Worcester History UK.

20/05/2025

First of all thank you to everyone following nearly 800 followers that's amazing.

I've not had chance for a good while to post any new stuff. Work and other family commitments But I'm now looking to extend the page into Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

You'll see the name change soon and banner artwork so just an heads up. It will.still be mostly Worcester/Worcestershire history but with so much to discover and share from the other counties I thought it a good idea to extend out and cover these also.

Thanks again and keep on loving our local history.

16/06/2024

Stopped to checkout the Guarlford unwanted book exchange phone box today. Found this amazing little gem. A book printed in 1881. "The Great Tome Poets" by Frederick Crowest a collection of short memoirs of the greater composers. What I find absolutely fascinating is that in the front cover is written a message from 1884. Idylle is a piece for violin and piano composed by Edward Elgar in 1884, as his Opus 4, No. 1. It was Elgar's first published work.
It would be 17 years later in 1901 that Elgar would
even begin to compose his most famous pieces.
When this book was printed in 1881 Elgar was working on his early adult works which included violin and piano pieces, music for the wind quintet in which he and his brother played between 1878 and 1881, and music of many types for the Powick Asylum band. It would be 14 years before "Enigma Variations" would even be created. I wonder if Elgar at 27 when this message was signed, had read a copy of this book and even dreamt that one day he would be listed amongst these great musical composers. Guarlford sits in the shadow of Malvern where Elgar is now buried a great and incredible composer loved by millions worldwide. Who was J W Allen North why was the message written by his Aunt in 1884 what stories could he have told us. I've now given it a new home and a new lease of life on our book shelf.

Thank you J W Allen North and thank you to the person who left the book.

12/04/2024

Worcester Wharf Canal in Birmingham.

Goods transported along the Worcester - Birmingham Canal would eventually arrive at the Wharf in readiness to be distributed around Birmingham city or further afield by rail.

English: Old Ordnance Survey map, 2nd edition 1905, showing west-central Birmingham - Worcester Wharf, Old Wharf, Central Goods railway station, part of Birmingham New Street railway station. Centred at approximate coordinates: 52.476,-1.905, just north of the current location of The Mailbox.
Shown in blue is the Worcester Bar at Gas Street Basin (left margin), Old Wharf terminus of the Birmingham Canal, and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Shown in red are three tunnels: New Street Tunnel of the Stour Valley Line (top); tunnel of the Birmingham West Suburban Railway (now the Cross-City Line) between New Street and Five Ways railway station (long curve); Granville Tunnel leading to the Central Goods Depot (bottom}.

06/03/2024

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Paul Manton, Paul Hughes, Kathleen McDermott, Colin Nash, Lewis Brown, H.C. Jones, Duncan Spencer, Gisella Shiels

04/03/2024

Interesting “fire insurance mark” in St John's showing the Norwich Union badge.

Norwich Union Fire Mark.

Norwich Union was founded in 1797 in Norwich, when 36-year-old merchant and banker Thomas Bignold formed the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society.

In 1808 Thomas Bignold established a second mutual, the Norwich Union Life Insurance Society.

The Fire Society privatised/stocked in 1821.

Like many insurance companies protecting property and goods against fire loss, they operated their own fire brigades to protect only the society's policyholders whose buildings were identified by marks.

This ment that fires could potentially be ignored by a brigade if it didnt show the mark. Fights have even been reported to have broken out between rival brigades in some cases.

One of the most interesting facts about this badge was that in 1929 the Fire Society gave up its last private brigade, which was actually based in non other than Worcester, to the municipal authorities.

What a beautiful little badge and such an amazing story to tell.

Interesting links -

http://www.janeslondon.com/2011/08/fire-insurance-plaques.html?m=1

https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/fire-insurance-plaques/

https://insurancehistory.cii.co.uk/fire-marks/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fire-mark-collectible-insurance-crest

https://www.aviva.co.uk/services/about-our-business/about-us/previous-companies/

https://avivaarchive.medium.com/norwich-unions-gloucester-fire-brigade-more-than-sixty-years-of-service-to-the-community-3279a26c25f2

27/02/2024

*CONTAINS IMAGES OF A SENSITIVE NATURE*

At St John's Church, Worcester many fascinating points of interest can be found.

On the outside wall as you walk into the grounds from St John's B4485, You'll first of all notice what looks like very deep claw marks in the brick work. This I was informed was where the pike's men sharpened their pikes and swords during the English Civil War, but with no mention of this in the Historic England link below it will obviously need to be investigated more.

A very well researched and fascinating article about similar markings, forwarded by follower Debbie Branford.

https://triskeleheritage.triskelepublishing.com/mediaeval-mythbusting-blog-10-arrow-stones/?fbclid=IwAR0muxTmAHtCxYXJO42oZT3nCLPl_PWz11EAzfa02D2Tx24i7IuW-CsPf7Y

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The mourning portrait.

On entering the church tucked just underneath the beautiful spiral staircase can be found (what I'd consider) the most important feature of all - the grave of 13 year old John Garmston and his 2 year old sibling Jonathan Edward.

Now, this may not seem that unusual, but what you'll find embedded into the top of the grave is!

A very rare UK example of post-mortem photography, also known as memorial portraiture or a mourning portrait, this was/is the art of photographing the deceased and was very popular in the Victorian period.

The father was Hopkins, a Hop merchant from Worcester, and his name can be seen in the photos below.

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More on post-mortem/memorial photography can be found on the following link.

https://www.facebook.com/TheThanatosArchive

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*Excerpt from an article on memorial portraiture in the "History of Photography."

"The use of photographs inset in gravestones or monumental sculpture is rare in England; an early example is one to the memory of John Garmston Hopkins in the Parish Church of StJohn in Bedwardine in Worcester."

Full article can be found on Taylor and Francis.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03087298.1987.10443779

The church is also interestingly noted/marked in the fascinating 1754 map of the Hardwick Manor in the parish of St John.
This document is part of the Worcester Cathedral archives and library.

Links below-

https://worcestercathedrallibrary.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/st-johns-church-on-the-hardwick-map/

https://worcestercathedrallibrary.wordpress.com/2017/08/02/a-1754-map-of-the-manor-of-hardwick/

Other points of interest on the outside wall of the church - mainly around the door are old graffiti scratched into the stone, some going back to 1894.

Historic England entry link.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1390120?section=official-list-entry

25/02/2024

For those interested in witch marks/ protection marks and their many locations, this site should be of great interest.

https://www.facebook.com/share/kYPexzCWhmxMWmLU/

The page has been created to promote and disseminate research into medieval graffiti; the historical use of apotropaic marks and symbols and the practice of concealing objects within buildings to ward against misfortune. Contributions are welcomed!

20/02/2024

Following on from the witchcraft in Worcester Post here's a fascinating article on witch marks from Faithful History.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/v9NqTeBaaVswWkwb/

19/02/2024

Richard Spires sent in these fantastic images of P. Triggs the chimney sweep. He's looking for any info folk might have about the business/photos.

Thank you Richard

19/02/2024

Humbled by all the new followers and likes.
Really appreciate all of you joining the Page.

Any information/photos or research requests please send to - [email protected]

Thank you.

17/02/2024

It's been well recorded now that Old Powick bridge is currently closed due to structural damage. Now with further floods in the vicinity the restoration of the bridge will have been sadly held back further.
The bridge is over 400 years old and held an important part in the story of The English Civil Wars period, being the first site where fighting between Royalists and Parliamentarians occurred during the first civil war. Hopefully it can be saved without much change to its appearance and character.

07/01/2024

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Tina King, DebbieRichard Evans, Mikey Pratt, Anthony Rigg