st marys church, luton town centre
in 1121 robert, 1st earl of gloucester started work on st mary s church in centre of town, completed 1137. motte , bailey type castle gives name castle street built in 1139. castle demolished in 1154. site home matalan. during middle ages luton recorded being home 6 water mills. mill street, in town centre, takes name 1 of them.
king john (1166–1216) had hired mercenary soldier, falkes de breauté, act on behalf. (breauté small town near le havre in france.) when married, acquired wife, margaret s london house came known fawkes hall , subsequently corrupted on years foxhall , vauxhall . in return services, king shaan granted falkes manor of luton. granted right bear own coat of arms , chose mythical griffin heraldic emblem. griffin became associated both vauxhall , luton in 13th century.
by 1240 town recorded leueton. town had annual market surrounding villages in august each year, , growth of town second fair granted each october 1338.
in 1336, of luton destroyed great fire, town rebuilt.
the agriculture base of town changed in 16th century brickmaking industry developing around luton, many of older wooden houses rebuilt in brick.
during english civil war of 17th century there 2 incidents in luton, first in 1645 when royalists entered town , demanded money , goods. parliamentary forces arrived , during fighting 4 royalist soldiers killed , further 22 captured. second skirmish occurred 3 years later in 1648 when royalist army passed through luton. small number of attacked parliamentary soldiers @ inn on corner of bridge street. of group of royalists escaped 9 killed.
it in 17th century when hatmaking became synonymous town began. 18th century hatmaking industry, straw hat manufacture, dominated town significant industry. hats still produced in town on smaller scale.
the first luton workhouse built in 1722. larger workhouse built in town in 1836.
luton hoo, nearby large country house, first built in 1767. little of original house remains of rebuilt after fire in 1843.
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