3rd century

c243 Chichester's city walls are constructed by the Romans as an earth bank, faced with a masonry wall topped with a wall walk and parapet, and an outer ditch. These are the origin of Jubilee Gardens' western boundary today, and probably of its shape.

11th century

c1080 The Normans build a motte and bailey castle in what is now Priory Park (p.xiii AG). The bailey was probably the current boundary of the park (p.6, AG).

13th century

1217 Castle destroyed to avoid being retaken by France as it had been in 1216! (p.6, AG)

1269, 12^th October, Henry III grants land to Grey Friars (p.6, AG).

16th century

1538 Henry VIII dissolves Friary and gives grounds to the Mayor and Citizens of Chichester (p.10 AG).

1541 Mayor and Citizens of Chichester buy the Friary Church (p.10 AG).

1543 First tenant of Friary Park (p.xv AG).

The first known map of Chichester is a schematic by John Norden from 1594.

(The West Sussex Record Office has a useful overview of map history in its article Mapping West Sussex – Part Two: County Orienteering and Plotting Estates – West Sussex Record Office (westsussexrecordofficeblog.com).)

19th century - context

 1824 Duke of Richmond buys Friary Park (p.xiii AG). Park consists of private home (tenanted) and parkland/grazing, with access to the Town Hall.

1838 Last (grand) home demolished in Friary Park (p.25) City Wall breached to allow a grazier access to his meadow (no public access to the Park, so no bridge needed) forming what is now Priory Road (p.xiii AG)

1850 5^th Duke leases grounds to Priory Park Society, which operates access by membership subscription (p.xiii AG). The Society subsequently lays out bowling green and cricket pitch (p.xi AG).

1851 Priory Park becomes known as Priory Park (p.xi AG).

19th century - the new park

The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated on 20 and 21 June 1887 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria 's accession on 20 June 1837. (West Sussex Record Office has a fabulous write-up of what was organised for the city's schoolchildren by the Chichester City Treat Committee.)

Chichester Observer, Wednesday 16th November 1887: 

"Improvements to the Recreation Ground.

The plans and estimates received from Mr. Marshall by the Committee for laying out the Recreation Ground under the Priory Park Wall were accepted by the Council, and it was resolved that he be instructed to proceed with work forthwith, under the supintendence of the City Surveyor, at an estimated cost of £125."

N.B. the Recreation Ground seems to have been the original name of Jubilee Park, though the name ‘Jubilee Park’ was also in use by 1888. It is likely that "the" Recreation Ground was Chichester's only public park and, as such, a modern (for Chichester) novelty. The social history of parks and recreation grounds could well be worth further study for context of how they, and their trees, evolved in Chichester some

Chichester Observer, Wednesday 28th December 1887

..."the Queen’s Jubilee was celebrated with great success. The city in almost every part was brilliantly decorated with flags and bunting, and inscriptions handsome and innumerable. After the planting of a tree by the Mayor in the Recreation Ground, a long procession made its way to the Cathedral, where a sermon was preached by Bishop Tufnell."

Chichester Observer, 29th February 1888

 "Annual report of the medical officer

Within the past 12 months… the fosse and glacis outside the city wall where it bounds the Priory Park on the east, have been tastefully laid out and planted. They will form an agreeable and ornamental adjunct to the ground beyond the New road, which has also been acquired for the city, and is in process of formation with a recreation space."

Chichester Observer, 26th June 1889

"St Paul’s Guild C.C. v. St Pancras C.C. On Thursday a match of crickets was played on the Recreation Ground, Chichester"…

Chichester Observer, 6th August 1890

 "The Recreation Ground Railings – Another horse belonging to Mr A Farr became ‘spiked’ the other day on these railings…This is the fifth horse, which Mr Farr has had spiked in the last eighteen months, one of them ending fatally. Some improvement might be expected here by the Corporation."

1898/99 The site was called Jubilee Park on the 25-inch map of Chichester surveyed in 1896 and published in 1899.

1897  Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee

We learn from the Chichester Observer, 17th August 1927 – Extract from Obituary:

"Trees were planted in the Jubilee Park by himself and his wife in connection with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, while the drinking fountain in North Steet was given by them in commemoration. Mrs Ballard died on October 1^st 1905, and the Alderman followed her on May 8^th 1918."

Chichester Observer, 2nd June 1897

"Barbed wire and the Recreation Ground.

Sirs – I am under the impression…that the use of ‘Barbed Wire’ for fencing purposes is illegal, if so its use in our pretty little Jubilee Park should be prohibited…

A New Park Road Resident" 

Chichester Observer, 16th June 1897

"Councillor Fielder suggested that it would be a great boon to the inhabitants if the Jubilee Park was allowed to remain open a little later during the months of June, July and August. – The Mayor undertook to see that the park was kept open until 9.30pm during the months mentioned.

Councillor Fielder also complained that the seats at the Jubilee Park were huddled together instead of being set at convenient spots – The Mayor: I will see to it. Councillor Butler: How about the barbed wire. – The Mayor: It is gone."

20th century - ...

Chichester Observer, 27th March 1907

"Letter from Rev. J Fraser as to the trees in the Recreation Ground under the Priory Park wall read.

Resolved – that he be informed that the Custodian has been trimming during the winter, and no tree now touches the wall, and they are thought to be sufficiently trimmed. Resolved – that Mr H H Moore be kindly asked to look at the trees in the Recreation Ground, especially the Jubilee trees and their enclosure, and advise the Custodian what should be done."

More trees were planted during the May 1937 celebrations for the Coronation of George VI.

1918 on 30^th September, Duke gifts Priory Park to the people of Chichester for recreation as a WW1 war memorial (p.xiii AG).

Chichester Observer,12th May 1937

"The ceremony of planting commemorative trees at 4pm on Thursday will be preceded by a civic procession from the Mayor’s Parlour, time to reach Jubilee Park at 3.55. The formal planting ceremony will be performed by the Mayor and Mayoress each of whom will plant one tree. Following the ceremony, a member of the Council will present the Mayor and Mayoress with the special spades with which the ceremony is to be performed.

Chichester Observer, 19th May 1937

"Two cedars of Lebanon were planted in the Jubilee Park on Thursday afternoon by the Mayor and Mayoress of Chichester (Councillor and Mrs WHG Napper) with the wish that the Coronation they will commemorate should be the prelude to a long and prosperous reign and an era of peace and tranquillity in the world. There follows a long description of the planting ceremony."

Chichester Observer, 6th March 1948

The City Council’s Parks and Allotments committee is to inspect the sites mentioned in the Surveyor’s plans for a proposed tree planting scheme in Priory Park, Jubilee Park and the Recreation Ground."