Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England , Wales and Northern Ireland . The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland , similarly chartered communities were known as royal burghs , although the status is no longer granted.
183-465: Crawley ( ) is a town and borough in West Sussex , England . It is 28 miles (45 km) south of London , 18 miles (29 km) north of Brighton and Hove , and 32 miles (51 km) north-east of the county town of Chichester . Crawley covers an area of 17.36 square miles (44.96 km) and had a population of 118,493 at the time of the 2021 Census . The area has been inhabited since
366-547: A chapelry in the parish of Slaugham . When district and parish councils were established under the Local Government Act 1894 , Crawley was given a parish council and included in the Horsham Rural District . The parish was significantly enlarged in 1933, when it absorbed the neighbouring parish of Ifield . Following the designation as a New Town in 1947, the parish of Crawley
549-478: A timber-framed house dating from the 15th century, expanded to become a large coaching inn, taking over adjacent buildings. Eventually an annexe had to be built in the middle of the wide High Street; this survived until the 1930s. The original building has become the George Hotel , with conference facilities and 84 bedrooms; it retains many period features including an iron fireback . Crawley's oldest church
732-547: A vulnerable position in medieval England, protected only by the King, were subject to huge taxes; £44,000 was extracted from the community by the tallage of 1210; much of it was passed on to the Christian debtors of Jewish moneylenders. John created a new tax on income and movable goods in 1207—effectively a version of a modern income tax—that produced £60,000; he created a new set of import and export duties payable directly to
915-413: A "powerful, barrel-chested body" and dark red hair; he looked to contemporaries like an inhabitant of Poitou . John enjoyed reading and, unusually for the period, built up a travelling library of books. He enjoyed gambling, in particular at backgammon , and was an enthusiastic hunter, even by medieval standards. He liked music, although not songs. John would become a "connoisseur of jewels", building up
1098-405: A central cross on a shield, representing the town's location at the meeting point of north–south and east–west roads. The shield bears nine martlets representing both the county of Sussex and the new town's original nine neighbourhoods. Supporters, of an eagle and a winged lion, relate to the significance of the airport to the locality. The motto featured is I Grow and I Rejoice —a translation of
1281-472: A centre with shops, a church, a public house , a primary school and a community centre . Secondary education was to be provided at campuses at Ifield Green , Three Bridges and Tilgate . Later, a fourth campus, in Southgate , was added to the plans. At first, little development took place in the town centre, and residents relied on the shops and services in the existing high street. The earliest progress
1464-523: A closer, more positive relationship. Chroniclers recorded that John had a "mad infatuation" with Isabella, and certainly the King and Queen had conjugal relations between at least 1207 and 1215; they had five children. In contrast to Vincent, historian William Chester Jordan concludes that the pair were a "companionable couple" who had a successful marriage by the standards of the day. John's lack of religious conviction has been noted by contemporary chroniclers and later historians, with some suspecting that he
1647-505: A defensive posture along the eastern and southern Normandy borders. Both sides paused for desultory negotiations before the war recommenced; John's position was now stronger, thanks to confirmation that the counts Baldwin IX of Flanders and Renaud of Boulogne had renewed the anti-French alliances they had previously agreed to with Richard. The powerful Anjou nobleman William des Roches was persuaded to switch sides from Arthur to John; suddenly
1830-470: A document considered an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom . John was the youngest son of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine . He was nicknamed John Lackland ( Norman : Jean sans Terre , lit. 'John without land') because he was not expected to inherit significant lands. He became Henry's favourite child following
2013-505: A feudal lord; and revenue from taxation. Revenue from the royal demesne was inflexible and had been diminishing slowly since the Norman conquest . Matters were not helped by Richard's sale of many royal properties in 1189, and taxation played a much smaller role in royal income than in later centuries. English kings had widespread feudal rights which could be used to generate income, including the scutage system, in which feudal military service
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#17327732507382196-603: A large army to crush a rebellion by the Anglo-Norman lords; he reasserted his control of the country and used a new charter to order compliance with English laws and customs in Ireland. John stopped short of trying to actively enforce this charter on the native Irish kingdoms, but historian David Carpenter suspects that he might have done so, had the baronial conflict in England not intervened. Simmering tensions remained with
2379-413: A large collection, and became famous for his opulent clothes and also, according to French chroniclers, for his fondness for bad wine. As John grew up, he became known for sometimes being "genial, witty, generous and hospitable"; at other moments, he could be jealous, over-sensitive and prone to fits of rage, "biting and gnawing his fingers" in anger. During John's early years, Henry attempted to resolve
2562-479: A large military force in England intended for Poitou, and a large fleet with soldiers under his own command intended for Normandy. To achieve this, John reformed the English feudal contribution to his campaigns, creating a more flexible system under which only one knight in ten would actually be mobilised, but would be financially supported by the other nine; knights would serve for an indefinite period. John built up
2745-597: A lasting effect on the English common law system, as well as providing an additional source of revenue. His dispute with Pope Innocent III over the election of Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton led to the Papal interdict of 1208 as well as John's excommunication the following year, a dispute he finally settled in 1213. John's attempt to defeat Philip in 1214 failed because of the French victory over John's allies at
2928-464: A less than satisfactory partnership. Eleanor, the queen mother, convinced Richard to allow John into England in his absence. The political situation in England rapidly began to deteriorate. Longchamp refused to work with Puiset and became unpopular with the English nobility and clergy. John exploited this unpopularity to set himself up as an alternative ruler with his own royal court, complete with his own justiciar, chancellor and other royal posts, and
3111-628: A model of utter loyalty. The most infamous case, which went beyond anything considered acceptable at the time, was that of the powerful William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber , who held lands in Ireland. De Braose was subjected to punitive demands for money, and when he refused to pay a huge sum of 40,000 marks (equivalent to £26,666 at the time), his wife, Maud , and one of their sons were imprisoned by John, which resulted in their deaths. De Braose died in exile in 1211, and his grandsons remained in prison until 1218. John's suspicions and jealousies meant that he rarely enjoyed good relationships with even
3294-551: A more reliable legal system that could bypass the barons, against whom such cases were often brought. John's reforms were less popular with the barons themselves, especially as they remained subject to arbitrary and frequently vindictive royal justice. One of John's principal challenges was acquiring the large sums of money needed for his proposed campaigns to reclaim Normandy. The Angevin kings had three main sources of income available to them, namely revenue from their personal lands, or demesne ; money raised through their rights as
3477-726: A new set of eight bells were cast and installed by the Croydon-based firm Gillett, Bland & Company. The Brighton Main Line was the first railway line to serve the Crawley area. A station was opened at Three Bridges (originally known as East Crawley) in the summer of 1841. Crawley railway station , at the southern end of the High Street, was built in 1848 when the Horsham branch was opened from Three Bridges to Horsham. A line
3660-606: A phrase from the Epistulae of Seneca the Younger . Despite a petition to save it, the old Crawley Town Hall, which was built in 1964, was demolished in 2020 and a new Crawley Town Hall was completed in 2023. Initially, the district (and then borough ) council worked with the Commission for New Towns on many aspects of development; but in 1978 many of the commission's assets, such as housing and parks, were surrendered to
3843-633: A potential alliance with Philip II in Paris during 1187, and the next year Richard gave homage to Philip in exchange for support for a war against Henry. Richard and Philip fought a joint campaign against Henry, and by the summer of 1189 Henry made peace, promising Richard the succession. John initially remained loyal to his father, but changed sides once it appeared that Richard would win. Henry died shortly afterwards. When Richard became king in September 1189, he had already declared his intention of joining
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#17327732507384026-420: A re-creation of Richard's old strategy of applying pressure from Germany. All of this would require a great deal of money and soldiers. John spent much of 1205 securing England against a potential French invasion. As an emergency measure, he recreated a version of Henry II's Assize of Arms of 1181 , with each shire creating a structure to mobilise local levies. When the threat of invasion faded, John formed
4209-474: A recreational area in the south of the town—was the site of two late Iron Age furnaces. Ironworking and mineral extraction continued throughout Roman times , particularly in the Broadfield area where many furnaces were built. In the 5th century, Saxon settlers named the area Crow's Leah—meaning a crow-infested clearing, or Crow's Wood. This name evolved over time, and the present spelling appeared by
4392-590: A resolution admitting "persons of distinction" and persons who have "rendered eminent service" to be an honorary freeman of the borough. This power has been used to grant honorary freedom not only to individuals, but to units and ships of the armed forces. Borough charters granted under section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 to metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts of England Granted city status in 2012 Renamed Redcar and Cleveland 1996 Abolished 1998 Abolished 1996 Greater London
4575-426: A school and recreational open spaces as well. Crawley Development Corporation 's intention was for neighbourhood shops to cater only to basic needs, and for the town centre to be used for most shopping requirements. The number of shop units provided in the neighbourhood parades reflected this: despite the master plan making provision for at least 20 shops in each neighbourhood, the number actually built ranged from 19 in
4758-480: A short distance. During calm, clear periods of weather this allows for some interesting temperature variations, although most of the time, when mobile westerly airstreams persist, the weather is typically Oceanic like the rest of the British Isles. Gatwick is the nearest weather station that publishes long-term averages that give an accurate description of the climate of the Crawley area, although more recently
4941-545: A site next to Crawley station in 1881. In 1898 more than 700 people were employed at the site. There was a major expansion in house building in the late 19th century. An area known as "New Town" (unrelated to the postwar developments) was created around the railway level crossing and down the Brighton Road; the West Green area, west of the High Street on the way to Ifield, was built up; and housing spread south of
5124-399: A stalemate. John died of dysentery contracted while on campaign in eastern England during late 1216; supporters of his son Henry III went on to achieve victory over Louis and the rebel barons the following year. Contemporary chroniclers were mostly critical of John's performance as king, and his reign has since been the subject of significant debate and periodic revision by historians from
5307-457: A strong team of engineers for siege warfare and a substantial force of professional crossbowmen. The King was supported by a team of leading barons with military expertise, including William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury , William the Marshal , Roger de Lacy and, until he fell from favour, the marcher lord William de Braose. John had already begun to improve his Channel forces before
5490-577: A successful crusade and return from the Levant without fear of John seizing power. Richard left political authority in England—the post of justiciar—jointly in the hands of Bishop Hugh de Puiset and William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex , and made William Longchamp , the Bishop of Ely , his chancellor. Mandeville immediately died, and Longchamp took over as joint justiciar with Puiset, which would prove
5673-579: A suitable location for a New Town ; but it was not officially designated as such until 9 January 1947 . The 5,920 acres (2,396 ha) of land set aside for the new town were split across the county borders between East Sussex , West Sussex and Surrey . Architect Thomas Bennett was appointed chairman of Crawley Development Corporation . Members of the working group developing a master Plan included Lawrence Neal, Alwyn Sheppard Fidler , Caroline Haslett , Molly Bolton , Sir Edward Gillett , Eric Walter Pasold and Alderman James Marshall. A court challenge to
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5856-414: A tournament in 1186, leaving a posthumous son, Arthur , and an elder daughter, Eleanor . Geoffrey's death brought John slightly closer to the throne of England. The uncertainty about what would happen after Henry's death continued to grow; Richard was keen to join a new crusade and remained concerned that whilst he was away Henry would appoint John his formal successor. Richard began discussions about
6039-402: A town or urban area. Outside Greater London , borough status is granted to metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts under the provisions of section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 . This section allows the council of a district to petition the monarch for a charter granting borough status. The resolution must have the support of at least two-thirds of the councillors. Having received
6222-547: A wealthy heiress or have one's debts remitted. By the time of Henry II, these posts were increasingly being filled by "new men" from outside the normal ranks of the barons. This intensified under John's rule, with many lesser nobles arriving from the continent to take up positions at court; many were mercenary leaders from Poitou. These men included soldiers who would become infamous in England for their uncivilised behaviour, including Falkes de Breauté , Gérard d'Athée , Engelard de Cigogné , and Philip Marc . Many barons perceived
6405-402: A zeal and a tirelessness to which the English common law is greatly endebted". Seen more critically, John may have been motivated by the potential of the royal legal process to raise fees, rather than a desire to deliver simple justice; his legal system also applied only to free men, rather than to all of the population. Nonetheless, these changes were popular with many free tenants, who acquired
6588-569: Is St John the Baptist's , between the High Street and the Broadway. It is said to have 13th-century origins, but there has been much rebuilding (especially in the 19th century) and the oldest part remaining is the south wall of the nave , which is believed to be 14th century. The church has a 15th-century tower (rebuilt in 1804) which originally contained four bells cast in 1724. Two were replaced by Thomas Lester of London in 1742; but in 1880
6771-483: Is available for 1971 to 2000, but given increases at comparable sites nearby, annual averages are likely to be over 1,600 hours. Snowfall is often heavier in the Sussex Weald than in many other low-lying parts of central and southern England due to the proximity of moisture-laden southerly tracking low-pressure systems bringing easterly winds and snow to areas from South London southwards. However, again due to
6954-467: Is divided into thirty-two London boroughs . Their borough status dates from 1965, although each of them had previously included municipal , county or metropolitan boroughs: The districts created in 1974 were abolished in 1996 by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 . The 1994 Act amended section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972, allowing the new unitary county councils established by
7137-402: Is less clear, however. None of his known illegitimate children were born after he remarried, and there is no actual documentary proof of adultery after that point, although John certainly had female friends amongst the court throughout the period. The specific accusations made against John during the baronial revolts are now generally considered to have been invented for the purposes of justifying
7320-511: Is surrounded by towns including Horley , Redhill , Reigate , Oxted , Dorking , Horsham , Haywards Heath , Burgess Hill and East Grinstead . The borough of Crawley is bordered by the districts of Mid Sussex and Horsham in West Sussex as well as the districts of Mole Valley and Tandridge and the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey . Crawley lies in the Weald between
7503-441: The 2021 census , Crawley's population had grown to 118,493. White people made up 73.4% of the population, of those 61.8% identified as White British , a decrease from 84.5% in 2001, while those who identified as " Other White " were 10.5%. Asians made up 15.4% of the population, with Indians and Pakistanis making up 6.2% and 5.2% of the population respectively, while Sri Lankans (mostly of Tamil descent / background ) make up
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7686-677: The A23 London–Brighton road. Three-quarters of the population had piped water supplies, all businesses and homes had electricity, and piped gas and street lighting had been in place for 50 years. An airfield was opened in 1930 on land near the racecourse. This was a private concern until the Second World War when it was claimed by the Royal Air Force . In May 1946, the New Towns Act of 1946 identified Crawley as
7869-517: The Battle of Bouvines . When he returned to England, John faced a rebellion by many of his barons, who were unhappy with his fiscal policies and his treatment of many of England's most powerful nobles. Magna Carta was drafted as a peace treaty between John and the barons, and agreed in 1215. However, neither side complied with its conditions and civil war broke out shortly afterwards, with the barons aided by Prince Louis of France . It soon descended into
8052-575: The Chancery kept written records and communications; the Treasury and the Exchequer dealt with income and expenditure respectively; and various judges were deployed to deliver justice around the kingdom. Thanks to the efforts of men like Hubert Walter , this trend towards improved record keeping continued into his reign. Like previous kings, John managed a peripatetic court that travelled around
8235-463: The Duchy of Brabant but actually recruited from across northern Europe, could operate all year long and provide a commander with more strategic options to pursue a campaign, but cost much more than equivalent feudal forces. As a result, commanders of the period were increasingly drawing on larger numbers of mercenaries. After his coronation, John moved south into France with military forces and adopted
8418-571: The Lord of Ireland and replaced him with the ten-year-old John. Henry the Young King fought a short war with his brother Richard in 1183 over the status of England, Normandy and Aquitaine. Henry II moved in support of Richard, and Henry the Young King died from dysentery at the end of the campaign. With his primary heir dead, Henry rearranged the plans for the succession: Richard was to be made King of England, albeit without any actual power until
8601-760: The Mesolithic period: locally manufactured flints of the Horsham Culture type have been found to the southwest of the town. Tools and burial mounds from the Neolithic period , and burial mounds and a sword from the Bronze Age , have also been discovered. Crawley is on the western edge of the High Weald , which produced iron for more than 2,000 years from the Iron Age onwards. Goffs Park—now
8784-564: The Met Office has also published data for its nearby weather station at Charlwood . Both weather stations are about 3 miles north of Crawley town centre and at similar altitudes. Generally, Crawley's inland and southerly position within the UK means temperatures in summer are amongst the highest in the British Isles, Charlwood recording 36.3C (97.3F) and Gatwick recording 36.4C (97.5F) on 19 July 2006, just 0.2C and 0.1C lower, respectively, than
8967-522: The North and South Downs . Two beds of sedimentary rock meet beneath the town: the eastern neighbourhoods and the town centre lie largely on the sandstone Hastings Beds, while the rest of the town is based on Weald Clay . A geological fault running from east to west has left an area of Weald Clay (with a ridge of limestone ) jutting into the Hastings Beds around Tilgate . The highest point in
9150-573: The Third Crusade . He set about raising the huge sums of money required for this expedition through the sale of lands, titles and appointments, and attempted to ensure that he would not face a revolt while away from his empire. John was made Count of Mortain , was married to the wealthy Isabella of Gloucester, and was given valuable lands in Lancaster and the counties of Cornwall , Derby , Devon, Dorset , Nottingham and Somerset , all with
9333-627: The Victorian era , and John remains a recurring character within Western popular culture, primarily as a villain in Robin Hood folklore. John was born on 24 December 1166. His father, King Henry II of England , had inherited significant territories along the Atlantic seaboard — Anjou , Normandy and England — and expanded his empire by conquering Brittany . John's mother was Eleanor ,
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#17327732507389516-448: The census in 2011 the population of Crawley was recorded as 106,597. The 2001 census data showed that population then accounted for 13.2% of the population of the county of West Sussex . The growth in population of the new town (around 1,000% between 1951 and 2001) has outstripped that of most similar-sized settlements. For example, in the same period, the population of the neighbouring district of Horsham grew by just 99%. According to
9699-661: The parliamentary constituency of Crawley . Henry Smith won the seat at the 2010 general election and was re-elected at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections. Laura Moffatt , a member of the Labour Party , was the MP for Crawley from 1997 to 2010; she was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Health , Alan Johnson . In the 2005 general election , the winning margin
9882-425: The 12th century, there were contrary opinions expressed about the nature of kingship, and many contemporary writers believed that monarchs should rule in accordance with the custom and the law, and take counsel of the leading members of the realm. There was as yet no model for what should happen if a king refused to do so. Despite his claim to unique authority within England, John would sometimes justify his actions on
10065-538: The 16th century onwards. Historian Jim Bradbury has summarised the current historical opinion of John's positive qualities, observing that John is today usually considered a "hard-working administrator, an able man, an able general". Nonetheless, modern historians agree that he also had many faults as king, including what historian Ralph Turner describes as "distasteful, even dangerous personality traits", such as pettiness, spitefulness, and cruelty. These negative qualities provided extensive material for fiction writers in
10248-428: The 26 districts with 11 larger districts . The "statutory transition committee" handling each council merger had the right to request transfer of borough status as in 1972, and unionist -majority councils did so, while nationalist -majority councils chose not to apply. There were complications where places had city status; therefore Belfast, Derry and Lisburn 's borough charters carried over automatically, without
10431-458: The Act to apply for a charter in a similar manner to the old district councils. On receiving a charter a county became a "county borough". The privileges of borough status are that the council chairperson is called "mayor"; up to one quarter of councillors can be called "alderman"; and the council can award freedom of the borough . The Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 extinguished all
10614-472: The Alps and joined Henry II's court, but she died before marrying John, which left the prince once again without an inheritance. In 1173 John's elder brothers, backed by Eleanor, rose in revolt against Henry in the short-lived rebellion of 1173 to 1174 . Growing irritated with his subordinate position to Henry II and increasingly worried that John might be given additional lands and castles at his expense, Henry
10797-601: The Angevin empire was held by Henry only as a vassal of the king of France of the rival line of the House of Capet . Henry had often allied himself with the Holy Roman Emperor against France, making the feudal relationship even more challenging. Shortly after his birth, John was passed from Eleanor into the care of a wet nurse , a traditional practice for medieval noble families. Eleanor then left for Poitiers ,
10980-672: The Angevin territories on the continent. With Arthur's army pressing up the Loire Valley towards Angers and Philip's forces moving down the valley towards Tours , John's continental empire was in danger of being cut in two. Warfare in Normandy at the time was shaped by the defensive potential of castles and the increasing costs of conducting campaigns. The Norman frontiers had limited natural defences but were heavily reinforced with castles, such as Château Gaillard , at strategic points, built and maintained at considerable expense. It
11163-453: The Angevin throne: John, whose claim rested on being the sole surviving son of Henry II, and young Arthur I of Brittany, who held a claim as the son of John's elder brother Geoffrey. Richard appears to have started to recognise John as his heir presumptive in the final years before his death, but the matter was not clear-cut and medieval law gave little guidance as to how the competing claims should be decided. With Norman law favouring John as
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#173277325073811346-552: The Brighton Main Line. In the early 20th century, many of the large country estates in the area, with their mansions and associated grounds and outbuildings, were split up into smaller plots of land, attracting haphazard housing development and small farms. By the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 Crawley had grown into a small but prosperous town, serving a wide rural area and those passing through on
11529-481: The Church. Historian Frank McLynn argues that John's early years at Fontevrault, combined with his relatively advanced education, may have turned him against the church. Other historians have been more cautious in interpreting this material, noting that chroniclers also reported his personal interest in the life of St Wulfstan and his friendships with several senior clerics, most especially with Hugh of Lincoln , who
11712-634: The Continent was now the Duchy of Aquitaine. The nature of government under the Angevin monarchs was ill-defined and uncertain. John's predecessors had ruled using the principle of vis et voluntas ("force and will"), taking executive and sometimes arbitrary decisions, often justified on the basis that a king was above the law. Both Henry II and Richard had argued that kings possessed a quality of " divine majesty "; John continued this trend and claimed an "almost imperial status" for himself as ruler. During
11895-635: The Crown. He found that these measures enabled him to raise further resources through the confiscation of the lands of barons who could not pay or refused to pay. At the start of John's reign there was a sudden change in prices , as bad harvests and high demand for food resulted in much higher prices for grain and animals. This inflationary pressure was to continue for the rest of the 13th century and had long-term economic consequences for England. The resulting social pressures were complicated by bursts of deflation that resulted from John's military campaigns. It
12078-600: The Development Corporation, the town's population had reached 51,700; 2,289,000 square feet (212,700 m) of the factory and other industrial space had been provided; 21,800 people were employed, nearly 60% of whom worked in manufacturing industries, and only seventy people were registered as unemployed. The corporation had built 10,254 houses, and private builders provided around 1,500 more. Tenants were by then permitted to buy their houses and 440 householders had chosen to do so by April 1960. A new plan
12261-511: The Duke of Normandy, who was exempt by feudal tradition from being called to the French court. Philip argued that he was summoning John not as the Duke of Normandy, but as the Count of Poitou, which carried no such special status. When John still refused to come, Philip declared John in breach of his feudal responsibilities, reassigned all of John's lands that fell under the French crown to Arthur—with
12444-629: The Horsham line for the first time, into what is now Southgate . The population reached 4,433 in 1901, compared to 1,357 a century earlier. In 1891, a racecourse was opened on farmland at Gatwick. Built to replace a steeplechase course at Waddon near Croydon in Surrey , it was used for both steeplechase and flat racing , and held the Grand National during the years of the First World War . The course had its own railway station on
12627-459: The King kept the rebel leaders in such bad conditions that twenty-two of them died. At this time most of the regional nobility were closely linked through kinship, and this behaviour towards their relatives was regarded as unacceptable. William de Roches and others of John's regional allies in Anjou and Brittany deserted him in favour of Philip, and Brittany rose in revolt. John's financial situation
12810-429: The King's household as what Ralph Turner has characterised as a "narrow clique enjoying royal favour at barons' expense" staffed by men of lesser status. This trend for the King to rely on his own men at the expense of the barons was exacerbated by the tradition of Angevin royal ira et malevolentia ("anger and ill-will") and John's own personality. From Henry II onwards, ira et malevolentia had come to describe
12993-542: The May 1200 Treaty of Le Goulet ; by this treaty, Philip recognised John as the rightful heir to Richard in respect to his French possessions, temporarily abandoning the wider claims of his client, Arthur. John, in turn, abandoned Richard's former policy of containing Philip through alliances with Flanders and Boulogne, and accepted Philip's right as the legitimate feudal overlord of John's lands in France. John's policy earned him
13176-720: The Port", recalling an historic jurisdiction. The lord mayors of Chester and Kingston-upon-Hull are admirals of the Dee and the Humber respectively, the Mayor of Medway is Admiral of the River Medway, and the mayors of Poole and Southampton are admirals of those ports. Privileges or rights belonging to citizens or burgesses of a former borough can be transferred to the inhabitants of the new borough. Borough councils are permitted to pass
13359-568: The Stone Age , and was a centre of ironworking in Roman times. Crawley developed slowly as a market town from the 13th century, serving the surrounding villages in the Weald . Its location on the main road from London to Brighton brought passing trade, which encouraged the development of coaching inns . A rail link to London opened in 1841. Gatwick Airport , one of Britain's busiest international airports, opened for commercial flights on
13542-581: The Treaty of Norham, which gave John control of William's daughters and required a payment of £10,000. This effectively crippled William's power north of the border, and by 1212 John had to intervene militarily to support William against his internal rivals. John made no efforts to reinvigorate the Treaty of Falaise, though, and William and his son Alexander II of Scotland in turn remained independent kings, supported by, but not owing fealty to, John. John remained Lord of Ireland throughout his reign. He drew on
13725-469: The UK monthly record for that day set at Wisley , 20 miles to the west. The overall maximum stands at 36.5C (97.7F) at Charlwood , set on 10 August 2003. The absolute record for Gatwick is the aforementioned 36.4C. Before this, the highest temperature recorded at Gatwick was 35.6C (96.1F), also in August 2003. The maximum temperature was 25.1C (77.2F) or higher on 15.9 days of the year on average (1971–00) and
13908-645: The United Kingdom Until the local government reforms of 1973 and 1974 , boroughs were towns possessing charters of incorporation conferring considerable powers, and were governed by a municipal corporation headed by a mayor. The corporations had been reformed by legislation beginning in 1835 ( 1840 in Ireland ). By the time of their abolition there were three types: Many of the older boroughs could trace their origin to medieval charters or were boroughs by prescription, with Saxon origins. Most of
14091-551: The Young King travelled to Paris and allied himself with Louis VII. Eleanor, irritated by her husband's persistent interference in Aquitaine, encouraged Richard and Geoffrey to join their brother Henry in Paris. Henry II triumphed over the coalition of his sons, but was generous to them in the peace settlement agreed at Montlouis . Henry the Young King was allowed to travel widely in Europe with his own household of knights, Richard
14274-422: The absence of any actual military campaign, which ran counter to the original idea that scutage was an alternative to actual military service. John maximised his right to demand relief payments when estates and castles were inherited, sometimes charging enormous sums, beyond barons' abilities to pay. Building on the successful sale of sheriff appointments in 1194, the King initiated a new round of appointments, with
14457-454: The additional ability to "cripple his vassals" on a significant scale using his new economic and judicial measures, which made the threat of royal anger all the more serious. John was deeply suspicious of the barons, particularly those with sufficient power and wealth to potentially challenge him. Numerous barons were subjected to his malevolentia , even including the famous knight William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , normally held up as
14640-410: The aim of buying his loyalty to Richard whilst the King was on crusade. Richard retained royal control of key castles in these counties, thereby preventing John from accumulating too much military and political power. The King named his four-year-old nephew Arthur as his heir. In return, John promised not to visit England for the next three years, thereby in theory giving Richard adequate time to conduct
14823-549: The aviation, transport, warehousing and distribution industries. The significance of the airport to local employment and enterprise was reflected by the formation of the Gatwick Diamond partnership. This venture, supported by local businesses, local government and SEEDA , South East England's Regional Development Agency , aims to maintain and improve the Crawley and Gatwick area's status as a region of national and international economic importance. Borough status in
15006-489: The balance seemed to be tipping away from Philip and Arthur in favour of John. Neither side was keen to continue the conflict, and following a papal truce the two leaders met in January 1200 to negotiate possible terms for peace. From John's perspective, what then followed represented an opportunity to stabilise control over his continental possessions and produce a lasting peace with Philip in Paris. John and Philip negotiated
15189-473: The basis that he had taken council with the barons. Modern historians remain divided as to whether John had a case of "royal schizophrenia " in his approach to government, or if his actions merely reflected the complex model of Angevin kingship in the early 13th century. John inherited a sophisticated system of administration in England, with a range of royal agents answering to the Royal Household:
15372-743: The borough is 486 feet (148 m) above sea level. The town has no major waterways, although a number of smaller brooks and streams are tributaries for the River Mole which rises near Gatwick Airport and flows northwards to the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace . There are several lakes at Tilgate Park and a mill pond at Ifield which was stopped to feed the Ifield Water Mill . In 1822 Gideon Mantell , an amateur fossil collector and palaeontologist , discovered teeth, bones and other remains of what he described as "an animal of
15555-408: The borough's neighbourhoods, but three neighbourhoods are divided: Broadfield , Northgate , and Pound Hill into "Pound Hill North and Forge Wood " and "Pound Hill South and Worth". The council is elected in thirds. As of the 2021 local elections , the council is run by Labour in coalition with the sole independent councillor, with seats held as follows: Crawley Borough is coterminous with
15738-572: The boroughs created after 1835 were new industrial, resort or suburban towns that had grown up after the Industrial Revolution . Borough corporations could also have the status of a city . For pre-1974 boroughs, see Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1835–1882 , Unreformed boroughs in England and Wales 1835–1886 , Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1882–1974 , Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 Borough status no longer implies
15921-471: The boroughs in Ireland except for ten. In what would in 1921 become Northern Ireland , there were two remaining municipal boroughs in 1840: Belfast (made a city in 1888) and Derry ( officially Londonderry , and a city since 1604). Five towns with abolished corporations remained parliamentary boroughs until 1885 ( Armagh , Carrickfergus , Coleraine , Dungannon , and Enniskillen ) as did three ( Downpatrick , Lisburn , and Newry ) where any corporation
16104-469: The capital of Aquitaine, and sent John and his sister Joan north to Fontevrault Abbey . This may have been done with the aim of steering her youngest son, with no obvious inheritance, towards a future ecclesiastical career. Eleanor spent the next few years conspiring against Henry and neither parent played a part in John's very early life. John was probably, like his brothers, assigned a magister whilst he
16287-538: The castle of Rouen ... when John was drunk he slew Arthur with his own hand and tying a heavy stone to the body cast it into the Seine ." Rumours of the manner of Arthur's death further reduced support for John across the region. Arthur's sister, Eleanor , who had also been captured at Mirebeau, was kept imprisoned by John for many years, albeit in relatively good conditions. In late 1203, John attempted to relieve Château Gaillard , which although besieged by Philip
16470-403: The castles of Chinon , Loudun and Mirebeau into John's name; as John was only five years old his father would continue to control them for practical purposes. Henry the Young King was unimpressed by this; although he had yet to be granted control of any castles in his new kingdom, these were effectively his future property and had been given away without consultation. Alais made the trip over
16653-585: The conflict, but Innocent's efforts were unsuccessful. As the situation became worse for John, he appears to have decided to have Arthur killed, with the aim of removing a potential rival and to undermine the rebel forces in Brittany. Arthur had initially been imprisoned at Falaise and was then moved to Rouen. After this, Arthur's fate remains uncertain, but modern historians believe he was murdered by John. The annals of Margam Abbey suggest that "John had captured Arthur and kept him alive in prison for some time in
16836-490: The continent, apparently loyally. Richard's policy on the continent was to attempt to regain through steady, limited campaigns the castles he had lost to Philip II whilst on crusade. He allied himself with the leaders of Flanders , Boulogne and the Holy Roman Empire to apply pressure on Philip from Germany. In 1195 John successfully conducted a sudden attack and siege of Évreux castle, and subsequently managed
17019-497: The continental Angevin lands at the peace treaty of Le Goulet in 1200. When war with France broke out again in 1202, John achieved early victories, but shortages of military resources and his treatment of Norman , Breton , and Anjou nobles resulted in the collapse of his empire in northern France in 1204. He spent much of the next decade attempting to regain these lands, raising huge revenues, reforming his armed forces and rebuilding continental alliances. His judicial reforms had
17202-483: The council. The authority's boundaries were extended in 1983 to accommodate the Bewbush and Broadfield neighbourhoods. The borough remains part of the local two-tier arrangements, with services shared with West Sussex County Council . The authority is divided into 13 wards, each of which is represented by two or three local councillors, forming a total council of 36 members. Most wards are coterminous with
17385-428: The country for resources to fight his war with Philip on the continent. Conflict continued in Ireland between the Anglo-Norman settlers and the indigenous Irish chieftains, with John manipulating both groups to expand his wealth and power in the country. During Richard's rule, John had successfully increased the size of his lands in Ireland, and he continued this policy as king. In 1210 the King crossed into Ireland with
17568-412: The country with him. They also played an important role in organising and leading military campaigns. Another section of royal followers were the curia regis ; these curiales were the senior officials and agents of the King and were essential to his day-to-day rule. Being a member of these inner circles brought huge advantages, as it was easier to gain favours from the King, file lawsuits, marry
17751-403: The crown by the King's favoured supporters might be forgiven; collection of those owed by enemies was more stringently enforced. The result was a sequence of innovative but unpopular financial measures. John levied scutage payments eleven times in his seventeen years as king, as compared to eleven times in total during the reign of the preceding three monarchs. In many cases these were levied in
17934-620: The crusade, John began to assert that his brother was dead or otherwise permanently lost. Richard had in fact been captured shortly before Christmas 1192, while en route to England, by Duke Leopold V of Austria and was handed over to Emperor Henry VI , who held him for ransom. John seized the opportunity and went to Paris, where he formed an alliance with Philip. He agreed to set aside his wife, Isabella of Gloucester, and marry Philip's sister, Alys , in exchange for Philip's support. Fighting broke out in England between forces loyal to Richard and those being gathered by John. John's military position
18117-439: The death of his father; Geoffrey would retain Brittany; and John would now become the Duke of Aquitaine in place of Richard. Richard refused to give up Aquitaine; Henry II was furious and ordered John, with help from Geoffrey, to march south and retake the duchy by force. The two attacked the capital of Poitiers, and Richard responded by attacking Brittany. The war ended in stalemate and a tense family reconciliation in England at
18300-484: The death of his mother, Eleanor, in April 1204. John's preferred plan was to use Poitou as a base of operations, advance up the Loire Valley to threaten Paris, pin down the French forces and break Philip's internal lines of communication before landing a maritime force in the Duchy itself. Ideally, this plan would benefit from the opening of a second front on Philip's eastern frontiers with Flanders and Boulogne—effectively
18483-507: The defences of Normandy against Philip. The following year, John seized the town of Gamaches and led a raiding party within 50 miles (80 km) of Paris, capturing the Bishop of Beauvais . In return for this service, Richard withdrew his malevolentia (ill-will) towards John, restored him to the county of Gloucestershire and made him again the Count of Mortain. After Richard's death on 6 April 1199 there were two potential claimants to
18666-513: The designated area of the New Town as well as the area north of the town including Gatwick Airport , which had previously been in Surrey . The Urban District Council received its coat of arms from the College of Heralds in 1957. After the change to borough status a modified coat of arms, based on the original, was awarded in 1976 and presented to the council on 24 March 1977. It features
18849-488: The designation order meant that plans were not officially confirmed until December 1947. By this time, an initial plan for the development of the area had been drawn up by Anthony Minoprio . This proposed filling in the gaps between the villages of Crawley, Ifield and Three Bridges . Bennett estimated that planning, designing and building the town, and increasing its population from the existing 9,500 to 40,000, would take 15 years. Work began almost immediately to prepare for
19032-559: The destruction of all data stored for the identity card scheme brought about by the Identity Cards Act 2006 . At 51°6′33″N 0°11′14″W / 51.10917°N 0.18722°W / 51.10917; -0.18722 (51.1092, −0.1872), Crawley is in the northeastern corner of West Sussex in South East England , 28 miles (45 km) south of London and 18 miles (29 km) north of Brighton and Hove . It
19215-401: The disparate parts each had their own histories, traditions and governance structures. As one moved south through Anjou and Aquitaine, the extent of Henry's power in the provinces diminished considerably, scarcely resembling the modern concept of an empire at all. Some of the traditional ties between parts of the empire such as Normandy and England were slowly dissolving over time. The future of
19398-448: The disrespectful title of "John Softsword" from some English chroniclers, who contrasted his behaviour with his more aggressive brother, Richard. The new peace would last only two years; war recommenced in the aftermath of John's decision in August 1200 to marry Isabella of Angoulême . In order to remarry, John first needed to abandon his wife Isabella, Countess of Gloucester; the King accomplished this by arguing that he had failed to get
19581-404: The earlier neighbourhoods in which most of the housing was owned by the council. In 1999, plans were announced to develop the 14th neighbourhood on land at Tinsley Green to the northeast of the town; this was given the go ahead in 2011 and is officially the town's 14th neighbourhood, named Forge Wood after the ancient woodland that is enclosed within the development. After a temporary halt to
19764-580: The early 14th century. By this time, nearby settlements were more established: the Saxon church at Worth , for example, dates from between 950 and 1050 AD. Although Crawley itself is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the nearby settlements of Ifield and Worth are recorded. The first written record of Crawley dates from 1202, when a licence was issued by King John for a weekly market on Wednesdays. Crawley grew slowly in importance over
19947-411: The east of Normandy. Opinions vary amongst historians as to the military skill shown by John during this campaign, with most recent historians arguing that his performance was passable, although not impressive. John's situation began to deteriorate rapidly. The eastern border region of Normandy had been extensively cultivated by Philip and his predecessors for several years, whilst Angevin authority in
20130-413: The economy. The result was political unrest across the country. John attempted to address some of the problems with the English currency in 1204 and 1205 by carrying out a radical overhaul of the coinage, improving its quality and consistency. John's royal household was based around several groups of followers. One group was the familiares regis , his immediate friends and knights who travelled around
20313-564: The edge of the town in 1933, encouraging commercial and industrial growth. After the Second World War , the British Government planned to move large numbers of people and jobs out of London and into new towns around South East England . The New Towns Act 1946 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 6 . c. 68) designated Crawley as the site of one of these. A master plan was developed for the establishment of new residential, commercial, industrial and civic areas, and rapid development greatly increased
20496-529: The empire upon Henry's eventual death was not secure: although the custom of primogeniture , under which an eldest son would inherit all his father's lands, was slowly becoming more widespread across Europe, it was less popular amongst the Norman kings of England. Most believed that Henry would divide the empire, giving each son a substantial portion, and hoping that his children would continue to work together as allies after his death. To complicate matters, much of
20679-403: The end of 1184. In 1185 John made his first visit to Ireland , accompanied by 300 knights and a team of administrators. Henry had tried to have John officially proclaimed King of Ireland, but Pope Lucius III would not agree. John's first period of rule in Ireland was not a success. Ireland had only recently been conquered by Anglo-Norman forces, and tensions were still rife between Henry II,
20862-483: The entire rebel leadership at the battle of Mirebeau . With his southern flank weakening, Philip was forced to withdraw in the east and turn south himself to contain John's army. John's position in France was considerably strengthened by the victory at Mirebeau, but John's treatment of his new prisoners and of his ally, William de Roches, quickly undermined these gains. De Roches was a powerful Anjou noble, but John largely ignored him, causing considerable offence, whilst
21045-673: The exception of Normandy, which he took back for himself—and began a fresh war against John. John initially adopted a defensive posture similar to that of 1199: avoiding open battle and carefully defending his key castles. John's operations became more chaotic as the campaign progressed, and Philip began to make steady progress in the east. John became aware in July that Arthur's forces were threatening his mother, Eleanor, at Mirebeau Castle. Accompanied by William de Roches, his seneschal in Anjou, he swung his mercenary army rapidly south to protect her. His forces caught Arthur by surprise and captured
21228-404: The expansion of the town. A full master plan was in place by 1949. This envisaged an increase in the population of the town to 50,000, residential properties in nine neighbourhoods radiating from the town centre, and a separate industrial area to the north. The neighbourhoods would consist mainly of three-bedroom family homes, with a number of smaller and larger properties. Each would be built around
21411-509: The failed revolt of 1173–1174 by his brothers Henry the Young King , Richard , and Geoffrey against the King. John was appointed Lord of Ireland in 1177 and given lands in England and on the continent. He unsuccessfully attempted a rebellion against the royal administrators of his brother, King Richard I, while Richard was participating in the Third Crusade , but he was proclaimed king after Richard died in 1199. He came to an agreement with Philip II of France to recognise John's possession of
21594-578: The growth in Capetian power was beginning to concern France's neighbours. By 1212 John had successfully concluded alliances with his nephew Otto IV , a contender for the crown of Holy Roman Emperor in Germany, as well as with the counts Renaud of Boulogne and Ferdinand of Flanders . The invasion plans for 1212 were postponed because of fresh English baronial unrest about service in Poitou. Philip seized
21777-548: The initiative in 1213, sending his elder son, Louis , to invade Flanders with the intention of next launching an invasion of England. John was forced to postpone his own invasion plans to counter this threat. He launched his new fleet to attack the French at the harbour of Damme . The attack was a success, destroying Philip's vessels and any chances of an invasion of England that year. John hoped to exploit this advantage by invading himself late in 1213, but baronial discontent again delayed his invasion plans until early 1214, in what
21960-402: The kingdom, dealing with both local and national matters as he went. John was very active in the administration of England and was involved in every aspect of government. In part he was following in the tradition of Henry I and Henry II, but by the 13th century the volume of administrative work had greatly increased, which put much more pressure on a king who wished to rule in this style. John
22143-564: The largest Chagossian population in the world". The town has a population density of around 2,635 persons per square kilometre, making it the second most densely populated district in West Sussex , after Worthing . In 2021, around 28.6% were in managerial, administrative or professional occupations, although this varied by ward, with just 19.5% in Broadfield West , compared to 45.7% in Maidenbower . The proportion of people in
22326-536: The leading loyalist barons. John's personal life greatly affected his reign. Contemporary chroniclers state that John was sinfully lustful and lacking in piety . It was common for kings and nobles of the period to keep mistresses, but chroniclers complained that John's mistresses were married noblewomen, which was considered unacceptable. John had at least five children with mistresses during his first marriage, and two of those mistresses are known to have been noblewomen. John's sexual behaviour after his second marriage
22509-600: The lizard tribe of enormous magnitude", in Tilgate Forest on the edge of Crawley. He announced his discovery in an 1825 scientific paper, giving the creature the name Iguanodon . In 1832 he discovered and named the Hylaeosaurus genus of dinosaurs after finding a fossil in the same forest. Crawley lies within the Sussex Weald , an area of highly variable terrain so that many microclimates of frost hollows, sun traps and windswept hilltops will be encountered over
22692-469: The loss of Normandy and he rapidly built up further maritime capabilities after its collapse. Most of these ships were placed along the Cinque Ports , but Portsmouth was also enlarged. By the end of 1204 he had around 50 large galleys available; another 54 vessels were built between 1209 and 1212. William of Wrotham was appointed "keeper of the galleys", effectively John's chief admiral. Wrotham
22875-514: The majority of " Other Asian " write-ins. Those of Black descent made up 4.5% of the population. Crawley also has a noticeable Mauritian minority, made up of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The largest religious affiliation was Christianity at 42.6%, followed by those with no religion at 35.1%, Islam at 9.7%, Hinduism at 5.1%, Sikhism at 0.7%, Buddhism at 0.4%, Judaism at 0.1% and any other religion at 0.5%. Those who recorded their main language as English made up 84.3% of
23058-458: The necessary papal dispensation to marry the Countess in the first place—as a cousin, John could not have legally wedded her without this. It remains unclear why John chose to marry Isabella of Angoulême. Contemporary chroniclers argued that John had fallen deeply in love with her, and John may have been motivated by desire for an apparently beautiful, if rather young, girl (Isabella of Angoulême
23241-419: The need for the council to pass a resolution. Although Newry received city status in 2002, Newry and Mourne District Council did not receive borough status. In 2015 its successor Newry, Mourne and Down District Council voted not to request borough status, the required two-thirds majority failing after opposition from Sinn Féin . John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216)
23424-534: The new incumbents making back their investment through increased fines and penalties, particularly in the forests. Another innovation of Richard's, increased charges levied on widows who wished to remain single, was expanded under John. John continued to sell charters for new towns, including the planned town of Liverpool , and charters were sold for markets across the kingdom and in Gascony . The King introduced new taxes and extended existing ones. The Jews, who held
23607-512: The new settlers and the existing inhabitants. John infamously offended the local Irish rulers by making fun of their unfashionable long beards, failed to make allies amongst the Anglo-Norman settlers, began to lose ground militarily against the Irish and finally returned to England later in the year, blaming the viceroy, Hugh de Lacy , for the fiasco. The problems amongst John's wider family continued to grow. His elder brother Geoffrey died during
23790-428: The next few centuries, but was boosted in the 18th century by the construction of the turnpike road between London and Brighton . When this was completed in 1770, travel between the newly fashionable seaside resort and London became safer and quicker, and Crawley (located approximately halfway between the two) prospered as a coaching halt. By 1839 it offered almost an hourly service to both destinations. The George,
23973-490: The only surviving son of Henry II and Angevin law favouring Arthur as the only son of Henry's elder son, the matter rapidly became an open conflict. John was supported by the bulk of the English and Norman nobility and was crowned at Westminster Abbey, backed by his mother, Eleanor. Arthur was supported by the majority of the Breton, Maine and Anjou nobles and received the support of Philip II, who remained committed to breaking up
24156-457: The original nine: together, their proposed population was 23,000. Work also took place in the area now known as Ifield West on the western fringes of the town. By 1980, the council identified land at Maidenbower , south of the Pound Hill neighbourhood, as being suitable for another new neighbourhood, and work began in 1986. However, all of this development was undertaken privately, unlike
24339-453: The outlying Langley Green neighbourhood to just seven in West Green , close to the town centre. Each of the 14 residential neighbourhoods is identified by a colour, which is shown on street name signs in a standard format throughout the town: below the street name, the neighbourhood name is shown in white text on a coloured background. There are areas which are not defined as neighbourhoods but which are closely associated with Crawley: At
24522-487: The petition the monarch may, on the advice of the Privy Council , grant a charter whereupon: Charters granted under the 1972 Act may allow the borough council to appoint "local officers of dignity" previously appointed by an abolished borough corporation. Examples include: There is no obligation on the council to appoint persons to these positions. In some boroughs the mayor has the additional title as "Admiral of
24705-629: The population. Other languages were Romanian (2.1%), Polish (1.7%), Portuguese (1.4%), Tamil (1.3), Gujarati (1.1%) and Hindustani ( Hindi / Urdu ) (1.1%). There is also a Tamil learning centre. Many Chagossians expelled from the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean settled in Crawley in the 1960s and 1970s, and it was reported in 2016 that the town's Chagossian community numbered approximately 3,000 people. Crawley MP Henry Smith stated that Crawley "is home to perhaps
24888-543: The powerful duchess of Aquitaine , who had a tenuous claim to Toulouse and Auvergne in southern France and was the former wife of King Louis VII of France . The territories of Henry and Eleanor formed the Angevin Empire , named after Henry's paternal title as Count of Anjou and, more specifically, its seat in Angers . The Empire, however, was inherently fragile: although all the lands owed allegiance to Henry,
25071-410: The proposals when a possible expansion at Gatwick Airport was announced, construction started in 2015. Forge Wood is to have a maximum of 1900 homes. Development of another neighbourhood began in 2012 on the western side of Crawley in the Horsham district , named Kilnwood Vale . A plan for a new railway station fell through. Crawley became a parish in the sixteenth century, having previously been
25254-463: The question of his succession. Henry the Young King had been crowned King of England in 1170, but was not given any formal powers by his father; he was also promised Normandy and Anjou as part of his future inheritance. His brother Richard was to be appointed the count of Poitou with control of Aquitaine, whilst his brother Geoffrey was to become the duke of Brittany. At this time it seemed unlikely that John would ever inherit substantial lands, and he
25437-551: The relationship remained uneasy. John began his reign by reasserting his sovereignty over the disputed northern counties. He refused William's request for the earldom of Northumbria , but did not intervene in Scotland itself and focused on his continental problems. The two kings maintained a friendly relationship, meeting in 1206 and 1207, until it was rumoured in 1209 that William was intending to ally himself with Philip II of France. John invaded Scotland and forced William to sign
25620-477: The remainder of his reign, John focused on trying to retake Normandy. The available evidence suggests that he did not regard the loss of the Duchy as a permanent shift in Capetian power. Strategically, John faced several challenges: England itself had to be secured against possible French invasion, the sea-routes to Bordeaux needed to be secured following the loss of the land route to Aquitaine, and his remaining possessions in Aquitaine needed to be secured following
25803-425: The revolt; nonetheless, most of John's contemporaries seem to have held a poor opinion of his sexual behaviour. The character of John's relationship with his second wife, Isabella of Angoulême, is unclear. John married Isabella whilst she was relatively young—her exact date of birth is uncertain, and estimates place her between at most 15 and more probably towards nine years old at the time of her marriage. Even by
25986-466: The right of the King to express his anger and displeasure at particular barons or clergy, building on the Norman concept of malevolentia —royal ill-will. In the Norman period, suffering the King's ill-will meant difficulties in obtaining grants, honours or petitions; Henry II had infamously expressed his fury and ill-will towards Thomas Becket , which ultimately resulted in Becket's death. John now had
26169-705: The royal courts had a more significant role in local law cases, which had previously been dealt with only by regional or local lords. John increased the professionalism of local sergeants and bailiffs, and extended the system of coroners first introduced by Hubert Walter in 1194, creating a new class of borough coroners. The King worked extremely hard to ensure that this system operated well, through judges he had appointed, by fostering legal specialists and expertise, and by intervening in cases himself. He continued to try relatively minor cases, even during military crises. Viewed positively, Lewis Warren considers that John discharged "his royal duty of providing justice ... with
26352-487: The royal succession. Henry II began to find more lands for John, mostly at various nobles' expense. In 1175 he appropriated the estates of the late Earl of Cornwall and gave them to John. The following year, Henry disinherited the sisters of Isabella of Gloucester , contrary to legal custom, and betrothed John to the now extremely wealthy Isabella. In 1177, at the Council of Oxford, Henry dismissed William FitzAldelm as
26535-545: The sensitive eastern Normandy border. Just as John stood to benefit strategically from marrying Isabella, so the marriage threatened the interests of the Lusignans , whose own lands currently provided the key route for royal goods and troops across Aquitaine. Rather than negotiating some form of compensation, John treated Hugh "with contempt"; this resulted in a Lusignan uprising that was promptly crushed by John, who also intervened to suppress Raoul in Normandy. Although John
26718-410: The size and population of the town over a few decades. The town contains 14 residential neighbourhoods radiating out from the core of the old market town, and separated by main roads and railway lines. The nearby communities of Ifield , Pound Hill and Three Bridges were absorbed into the new town at various stages in its development. In 2009, expansion was being planned in the west and north-west of
26901-512: The south had been undermined by Richard's giving away of various key castles some years before. His use of routier mercenaries in the central regions had rapidly eaten away his remaining support in this area too, which set the stage for a sudden collapse of Angevin power. John retreated back across the Channel in December, sending orders for the establishment of a fresh defensive line to
27084-475: The southerly location of the area, with warmer air from the nearby English Channel , the snow is often temporary as low-pressure systems track north bringing in milder air; areas immediately north of London tend to have less accumulation, but lying for a longer duration. Rainfall is lower than the English average, but higher than many other areas of the South East. 1mm of rain or more falls on 116.7 days of
27267-411: The standards of the time, she was married whilst very young. John did not provide a great deal of money for his wife's household and did not pass on much of the revenue from her lands, to the extent that historian Nicholas Vincent has described him as being "downright mean" towards Isabella. Vincent concluded that the marriage was not a particularly "amicable" one. Other aspects of their marriage suggest
27450-411: The town with higher education qualifications is lower than the national average. Around 27.5% have a qualification at level 4 or above, compared to 33.9% nationally. Crawley traded as a market town. The Development Corporation intended to develop it as a centre for manufacturing and light engineering, with an industrial zone. The rapid growth of Gatwick Airport provided opportunities for businesses in
27633-477: The town, in cooperation with Horsham District Council , which has now become a new neighbourhood named Kilnwood Vale , but it is not in Crawley. Economically, the town has developed into the main centre of industry and employment between London and the south coast. Its large industrial area supports manufacturing and service companies, many of them connected with the airport. The commercial and retail sectors continue to expand. The area may have been settled during
27816-538: The warmest day will typically rise to 29.4C (84.9F). The overall minimum for Gatwick Airport for the period from 1960 is −16.7C (1.9F), set in January 1963. More recently, Charlwood fell to −11.2C (11.8F) and Gatwick −11.1C (12.0F) on 20 December 2010. Typically the coldest night at Gatwick will fall to −8.9C (16.0F). Air frost is recorded on 58.2 nights at Gatwick (1971–00) Sunshine totals in Crawley are higher than many inland areas due to its southerly location: Gatwick averaged 1,574 hours per year over 1961–90. No data
27999-500: The west of Chateau Gaillard. In March 1204, Gaillard fell. John's mother Eleanor died the following month. This was not just a personal blow for John, but threatened to unravel the widespread Angevin alliances across the far south of France. Philip moved south around the new defensive line and struck upwards at the heart of the Duchy, now facing little resistance. By August, Philip had taken Normandy and advanced south to occupy Anjou and Poitou as well. John's only remaining possession on
28182-493: The year. There are 14 residential neighbourhoods, each with a variety of housing types: terraced, semi-detached and detached houses, low-rise flats and bungalows. There are no residential tower blocks, apart from the 8-storey Milton Mount Flats at the North end of Pound Hill . Many houses have their own gardens and are set back from roads. The hub of each neighbourhood is a shopping parade, community centre and church, and each has
28365-464: Was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France , resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empire and contributing to the subsequent growth in power of the French Capetian dynasty during the 13th century. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of Magna Carta ,
28548-564: Was allocated for housing use, eventually becoming the new neighbourhood of Furnace Green . Expectations of the eventual population of the town were revised upwards several times. The 1949 master plan had allowed for 50,000 people, but this was amended to 55,000 in 1956 after the Development Corporation had successfully resisted pressure from the Minister for Town and Country Planning to accommodate 60,000. Nevertheless, plans dated 1961 anticipated growth to 70,000 by 1980, and by 1969 consideration
28731-466: Was at Fontevrault, a teacher charged with his early education and with managing the servants of his immediate household; he was later taught by Ranulf de Glanvill , a leading English administrator. John spent some time as a member of the household of his eldest living brother Henry the Young King , where he probably received instruction in hunting and military skills. John grew up to be around 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) tall, relatively short, with
28914-478: Was at best impious, or even atheistic , a very serious issue at the time. Contemporary chroniclers catalogued his various anti-religious habits at length, including his failure to take communion, his blasphemous remarks, and his witty but scandalous jokes about church doctrine, including jokes about the implausibility of the Resurrection of Jesus . They commented on the paucity of John's charitable donations to
29097-406: Was avoided by a cash payment to the King. He derived income from fines, court fees and the sale of charters and other privileges. John intensified his efforts to maximise all possible sources of income, to the extent that he has been described as "avaricious, miserly, extortionate and moneyminded". He also used revenue generation as a way of exerting political control over the barons: debts owed to
29280-629: Was built eastwards from Three Bridges to East Grinstead in 1855. Three Bridges had become the hub of transport in the area by this stage: one-quarter of its population was employed in railway jobs by 1861 (mainly at the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway 's railway works near the station). The Longley company—one of South East England 's largest building firms in the late 19th century, responsible for buildings including Christ's Hospital school and King Edward VII Sanatorium in Midhurst —moved to
29463-561: Was defunct by 1801. Several of the urban districts in Northern Ireland created under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 later received charters granting borough status. The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 replaced the multi-tier local government system with 26 unitary districts whose councils could retain the charter of a borough within the district; other districts later received borough charters in their own right. The 2015 local government reforms replaced
29646-439: Was difficult for a commander to advance far into fresh territory without having secured his lines of communication by capturing these fortifications, which slowed the progress of any attack. Armies of the period could be formed from either feudal or mercenary forces. Feudal levies could be raised only for a fixed length of time before they returned home, forcing an end to a campaign; mercenary forces, often called Brabançons after
29829-526: Was either 12 or 14 at the time of their marriage). On the other hand, the Angoumois lands that came with her were strategically vital to John: by marrying Isabella, John was acquiring a key land route between Poitou and Gascony, which significantly strengthened his grip on Aquitaine. Isabella, however, was already engaged to Hugh IX of Lusignan , an important member of a key Poitou noble family and brother of Raoul I, Count of Eu , who possessed lands along
30012-467: Was enlarged in 1953 to take in territory from the parishes of Slaugham and Worth . Three years later, on 1 April 1956, the parish of Crawley was made an urban district , making it independent from Horsham Rural District. The Local Government Act 1972 led to the district being reformed as a borough in April 1974, gaining a mayor for the first time. The new borough in 1974 also saw its boundaries enlarged, gaining other areas which had been included in
30195-568: Was forced to divert south to counter a threat to Gascony from Alfonso VIII of Castile . After a successful campaign against Alfonso, John headed north again, taking the city of Angers. Philip moved south to meet John; the year's campaigning ended in stalemate and a two-year truce was made between the two rulers. During the truce of 1206–1208, John focused on building up his financial and military resources in preparation for another attempt to recapture Normandy. John used some of this money to pay for new alliances on Philip's eastern frontiers, where
30378-478: Was given Aquitaine back, and Geoffrey was allowed to return to Brittany; only Eleanor was imprisoned for her role in the revolt. John had spent the conflict travelling alongside his father, and was given widespread possessions across the Angevin empire as part of the Montlouis settlement; from then onwards, most observers regarded John as Henry II's favourite child, although he was the furthest removed in terms of
30561-488: Was given to an eventual expansion of up to 120,000. Extended shopping facilities to the east of the existing high street were provided. The first stage to open was The Broadwalk in 1954, following by the opening of the Queen's Square development by Her Majesty The Queen in 1958. Crawley railway station was moved eastwards towards the new development. By April 1960, when Thomas Bennett made his last presentation as chairman of
30744-524: Was guarding the eastern flank of Normandy. John attempted a synchronised operation involving land-based and water-borne forces, considered by most historians today to have been imaginative in conception, but overly complex for forces of the period to have carried out successfully. John's relief operation was blocked by Philip's forces, and John turned back to Brittany in an attempt to draw Philip away from eastern Normandy. John successfully devastated much of Brittany, but did not deflect Philip's main thrust into
30927-609: Was happy to be portrayed as an alternative regent, and possibly the next king. Armed conflict broke out between John and Longchamp, and by October 1191 Longchamp was isolated in the Tower of London with John in control of the city of London, thanks to promises John had made to the citizens in return for recognition as Richard's heir presumptive. At this point Walter of Coutances , the Archbishop of Rouen , returned to England, having been sent by Richard to restore order. John's position
31110-545: Was his final Continental campaign. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries the border and political relationship between England and Scotland was disputed, with the kings of Scotland claiming parts of what is now northern England. John's father, Henry II, had forced William the Lion to swear fealty to him at the Treaty of Falaise in 1174. This had been rescinded by Richard I in exchange for financial compensation in 1189, but
31293-520: Was in West Green , where new residents moved in during the late 1940s. In 1950 the town was visited by the then heir to the throne, Princess Elizabeth , when she officially opened the Manor Royal industrial area. Building work continued throughout the 1950s in West Green , Northgate and Three Bridges , and later in Langley Green , Pound Hill and Ifield. In 1956, land at "Tilgate East"
31476-406: Was in England for much longer periods than his predecessors, which made his rule more personal than that of previous kings, particularly in previously ignored areas such as the north. The administration of justice was of particular importance to John. Several new processes had been introduced to English law under Henry II, including novel disseisin and mort d'ancestor . These processes meant
31659-431: Was jokingly nicknamed "Lackland" by his father. Henry II wanted to secure the southern borders of Aquitaine and decided to betroth his youngest son to Alais, the daughter and heiress of Humbert III of Savoy . As part of this agreement John was promised the future inheritance of Savoy , Piedmont, Maurienne , and the other possessions of Count Humbert. For his part in the potential marriage alliance, Henry II transferred
31842-489: Was later declared a saint. Financial records show a normal royal household engaged in the usual feasts and pious observances—albeit with many records showing John's offerings to the poor to atone for routinely breaking church rules and guidance. The historian Lewis Warren has argued that the chronicler accounts were subject to considerable bias and the King was "at least conventionally devout", citing his pilgrimages and interest in religious scripture and commentaries. During
32025-407: Was persuaded not to pursue an alliance by his mother. Longchamp, who had left England after Walter's intervention, now returned, and argued that he had been wrongly removed as justiciar. John intervened, suppressing Longchamp's claims in return for promises of support from the royal administration, including a reaffirmation of his position as heir to the throne. When Richard still did not return from
32208-450: Was put forward by West Sussex County Council in 1961. This proposed new neighbourhoods at Broadfield and Bewbush , both of which extended outside the administrative area of the then Urban District Council . Detailed plans were made for Broadfield in the late 1960s; by the early 1970s building work had begun. Further expansion at Bewbush was begun in 1974, although development there was slow. The two neighbourhoods were both larger than
32391-547: Was responsible for fusing John's galleys, the ships of the Cinque Ports and pressed merchant vessels into a single operational fleet. John adopted recent improvements in ship design, including new large transport ships called buisses and removable forecastles for use in combat. Baronial unrest in England prevented the departure of the planned 1205 expedition, and only a smaller force under William Longespée deployed to Poitou. In 1206 John departed for Poitou himself, but
32574-404: Was tenuous, once factors such as the comparative military costs of materiel and soldiers were taken into account. While Philip enjoyed a considerable, although not overwhelming, advantage of resources over John. Further desertions of John's local allies at the beginning of 1203 steadily reduced his freedom to manoeuvre in the region. He attempted to convince Pope Innocent III to intervene in
32757-583: Was the Count of Poitou and therefore the rightful feudal lord over the Lusignans, they could legitimately appeal John's actions in France to his own feudal lord, Philip. Hugh did exactly this in 1201 and Philip summoned John to attend court in Paris in 1202, citing the Le Goulet treaty to strengthen his case. John was unwilling to weaken his authority in western France in this way. He argued that he need not attend Philip's court because of his special status as
32940-582: Was the slimmest of any UK constituency : Moffatt won by just 37 votes. Brook House and Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centres , operated by UK Visas and Immigration , are within the grounds of Gatwick Airport in Crawley. Data from the Home Office 's national identity database at Doncaster , South Yorkshire , was backed up to servers in Crawley for disaster recovery and business continuity purposes. The Identity Documents Bill 2010 , proposed in May 2010 and passed in September 2010, authorised
33123-531: Was undermined by Walter's relative popularity and by the news that Richard had married whilst in Cyprus, which presented the possibility that Richard would have legitimate children and heirs. The political turmoil continued. John began to explore an alliance with King Philip II of France , who had returned from the crusade in late 1191. John hoped to acquire Normandy, Anjou and the other lands in France held by Richard in exchange for allying himself with Philip. John
33306-583: Was usual at the time for the King to collect taxes in silver, which was then re-minted into new coins; these coins would then be put in barrels and sent to royal castles around the country, to be used to hire mercenaries or to meet other costs. At those times when John was preparing for campaigns in Normandy, for example, huge quantities of silver had to be withdrawn from the economy and stored for months, which unintentionally resulted in periods during which silver coins were simply hard to come by, commercial credit difficult to acquire and deflationary pressure placed on
33489-457: Was weak and he agreed to a truce; in early 1194 the King finally returned to England, and John's remaining forces surrendered. John retreated to Normandy, where Richard finally found him later that year. Richard declared that John—despite being 27 years old—was merely "a child who has had evil counsellors" and forgave him, but removed his lands with the exception of Ireland. For the remaining years of Richard's reign, John supported his brother on
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