Worcester in historic gazetteers

Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew

Worcester, parl. and mun. bor., city, county town of Worcestershire, and county of itself, 22 miles SW. of Birmingham and 114 miles NW. of London by rail - parl. bor., 3266 ac., pop. 40,354; mun. bor., 1263 ac., pop. 33,956; 4 Banks, 6 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. Worcester is finely situated in a beautiful vale on the left bank of the Severn, over which is an elegant stone bridge of 5 arches. Successively a British fort, a Roman camp, and a Saxon stronghold, it is one of the most ancient cities in England. The cathedral, a fine specimen of Gothic architecture, in the form of a double cross, was built in 680, and rebuilt in the beginning of the 13th century. Besides the cathedral there are numerous churches, some of them very old. The museum of natural history is said to be one of the finest out of London. There are porcelain works, British wine and vinegar works, chemical and manure works, railway signal works, and iron foundries; but the leading industry is the mfr. of leather gloves, of which Worcester is the chief seat in England. The hop market is one of the largest in the kingdom. The trade by the river is very considerable. The most remarkable event in the history of the place is the decisive victory which Cromwell gained here over the Royalist forces in 1651. Worcester was chartered by Richard I. It returns 1 member to Parliament; it returned 2 members from Edward I. until 1S85.