TIMELINE: Plymouth

c1130 Henry, son of William de Tracy, is recorded on a property transfer. Today this document is the oldest to survive in the PWDRO collections.

1575 The keel of Drake’s round-theworld flagship is registered at Plymouth. Originally called the Pelican it is renamed the Golden Hind in honour of a patron’s family crest.

1620 Another world famous vessel, the Mayflower, departs from Plymouth. It carries 102 English pilgrims to New England. Almost half of the company die during the first winter.

1665 Work begins on the Royal Citadel in Plymouth. On the site of an earlier fort, it is situated at the eastern end of Plymouth Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound.

1691 The Royal Navy establishes a base at Devonport. This will grow into the largest naval base in Western Europe, eventually covering more than 650 acres and employing around 2,500 people.

1759 The candles of Smeaton’s Tower are lit for the first time. This is the third and most innovative Eddystone Lighthouse to date.

1859 Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge, a railway bridge spanning the River Tamar between Plymouth and Saltash, opens to rail traffic.

1868 One of Plymouth’s most famous sons, Robert Falcon Scott, is baptised in the parish of Stoke Damerel. The record is included with this month’s online bonus content.

1914 Polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s doomed ship

Endurance sails from the Military Docks in Plymouth. Shackleton himself is not aboard, joining the expedition at Buenos Aires.