Launceston
Cornish: Lannstefan
Launceston shown within Cornwall
Population	7,135 (2001 census[1])
OS grid reference	SX335845
Parish	Launceston
District	North Cornwall
Shire county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LAUNCESTON
Postcode district	PL15
Dialling code	01566
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	North Cornwall
List of places: UK • England • Cornwall

Coordinates: 50°38′09″N 4°21′17″W / 50.635797, -4.354791 For the Cornish-English dialect, see West Country dialects. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 758 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1351 × 1069 pixel, file size: 97 KB, MIME type: image/png) An outline map of Cornwall for use within templates on Wikipedia. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... North Cornwall is the largest of the six local government districts of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of English administrative division used for the purposes of local government. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the region. ... // Constituent country is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a historical, currently non-legally officially recognised country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged, gives an overview of states around the world with information on the extent of their sovereignty. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The PL postcode area, also known as the Plymouth postcode area[2], is a group of postal districts around Bodmin, Boscastle, Callington, Calstock, Camelford, Delabole, Fowey, Gunnislake, Ivybridge, Launceston, Lifton, Liskeard, Looe, Lostwithiel, Padstow, Par, Plymouth, Port Isaac, Saltash, St Austell, Tavistock, Tintagel, Torpoint, Wadebridge and Yelverton in England. ... +44 redirects here. ... There are a number of policing agencies in the United Kingdom. ... Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall and the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... Fire Service Headquarters County Hall Truro Cornwall TR1 3AY cheif officer M A Howell Image:Cornwall fire link-1-.gif ... The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SWAST) is the authority responsible for providing NHS ambulance services in the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... The constituency (first used 2004) within England; Gibraltar is in the inset. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... North Cornwall is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of all the towns and villages in the county of Cornwall, United Kingdom. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Launceston (Cornish: Lannstefan; the English name is pronounced /ˈlɔːns(t)ən/, /ˈlɑːns(t)ən/ or /ˈlæns(t)ən/, usually without the 't' by the Cornish, but with by everyone else) is a town and civil parish in the north of Cornwall, United Kingdom with a population of approximately 7,000. It is situated about two miles from the border with Devon at the River Tamar, and is known as the "gateway to Cornwall". The Saxon name for the town was Dunheved.^[2] For the Cornish-English dialect, see West Country dialects. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Ronda, Spain Main street in Bastrop, Texas, United States, a small town A town is a community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ... The Tamar is a river in south western England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). ...

Since 1806, Launceston has had a namesake in Tasmania - now a provincial city of about 100,000 people. Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia, population approximately 90,000 (Greater urban and 99,100 statistical division), located at the juncture of the North Esk, South Esk, and Tamar rivers. ...

Geography

The town is built on the side of a large hill, which makes it almost immune to flooding, unlike the nearby suburb of Newport, situated at the bottom of the hill, which is susceptible to flooding by the River Kensey. Launceston is 52km away from Torpoint. Newport is a small town in Cornwall, United Kingdom. ...

Economy

The outskirts of Launceston have recently undergone rapid large business development, although the town centre has slowly become less and less commercial, with only small shops and many of those going out of business within only a few months. The employment of immigrants from mainly Eastern European countries has allowed the town to sustain some of its primary industries, which the town may not have been able to support due to the low number of potential people in the existing population.

Culture

The poet Charles Causley was a native and long-standing resident of the town. He was at one time contender for Poet Laureate and died in 2003, aged 86. A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... Charles Causley, CBE (August 24, 1917 – November 4, 2003) was a Cornish poet and writer. ... A Poet Laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events. ...

Launceston railway station opened on 1 June 1865, it closed to passengers on 31 December 1962. Launceston railway station was the terminus of the Launceston and South Devon Railway from Plymouth and a through station on the North Cornwall Railway. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1865 (MDCCLXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Launceston Steam Railway is a heritage railway which runs from the town. The Launceston Steam Railway in Cornwall operates for 2 miles, on a 2ft (600mm) gauge. ... A scene on a heritage railway. ...

Launceston annually hosted the "Castle Rock" music festival in July, which took place on the lower grounds of the castle which overlooks the town (within the outer walls). As well as a vibrant mix of local bands, the 2006 festival was headlined by Capdown which massively improved the event's profile. Capdown are a band from Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. ...

Administration

Launceston was a Parliamentary Borough from medieval times, with the right to return two Members of Parliament. However, the right to vote was not held by all the residents but only by the freemen of the borough, and by the 19th century there were fewer than 50 and it had come to be regarded as a rotten borough, one of many in Cornwall. Neighbouring Newport was also a borough with two MPs of its own. Launceston lost one of its two MPs and Newport both by the Great Reform Act of 1832; the area included in the borough of Launceston was considerably extended to enable the franchise to be opened up. It finally lost its right to separate representation in 1885. Launceston, also known at some periods as Dunheved, was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and one member from 1832 until 1918. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... The term rotten borough referred to a parliamentary borough or constituency in Great Britain and Ireland which, due to size and population, was controlled and used by a patron to exercise undue and unrepresentative influence within parliament. ... Newport was a rotten borough situated in Cornwall. ... The Representation of the People Act 1832, commonly known as the Reform Act 1832, was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of the United Kingdom. ...

Launceston was once the capital of Cornwall (before this title passed to Bodmin), and in 1973 the Prince of Wales visited to receive his feudal dues from the Duchy of Cornwall. Bodmin (Cornish: Bosvenegh) is a town in Cornwall, England, UK, with a population of 12,778 (2001 census). ... “Prince Charles” redirects here. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste Feudalism, a term first used in the late modern period (17th century), in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval European political system comprised of a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

History

The Cornish origin of "Launceston", Lannstefan, means the "church of St Stephen" ("Lann", as "Llan-" is particularly common in Welsh placenames), indicating an old ecclesiastical connection.

Launceston Castle, which dominates the town, is a Norman castle of motte-and-bailey design, and was built by Robert de Mortain, half-brother of William I, in 1087 to dominate the surrounding area. The motte at Launceston castle. ... Norman conquests in red. ... For other uses, see Castle (disambiguation). ... A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle. ... William I of England (1027[1] – 9 September 1087), also known as William the Conqueror (French: ), was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and King of England from 1066 to his death. ...

During the reign of Henry III, a mint was established in Launceston. The fine Tudor church of St Mary Magdalene was built circa 1511 by Sir Henry Trecarrell as a memorial to his infant son who died whilst being bathed. The fine ornate carvings have withstood the test of time. The tower of the church dates from the 14th century, an earlier church and graveyard having previously occupied the site. Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was the son and successor of John Lackland as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. ... A mint is a facility which manufactures coins for currency. ... Allegory of the Tudor dynasty (detail), attributed to Lucas de Heere, c. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... This article is about the disciple of Jesus. ...

During the Civil War Launceston was known to be Royale et Loyale to King Charles I, hence its coat of arms. His son, the Prince of Wales, stayed in the town for a couple of days en route to the Royalist army based further down into Cornwall. For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from March 27, 1625 until his execution. ... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ...

In 1643, the Parliamentarian forces under the command of Major General James Chudleigh advanced in an attempt to capture Launceston from the Royalists. The Royalist commander, Sir Ralph Hopton, stationed his forces on the summit of Beacon Hill, a steep hill which overlooks the town. The Parliamentarians captured the foot of the hill, but were unable to dislodge the Royalist forces from the top. Hopton led a counterattack down the hill and, despite fierce fighting and the arrival of Parliamentary reinforcements, forced Chudleigh's troops to retreat.^[3] Ralph Hopton (1598-1652) was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. ...

Launceston has the only document in the UK signed by Queen Mary and her husband, William of Orange. Mary II (30 April 1662–28 December 1694) reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and as Queen of Scots (as Mary II of Scotland) from 11 April 1689 until her death. ... William III (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28 June 1672, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots (under the name William II) from...

In the 19th century, Launceston gave its name to the settlement which is now the second largest city in Tasmania. Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia, population approximately 90,000 (Greater urban and 99,100 statistical division), located at the juncture of the North Esk, South Esk, and Tamar rivers. ...

During the Second World War, a gun battle took place between African American and white American soldiers in the town centre of Launceston, which ended in punishment for both sides. This is commonly known as the "Battle of Launceston". In this and other less violent conflicts, the Launceston police shocked white Americans by frequently siding with the black soldiers.^{[citation needed]} Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Trivia

Launceston is said to have gained its historical importance from being the furthest into Cornwall that Justices and other Officers of the Crown felt safe to venture..^{[citation needed]}

Launceston is one of the most important towns in Daphne du Maurier's novel 'Jamaica Inn' Jamaica Inn is a novel by the Cornish writer Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1936. ...

Sources

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Launceston Town Council
• Launceston 2020, a community website
• Launceston at the Open Directory Project
• About Launceston
• Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Launceston
• Photos of Launceston from Marhamchurch.eu

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