Horsham was first built as a village by the Saxons, ‘ham’ being the Saxon word for village. It first appeared in recorded history in the 10^th Century, though by 1086 when it finally appeared in the Domesday book it was already a large village. It continued to grow so that by the 13^th Century it was a small town. It was around this time when it was first described as a ‘borough’. Still, at that time it was still extremely small in comparison to what it is today. Its population was only a couple of hundred residents.

During the Middle Ages, Horsham had two weekly markets along with a fair. At that time, fairs were similar to markets but on a larger scale and only held once a year. People would travel from all over Sussex and Surry just to attend the fair so they could buy and sell at Horsham.

Even with this regular trade, Horsham was primarily an agricultural settlement. Most of the residents were farmers. Though Horsham still had craftsmen that could be found in any other town, such as a cooper, glove maker, butcher, brewer, and baker.

The first grammar school in Horsham was founded in 1532.

Just like everywhere else in the country at that time, disease was hard to escape from. The bubonic plague had break outs in Horsham in 1560, 1574, and 1608-09. The town was also struck by an outbreak of smallpox in 1659.

Industries finally started in Horsham in the 1500s. Between 1500 and 1800 the town was known for tanning leather and brewing. By the 16^th Century there were a total of five brewers.

In 1755 Horsham had its first turnpike built and in 1791 it got its first bank. Barracks were built in 1796, housing 1,500 men. This helped the town’s economy as the soldiers would buy from the markets, though they did not stay long, They left in 1815 and the barracks were demolished. Depot Road takes its name from an ammunition deposit that had been built in 1804.

Justice was tough in the town during this time. In the 17^th Century you had to plead either ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’. Those who refused during trial to do this were ‘pressed’. This is where a wooden board was placed on top of them and weights were added on top one at a time. Usually the increasing pressure would force the person to give their plea, though on occasion people were pressed to death. This practice died out in the early 18^th Century, the last man pressed to death being in 1735 in Horsham.

In 1801 Horsham was still more of a large village than a town with a population of just 1,539. However, the population grew rapidly in the 19^th Century. By 1851 it had grown to almost 6,000 and by 1900, there were over 10,000 registered residents.

A brief timeline of Horsham in the 19^th Century is as follows:

1812: Town Hall built by the Duke of Norfolk

1835: A body call the Watching and lighting Inspectors was formed to pave and light the street

1836: Horsham was lit by gas

1839: The first police force was formed as a group of watchmen appointed to patrol the street

1840: A fire brigade was formed

1845: The old prison was demolished

1848: Horsham was connected to Brighton by rail

1852: First cemetery opened

1866: A Corn Exchange was built for the trading of grain

1866: A water company was formed to provide piped water for those who could afford it

1875: Local government formed and took over the water company and responsibility for street lighting

1878-79: Sewers were dug under Horsham

1892: The first hospital opened

1894: Horsham was made an Urban District Council

It used to be common in the 19^th Century for men to sell their wives. There is a record of a woman named Ann Holland being sold in the Horsham market in 1844 for 30 shillings. The man who bought her, Johnson, had sold his watch to raise the money. This was the last time a wife was recorded to be sold in Britain.

The brewing industry in Horsham flourished in the 19^th Century, though the leather tanning industry went into decline. Instead, other industries appeared such as coach making and flour milling.

A brief timeline of Horsham in the 20^th Century is as follows:

1902: Christ’s Hospital School moved to Horsham

1902: Horsham gained electric lighting

1910: The first cinema opened

1920: A war memorial was built

1929: A public library and museum opened

1935:   A swimming pool was built

1940: The worst of the bombing raids hit Horsham killing 7 people

1989: Piries Place shopping centre opened

1989: Swan Walk Centre was refurbished

1996: ‘The Rising Universe’ sculpture was erected

During the 20^th Century the brewing industry went into declined. It eventually left Horsham in 1999. Other industries sprang up though in the late 20^th Century, such as insurance, electronics, and IT.

In 2002 The Pavilions In The Park leisure centre opened and a public space called The Forum was opened in 2003. Today the population of Horsham is approximately 45,000.

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