"Firing into the Brown" #80 - King George (or Quay) Gate, Appearances and stuff...

"So Carnehan weeds out the pick of his men, and sets the two of the Army to show them drill and at the end of two weeks the men can manoeuvre about as well as Volunteers. So he marches with the Chief to a great big plain on the top of a mountain, and the Chiefs men rushes into a village and takes it; we three Martinis firing into the brown of the enemy".

Kipling "The Man Who Would Be King"

Time for another update.. and another gate.. 😏

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"...to the Quay or King George's gate a noble structure in the rustic style adorned with massive pillars and entablature [we like that word! 😀] of grand proportions. Above are various apartments formerly the offices of the Governor and on the inner side a large Guard house, a lofty stone wall completes the circle of defence. Before the erection of the present Quay gate sixty years since the entrance was through an open arch in the wall twelve feet southward towards the Cage traces of which are still discernible, and at the extremity of Crown street was a small wicket now closed by stonework but the shape of which may be still discovered...." from "The Chronicles of Portsmouth" written by Henry and Julian Slight and published in 1828. 

First a little orientation... the King George Gate (for that is our topic) is ringed red in the map following, and labelled "Quay Gate" (which is it's earlier name, as a gate/opening had been there in one form or another since Elizabethan times). The King James Gate (our last topic) is ringed blue to show how close it is.. 

What it shows us is that the whole of the Point (the name of the finger of land with the Cambers on one side and the Harbour on the other) was in effect totally separated from the city/Portsea by these two gates - there are a few defences on the Point but clearly the thinking was that in the event of a landing it was seen as largely sacrificial..  possibly not enough room there to construct significant defences?? 

In the 17th/18th and 19th Century of course, being a Naval town, the Point was where the pubs, taverns, eateries and brothels were.. 

"Portsmouth Point", an etching by Thomas Rowlandson.. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy"... indeed.. 😏

..it may well be though, that one, the city authorities quite liked the idea of some gates between them and the lawlessness of the Point, and that two, maybe they thought the good ladies of the Point might put up a far better defence against any invading Frenchman than a few extra 64pdr Armstrong's..  😁

There had been just an opening there in Elizabethan times..

..but this was supplemented when they built the Quay Gate in 1734 - so both coexisted until the fortifications were completely removed in the mid 19th Century

Engravings perspective is of the frontal aspect..  so harbour/Camber behind the artist.. you can just see the Cathedral tower in the background with the older Elizabethan opening in line with it..

I can't find a decent engraving or photograph of the landward side of the gate but the 3D Model project gives a pretty good impression and a much clearer idea of what the Governors offices and apartments would have looked like..

...and here is the front in all of it's glory..  long, long gone..  they didn't even bother trying to save this one unlike the King James and Landport Gates as it's a glorious aspect..

Copy of a photograph. Ref: Gates,W. City of Portsmouth Corporation Records 1835 - 1927" - photo probably taken 1850's..

So all these photo's would have been taken from the outer/seaward side..  the artists/photographers would have had the swing bridge and Camber behind them

King George's Gate (Quay Gate)
by Edward Robins (1854–1909)
Image Credit Portsmouth Museums and Visitor Services

...and all of it long gone now - though there are hints - but we still stand in the footsteps of our forebears even when it's currently a fish market.. 😏

The Inner Camber - the King James Gate location is off to the left behind the row of houses/flats in the distance - best guess the two pointy roofed one's.. the front face of the King George or Quay Gate would have been behind me..

The junction of King Street and Lombard Street - a square now and indeed as it was then - the inner side of the gate would have been just behind me

...and this is where the Gate would have been - 175 years ago I would have been looking through the opening of the gate, to a swing bridge, and wondering if the Bridge Tavern was open for a beer.. as you can see it's still a working fishing port which is a good thing..  the big modern building in the middle by the way is Ben Ainslie's America's Cup HQ (or was 😏)

..the swing bridge would have been here, between the two sides - the pub is named for it, and the Outer Camber is just round the corner (where the ferry is)

Further reading/background:

• Memorials and Monuments in Old Portsmouth (The Former King George Gate)
• Portsmouth Point - Wikipedia

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[Montalbano has been summoned by a senior member of the local church to answer some questions the Bishop has about a case Montalbano is investigating...]

"You don't believe in appearances. Inspector"

"My job forces me not to. If I did believe in appearances I wouldn't be a very good policeman.. "

"So what do you believe?"

"Well.. For example, l believe in what's there but can't be seen"

"Could you explain?"

Montalbano thought about this for a moment. 

"You know that famous photograph of Tiananmen Square?"

"The one of the young man stopping a tank all by himself? Yes"

"Well, your excellency, with those very words you are showing me that you let yourself be persuaded by appearances"

The bishop looked at him, not knowing what to say. 

"You said the young man 'stopped' a tank. But in reality the youth is unable to 'stop' anything at all, and the tank can't come to a stop all by itself. The tank, in fact, was stopped by the soldier driving it, who we don't see because he's inside it. Well, what's of interest to me is the soldier inside, who's invisible but who nevertheless exists in that moment, disobeying his orders, and engaging in an act at least as courageous as that of the youth standing in front of his tank."

"That's an excellent explanation", said the bishop. Then, after a moment's silence: "They arrested him, you know"

"Arrested who?' asked Montalbano... 

"The soldier driving the tank in Tiananmen Square. They shot him almost at once; such insubordination could not be tolerated. I informed myself on the matter. And, as you can imagine, it was extremely difficult to get an answer, and it took a very long time. But, as you can see, I too, at the time, did not let myself be taken in by appearances. I was and am very interested, perhaps even a little more than you, in what is there but cannot be seen."

From "Riccardino (published 2021 and Book 28 in the Inspector Montalbano series - the final one😞) by Andrea Camilleri 

..and  why did I put this excerpt in?? Simply because it is typical Camilleri - clever on so many levels..

By the way - does anyone else feel a deep sense of loss when they finish a book series of such excellence as this one? It quite discombobulated me for at least a couple of days, and then I realised I can read them again any time I want to.. 😏

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 'Laters', as the young people are want to say...