Romsey
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
Romsey is a small market town 5 miles to the north of Southampton in Hampshire, England. It is situated on the River Test, a river famous for trout fishing. Romsey is one of the principal towns in the Test Valley Borough. The town was home to Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, the 19th century British Prime Minister who was born and lived at Broadlands, a large country estate on the outskirts of the town.
Romsey's MP is Sandra Gidley of the Liberal Democrats, who contested the seat in a by-election in 2000 after the death of the Conservative Michael Colvin, who died with his wife in a house fire. Sandra Gidley retained the seat the following year in the 2001 General Election.
Romsey is twinned with Paimpol and Battenburg.
The town was also the home to Earl Mountbatten of Burma, whose tomb is located in Romsey Abbey, the local parish church. He was given his earldom in 1947, and was at the same time given the lesser title "Baron Romsey, of Romsey". When the Earl died, his titles passed to his elder daughter, Patricia, who is now the Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Her eldest son is now styled as "Lord Romsey", this being a courtesy title.
It was at the Broadlands estate where Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent the first night of their honeymoon after their marriage.
Other historic information about Romsey includes:
King John's House, a hunting lodge used by King John of England whilst hunting in the New Forest.
The body of William Rufus was carried through Bell Street in Romsey on it's way to Winchester, after he has been killed whilst hunting in the New Forest.
The town's Abbey, built in Norman times, was purchased from Henry VIII on behalf of the town for £100, although the accompanying Nunnery was demolished.
The town's memorial park contains a Japanese World War II artillery gun, one of a pair captured by the British and brought back to Romsey by Earl Mountbatten of Burma. One was donated to the town by the Earl and the other was retained in the grounds of his country estate, Broadlands.
