History of Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England
3000BC — Neolithic settlement at Yeoveney Manor Farm by Staines Moor43 — First Staines Bridge built by the Roman Empire1009 — Sweyn Forkbeard's Danish army, which had been harrying (plundering) the Upper Thames valley, is said to have crossed the river at Staines in order to avoid an English force assembling in London1086 — Domesday Book provides first economic survey of the country. Staines appears on the Middlesex domesday map and in its own record as Stanes, held by Westminster Abbey, having 24 hides of arable land, 6 mills worth £3 4s 0d, 2 weirs worth 6s 8d, meadow of 24 ploughs, and an unspecified number of cattle, it rendered £35 to its overlords. Foremost among these was the Abbey mentioned, as at the Norman Conquest.1215 — Barons and Earls force King John to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, some of the signatories stayed before signing in Staines1222 — Staines Bridge is first mentioned after that of Roman times, when the king gave a tree from Windsor Forest for its repair.1285 — Famous landmark, the London Stone, installed to mark western limit of the City of London's jurisdiction over the River Thames. It originally stood upstream from Staines town centre and a replica marks the spot while the original undergoes restoration1603 — Sir Walter Raleigh committed for trial for treason at Staines1613 — Following seizure by Henry VIII and a temporary grant to Sheen Priory the manor is granted to the arrester in the Gunpowder Plot Thomas Knyvet(t), who is elevated to the peerage and leaves the manor to his nephew of the same name.1618 — A brief was issued authorising the collection of money in churches in the southern counties "for repairing the bridge and causeway"; the following year the tolls raised under its first Act of Parliament of 1509 raised an amount short of that required: £24 equivalent to £4,269 in 20151629 — Manor sold to Knyvet's relative Sir Francis Leigh of Puttenham staying with this second family of lay owners until 16691669 — Sir William Drake buys the manor, holds it for ten years then sells it to Richard Tayler, in whose family it remained, with substantial sales of part, until 1890. The Middle Ages manor house is abandoned before 1600 and Richard Taylor (d.1792) sets up the Lord of the Manor's main residence at Charlton House, Charlton 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east.1725 — Staines Bridge gains its first stone incarnation under and Act of six years before but collapses almost immediately.1725 — The landless rectory providing substantial tithes over almost the whole parish is acquired by John de Coussmaker of Normandy, Surrey who fled Holland with the late King (William of Orange and William III of England)1832 — The second stone incarnation of Staines Bridge, its current version, is officially opened by King William IV (formerly the Duke of Clarence, and Clarence Street is laid out the High Street's realigned new western continuation).1842 — The tithes are commuted by a payment and award of land to the Coussmaker family.1848 — Railway line from London Waterloo to Staines opened; extended in 1856 to access Reading, Berkshire and with short other extensions to Windsor, to Chertsey and a defunct line to West Drayton.1851 — Staines Boat Club founded1856 — The Staines, Wokingham & Woking Junction Railway opens the line between Staines and Wokingham on 9 July. The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) acquires the railway and services continue via a straight line of the South Eastern Railway (UK) to Reading where the line forms a connection with a long-distance one, that to the west, providing a rival route and useful transport connections to towns in the west and Midlands.1862 — Opening of the Staines Linoleum Company, founded by businessman Frederick Walton, to produce his new invention of Linoleum floor covering.1890 — Staines Hockey Club was formed, making it one of the oldest hockey clubs in the world — its early years were very illustrious with several internationals playing for the club and a number of gold medals won by Staines members in the 1908 Olympic Games1892 — Staines Town Football Club formed as Staines Albany1894 — Staines Urban District created, superseding the responsibilities of the Sanitary District and parish1901 — Twin Staines Reservoirs in Stanwell and Staines parishes built by the Metropolitan Water Board, to provide consistent quality and supplies of drinking water for London1906 — The British car maker Lagonda, was founded in 1906 in Staines, by the American Wilbur Gunn. First car driven off the production line in the same year1908 — The first Scout Troop in Staines was formed, the 1st Staines & Egham Hythe Troop1919 — The British car maker Tamplin was founded in 1919 in Staines, and named after its founder, Edward Tamplin1935 — 24 Hours of Le Mans car race won by 4.5 litre Lagonda car built at Staines1957 — Yeoveney Manor, from inception a farm of Westminster Abbey (who kept the medieval rights until the 20th century), is farmed by tenants, Greenwood Bros, reduced slightly to 150 acres — earlier in the century a rifle range for training was set up here.1961 — Sir Edwin Lutyens's Runnymede Bridge opens to allow the A30's Staines Bypass to allow traffic from London to the south-west to bypass the town.1965 — Staines Urban District is transferred from Middlesex to Surrey1965 — Staines West railway station closed. Station building intact listed at grade II, a section of track and buffer stop remain, platform converted to part of a car park1972 — British European Airways Trident One jet airliner crashed on 18 June alongside the Staines bypass killing all 118 passengers and crew1974 — Staines Urban District is merged with Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District to form Spelthorne Borough and building commences on expanded council offices at Knowle Green, Staines1980 — The Elmsleigh Centre shopping centre opened by HM The Queen1990 — Spelthorne Leisure Centre, Knowle Green opens1993 — The disused Old Town Hall is converted to an Arts Centre; officially opened on 15 April 1994 by actor and director Kenneth Branagh1996 — Planning permission granted for Two Rivers shopping centre, cinema and gym in Staines Town Centre2002 — Ali G from the town releases his debut film Ali G Indahouse — much of the filming was in Staines2005 — Hard-Fi's debut album Stars of CCTV released and nominated for the Mercury Music Prize2006 — Hard-Fi's success continues as they follow-up a sold out tour of the UK with two BRIT Award nominations2012 — Following other examples, the town's official name changes from Staines to Staines-upon-Thames on 20 May 2012
