Cinque Ports

The Cinque Ports (French five ports ) are a bunch of the original five, now 14 port cities in the English counties of Kent and Sussex. The military and economic alliance of the five founding members turned in late medieval England an influential political power dar. Today, the Association of Cities serves primarily the economic cooperation between the port cities on the Channel coast of South East England.

History

Birth and ascent

The founding date of the Cinque Ports has survived not exactly, but it is believed that an economic alliance existed before the Norman invasion in 1066. The founding members were the ports of Dover, Hastings, Hythe, Roniney ( now called New Romney ) and sandwich. In addition, the Rye and Winchelsea were places on the request of the town of Hastings, who held the chair of the Alliance, was added to the alliance since its ports were strategically favorable than that of Hastings. The alliance was first officially mentioned in 1155 in a royal charter. In this, the members were obliged to make the crown ships available, they should this need. The Focus was put on the protection against Danish attacks. Since England at that time did not yet have a permanent navy, the king was reliant on the port cities asked him ships and crews available.

In return, the king granted to the towns extensive rights. They were allowed to manage in many areas themselves were exempt from several taxes and customs duties and took over the jurisdiction of their seafarers. The latter meant that criminal sailors, but could not be prosecuted and punished by the crown only by the cities. This led to piracy and smuggling flourished and were tolerated because they provided the cities high income. It was also granted to the cities that stranded flotsam passed into their possession after a year. Stranded ships were immediately plundered, so that at times false beacon were lit along the coast to let ships pass intentionally aground. The cities gained by these powers of wealth and influence, especially Hastings ( as the seat of the Alliance ) and New Romney ( as the most significant port).

In the 12th century, the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was created. This was entrusted with the management of the cities of the Alliance and its jurisdiction. Due to the large degree of autonomy from the crown he was long regarded as the most important ruler in England after the king. In his sphere of influence fell after the enlargement of the Cinque Ports in the 15th century almost the whole of Kent and Sussex.

Decline

The decline of the Cinque Ports began in the late 14th century. Several ports began to silt up and became unusable over time. Added to this was the 15th century the introduction of much larger ships to which the port facilities of the Cinque Ports were not equipped. They tried these developments by you. , Seven other ports that were connected politically with the original members, corporate members as recorded in the alliance These were:

• Deal and Ramsgate ( for sandwich)
• Faversham, Folkestone and Margate ( to Dover )
• Lydd ( to New Romney )
• Tenterden ( Rye )

However, the enlargement of the Alliance did not yield any long-term success. In the 16th century, finally followed by the official founding of the Royal Navy, a permanent English navy, which made the provision of vessels and crews by the Cinque Ports superfluous. Due to this development, they finally also the most privileges were revoked. Cities such as Portsmouth or Bristol now developed into centers of shipbuilding and surpassed the southern English port cities soon in size and importance.

Today's meaning

The Cinque Ports exist with its 14 members to this day. Main task today is the economic cooperation between the port cities of South East England. The office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was continually pruned during the 18th and 19th centuries, and today only a symbolic character.

At the coronation of British monarchs keep the barons of the Cinque Ports since the coronation of Richard I in 1189 the right to carry a canopy in the procession to Westminster Abbey to the monarch. This right is no longer needed since Edward VII, but was always confirmed by the Court of Claims.

In the Royal Navy, it is common since the 1970s that cities or regions symbolically take over the sponsorship for a warship. In the case of the Cinque Ports from 1985 to 2005, the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, since it is the frigate HMS Kent from the Duke class. This is the attachment to the maritime tradition of these places symbolize.