 onwards.
In 1607 a group of Pilgrims led by William Brewster and William Bradford attempted to escape to the Netherlands from Boston. At that 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 the Netherlands, and with their children being brought up in a Dutch environment, they decided to move to a place better suited to them, and in 1620 set sail on the ship Mayflower from Plymouth, bound for the Americas. 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 for his non-conformist preaching, became responsible for a large increase in Church attendance. He encouraged those who disliked the lack of religious freedom in England to join the Massachusetts Bay Company, and later helped to found 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.
Nineteenth century to the present day
Boston once again became an important port when, in 1884, new docks were constructed; the railway reached the town in 1848. Boston had a major railway station, but was hit hard by the Richard Beeching cutbacks of the 1960s.
Boston continued as a working 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, and 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 new shopping centre named Pescod Centre opened in 2004, bringing many new shops into the town. Further development is planned.
Boston has seen a large increase in immigrants, most notably from Eastern Europe and Portugal. 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.
Sites of interest
Boston is located in the Lincolnshire Fens in the part of the county known as Holland, one of the flattest areas in England. Holland, like the rest of the Fens, was drained by Dutch workers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the area around the town is arable farmland, since the rich soils of the Fens make this area one of the centres of the English farming industry.
The magnificent mediaeval parish church, with its high tower, is known locally as the "Boston Stump". It can be seen for many miles around the town. Building on the current church began in the 14th Century, though archaeological records indicate that a wooden Norman church hadexisted on the same site.
The Maud Foster windmill , completed in 1819, is the largest operating windmill in England following extensive restoration during the 1980s and early 1990s. It is unusual for having only five sails.
The Guildhall in which the Pilgrim Fathers were tried and imprisoned, was converted into a museum in 1929. The American Room was opened by the U.S. Ambassador, Joseph Kennedy, in 1938. The Pilgrim Fathers Memorial is located in Frieston Shore a few miles outside the town. Frieston Shore is a nature reserve, and runs along the River Witham, eventually leading to the North Sea coast. It is from here that the Pilgrims made their first attempt to escape to Holland.
The Boston May Fair has been held in the town every year since at least 1125. This fair is held during the first week of May, and is one of the largest outdoor fairs in the country. By tradition, the fair is officially opened by the incumbent mayor at 11 am on the May Day bank holiday.
The Prime Meridian line passes directly through Boston, marked by a small street named Meridian Avenue, which lies approximately on the line.
See also
External links
