Trade & Industry

  • 1662: Charles II marries Catherine of Braganza

    On 21 May 1662, Charles II and Catherine of Braganza were formally married at Portsmouth. Charles had been restored to the throne two years earlier, after civil war, republic and exile. His marriage was part of the effort to restore the Stuart monarchy to European politics. Catherine was a Portuguese princess, and the match tied…

  • 1694: The Bank of England receives its Royal Charter

    On 27 July 1694, William III and Mary II granted a Royal Charter to the Governor and Company of the Bank of England. The institution had been created mainly to provide the government with money for war against France. The Nine Years’ War placed heavy demands on government finances. England needed a larger and more…

  • 1848: Waterloo Station opens in London

    Waterloo Bridge station opened in London on 11 July 1848. The opening had been brought forward by a week so passengers could travel by rail to the Epsom Derby. The London and South Western Railway built the terminus to replace its earlier station at Nine Elms. It brought the railway about two miles closer to…

  • 1897: Blackwall Tunnel opens beneath the Thames

    The original Blackwall Tunnel opened on 22 May 1897, linking Blackwall on the north bank of the Thames with Greenwich on the south. Its purpose was practical. The Thames was central to London’s trade, but it also made road journeys awkward. Ferries, bridges and longer routes could only do so much for a city whose…