Editing Hartlepool (section)

===Hartness===
{{see also|Hart, County Durham|Billingham}}

During the Norman Conquest, the De Brus family gained over-lordship of the land surrounding Hartlepool. [[William the Conqueror]] subsequently ordered the construction of [[Durham Castle]], and the villages under their rule were mentioned in records, in 1153, when [[Robert de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale]] became [[Lord of Hartness]]. The town's first charter was received before 1185, for which it gained its first mayor, an annual two-week fair and a weekly market.<ref name="LocHistHart" /><ref name="HistUKHart" /> The [[Norman Conquest]] affected the settlement's name to form the [[Middle English]] ''Hart-le-pool'' ("The Pool of the Stags").<ref>'This is Hartlepool', 'Where the name of Hartlepool came from' {{cite web|url=http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/history/hartlepoolname.asp|title=Where the name Hartlepool came from|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529110337/http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/history/hartlepoolname.asp|archive-date=29 May 2016|access-date=2016-10-07}}</ref>

By the [[Middle Ages]], Hartlepool  grew into an important market town. One of the reasons for its growing wealth was that its harbour was the official port of the [[County Palatine of Durham]]. With fishing as the main industry, Hartlepool became one of the primary ports on England's Eastern coast.

In 1306, [[Robert the Bruce]] was crowned [[King of Scotland]], and became the last Lord of Hartness. [[King Edward I]] confiscated the title to Hartlepool, and began to improve the town's military defences in expectation of war.<ref name="HistUKHart" /> In 1315, before they were completed, a Scottish army under [[James Douglas, Lord of Douglas|Sir James Douglas]] attacked, captured and looted the town.<ref name="LocHistHart" /><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/douglasbook01fras#page/439/mode/2up Fraser, W. ''Douglas Book'' vol i, p130] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111073505/http://www.archive.org/stream/douglasbook01fras|date=11 November 2012}}</ref>

In the late 15th century, a pier was constructed to assist in the harbour's workload.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/durham/vol3/pp263-285 | title=Parishes: Hartlepool }}</ref>