Waterford City History 853AD to 1800AD 853AD to 1800AD

853AD :
Waterford founded by the Viking, Sitricus. Smith in his history of Waterford gives this date for the foundation of the City.

914AD :
Historians and archaeologists, give this date, as the more probable date for the foundation of Waterford, as records suggest that a permanent settlement existed here at this time.

1038AD :
Waterford burned by Diarmuid Mac Maol na mBo, King of Leinster.

1087AD :
The City was burned by the people of Dublin.

1088AD :
The Annals of the Four Masters record that on this date, there was a great slaughter of the foreigners of Waterford City.

1096AD :
The Ostmen (Vikings), of Waterford having become Christian, elect Malchus as their Bishop, and begin to build Christ Church Cathedral.

1111AD :
The annals of the Four Masters record that Waterford City was burned in this year

1118AD :
The Annals of the Four Masters tell us, that a Mermaid was discovered by the fishermen of Waterford. Perhaps it could be claimed that we were the first to discover "Fishfingers"? Only "Cod"-ing.

1170AD :
(May 1) Raymond Le Gros, having been sent by the Earl of Pembroke, lands at Bannow, Co. Wexford, with 70 archer's and 10 horsemen, and does battle with the combined forces of Waterford Vikings and Native Irish. 1,000 Danes and Irish are killed in this battle, and 70 of the City's principal inhabitants are captured.

1170AD :
(Aug 23) Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, otherwise known as Strongbow, arrives with 200 Knight's and 1,000 men-at-arms. Captures Waterford, on the 25th of Aug., and marries Aoife, the daughter of Diarmuid Mac Mourragh, King of Leinster, presumably in Christ Church Cathedral.The Annals of the Four Masters tells us that Strongbow took Gillemaire, who was officer of the fortress, and Ua Faelain, Lord of the Deisi and his son, prisoner, and killed 700 prisoners.

1171AD :
(Oct 17) Henry II, landed at Crooke, Passage East, with 400 Knight's and 4,000 soldiers. The Annals of the Four Master's states, that this expeditionary force was carried in 240 ships, other sources say it was 400 ships. Next day Oct 18th, he arrives in Waterford.

1185AD :
(Apr 25) Prince John arrives in Waterford to visit his Irish Lordship. He is said by Smith in his history of Waterford, to have founded the Priory of St. John the Evangelist, whose ruins can be seen at the end of John's Lane. This is most unlikely, he did however prior to his accession to the throne in 1199, grant a charter, which gave certain privileges to that Priory, and it is obvious from that charter that the Priory existed before 1185.

1204AD :
Waterford granted permission by King John, to hold an Eight Day Fair annually. This fair would have been held inside the City walls, probably in the Broad Street area. It was later held at Ballybricken, a tradition which lasted until the erection of the Cattle Pens by the Waterford Co-Operative Livestock Mart, in the late 1950's.

1210AD :
(Jun 20) John returns to Ireland as King.

1228AD :
(Jul 16) King Henry III, petitions Pope Gregory IX, to unite the Sees of Waterford and Lismore, however this unification did not occur for another 135 years.

1226AD :
Friary of St. Saviour, (these ruins can be seen at the top of Conduit Lane) commonly known as Blackfriars, founded by the citizens of Waterford, for the Dominican Friars, by a grant of King Henry III.

1240AD :
Holy Ghost Friary (Ruins in Greyfriars), founded by Sir Hugh Purcell. 1241AD : Henry III, orders two galleys to be built by Waterford, that they may be available to him at his pleasure.

1252AD :
Waterford burned to the ground.

1280AD :
According to "Clinn's Annals" Waterford was again set on fire, and it was some time before it recovered.

1283/84AD :
Roger de Lom, Mayor of Waterford. First documentary mention of a Mayor's name. This does not however mean that Roger de Lom was the first Mayor of Waterford. Waterford's right to elect a Mayor was probably granted by Edward I, sometime before he became King in 1272.

1363AD :
The Bishoprics of Waterford and Lismore were united under Bishop Thomas le Reve, by Pope Urban V.

1368AD :
(Sept 4) The families of Power and O'Driscoll joined forces to attack Waterford City. The citizens and some English strangers from the City sailed out to meet them, but were defeated by the combined force's of the Powers and O'Driscolls.

1394AD :
(Oct 2) King Richard landed at Waterford with a mighty army. 4,000 men at arms and 30,000 archers. The figure of 30,000 archers seems excessively high, although both Ryland and Egan quote this figure in their histories, as indeed did other histories, which I consulted.

1447AD :
Permission given by the King, to the citizens of Waterford, that it may be lawful for them to ride out, in a manner of war, with banners displayed, against the Powers, Walshes, Grants and Daltons, who of a long time have been traitors and rebels.

1461AD :
(Jun 3) Another battle between the Powers, O'Driscolls, and the citizens of Waterford, in which the citizens of Waterford were victorious, capturing three galleys belonging to the enemy.

1497AD :
About this year, King Henry VII, confers the title "Urbs Intacta Manet" to the City of Waterford, in recognition of them having rejected and resisted the pretenders to the throne, namely, Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, during his reign.

1546AD :
(Aug 15) Patent granted to Henry Walsh, by Henry VIII, for establishment of Holy Ghost Hospital, at Greyfriars. Smith states in his History, that over the entrance of the Holy Ghost Hospital, was a plaque stating that it was founded by Patrick Walsh in 1545, and was repaired and enlarged in1741 and 1743.

1588AD :
(Oct 16) Luke Wadding born in Waterford.

1649AD :
(Nov 24) Cromwell lays siege to Waterford City, but fails to capture it.

1650AD :
(Aug 10) General Preston surrendered Waterford City to General Ireton, commander of Cromwell's army.

1652AD :
Act of Settlement of Ireland (To Hell or to Connaught), printed in Waterford.

1654AD :
(Jun 23) Order that no Papist be allowed to trade in the City of Waterford.

1656AD :
(Jan 30) An Order that all Quakers be rounded up and shipped from Waterford or Passage, to Bristol.

1657AD :
(Nov 18) Luke Wadding died at St. Isidores, Rome.

1678AD :
The Lord Lieutenant and Council, ordered that the Popish (Roman Catholic) inhabitants to be removed from Waterford, except those necessary to the town.

1688AD :
(Mar 22) King James II grants a new charter to the Popish citizens of Waterford.

1690AD :
(Jul 2) King James II, arrives in Waterford, after his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne, and sails for France, from Duncannon, Co. Wexford.

1690AD :
(Jul 25) Waterford surrendered to King William's forces. The following day King William went to see the town, and ordered that no person or their goods be disturbed.

1693AD :
(Mar 27) At a council meeting on this date, the Waterford Corporation passed a resolution stating that the City provide habitations for fifty families of the French Protestants. These were commonly called Huguenots, and were given the dismantled Choir of the Old Franciscian Abbey (Greyfriars), by Bishop Foy, to conduct their services in.

1727AD :
Present St. Patrick's Church, (Protestant), in Patrick Street, built. This date can be seen on the keystone, above the front door. Although the porch over which this keystone is situated is relatively new, It is likely that the keystone was placed in this new position after the renovations.

1733AD :
Re-building of the present St Olafs Church begins. A Latin inscription over the pediment of the main entrance, when translated reads, This Temple dedicated to St. Olaf, King and Martyr. Thomas Miles, S.T.P. Bishop of Waterford. Re-built A.D. 1733. The translation concludes with the very beautiful, Accepi Lateritiam, reliqui marmoream, which translated means. I have chosen bricks; I have abandoned marble." Bishop Thomas Miles, was Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and had this church re-built at his own expense.

1734AD :
(July 29) The Church of St. Olaf opened and consecrated by Bishop Thomas Miles. Dr. Gimlette in his Annals of St. Olafs Church, gives the 29th June as the opening of St. Olafs, he then goes on to describe the brass plate in the church which gives the 29th of July as the opening date.

1744AD :
Food riots in Waterford City, the military are called out and many are killed.

1745AD :
Charles Smith publishes his History of Waterford.

1773AD :
(Jul 14) Waterford Corporation decide that the old Christ Church be taken down and re-built.

1783AD :
The Penroses, George and William, open their Waterford Glass Factory.

1784AD :
The Infirmary, or the Leper Hospital as it was commonly called, built at John's Hill. In later times it was always referred to as the City and County Infirmary. Above the front door of the infirmary it reads "Leper Hospital 1785 - County and City Infirmary 1897"

1788AD :
The Town Hall built.

1792AD :
(May 5) Petition presented to the Corporation by the Rev. Thomas Hearne P.P., Rev. Paul Power P.P., and Rev. James Power P.P., on behalf of the Roman Catholics of Waterford, requesting a site on which to be allowed to build a Cathedral. The Corporation granted them the present site, on a lease of 999 years, and at a yearly rent of 2 shillings and 6 pence.

1793AD :
(Apr 30) Work commenced on Waterford's first bridge, dubbed "Timbertoes" by the locals, because of its wooden construction. Built at a cost of £30,000, of which £1,050 was paid to the architect and £13,000 to buy out the ferry that existed there at that time.

1793AD :
Work was commenced on the Roman Catholic Cathedral, at Barronstrand St. It was to take a further 130 years before it was consecrated.

1794AD :
(Jan 18) Waterford's new bridge "Timbertoes" opens "For the passage of carriages". It measured 832ft. in length, and 42ft. in breadth; it had 40 sets of piers, each of seven pieces; it also had a foot passage, which was 9ft. wide.

1796AD :
The Cathedral, Barronstrand St, completed at a cost of £20,000.

1799AD :
Ireland's first Fever Hospital, erected at John's Hill, Waterford City.

1799AD :
(Oct 20) Francis Hearne, a United Irishman from Dungarvan, was hanged on Waterford Bridge.

1799AD :
William Penrose decided to sell his Waterford Glass Firm. It is bought by Jonathan Gatchell, with the help of two local families named Ramsey and Bancroft.