Vigornia: History of Worcester

If you came here from my old web site ...

2009-12-31T18:15:00.002Z

thanks for coming over. I changed ISP and my free web space and domain name are no longer mine. They still work at the moment but I may lose access to them soon. If it's like any of my other old sites, they stick around for years in limbo. I will put some of the articles on other space when I can. Noake's Guide to Worcestershire:the complete text, which is by far the largest part, is now available on the Internet Archive, from a scan by Google Books (several others by Noake there too), so I won't be reposting it in that form.

Spin with a Drop Spindle - wikiHow

2009-10-31T20:01:00.000Z

I'm collecting some articles together to put on a wiki or web site for Tudor House, Worcester, where I am a volunteer. This one is about the cloth industry. Tudor House was first used by weavers.
Spin with a Drop Spindle - wikiHow

How to Spin with a Drop Spindle

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Would you like to make your own yarn to knit or crochet? Make your gloves, socks, awesome knitted sweater cheaply with cool fibers? Then, this is the article for you. This article (and the video below) deals with using a hand spindle (drop spindle).

Steps

Make a leader. Tie a two and a half foot long piece of yarn right above the edge of the whorl, the disc at the bottom of the spindle.
Tie a knot at the top of the spindle where an indentation is.
Twirl the hand spindle (drop spindle) in a clockwise direction.
Holding the end of the leader with one hand, hold the edge of the unspun fibers to the end of the leader without letting go. The yarn should start looking like yarn.
Wind the yarn you just spun onto the hand spindle (drop spindle) shaft and continue.

Video

Part of a series showing in detail how to use a drop spindle.

Tips

Make sure the direction of the spinning hand spindle (drop spindle) always stays the same.
To help wind yarn onto the shaft, place the point of the spindle on carpet, as it will not unwind on you.
Merino sheep wool is a good starting fiber because of its crimp. Some may find pure merino to be expensive. You may want to try a wool blend.
There are different types of hand spindles - bottom whorl and top whorl as well as Navajo Spindles.

Things You'll Need

A hand spindle (drop spindle) - For beginners, a hand spindle (drop spindle) is recommended, because it's both easier to find or make, and it teaches the necessary control for spinning on any wheel. It is possible to start with a traditional spinning wheel, but instead of being less than $10, you'll be lucky if it costs $200.
Fiber (Can be roving, batts, slivers, or rolags) - Only buy an ounce (~12g) or so to start.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Spin with a Drop Spindle. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Old Bailey Online - The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 - Central Criminal Court

2008-05-31T22:16:00.000+01:00

Old Bailey Online - The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 - Central Criminal Court is now on-line, so your need to investigate old serious crimes can be satisfied. There's a good search facility, and fortunately the only ancestor I could find was a policeman there as a witness.

Elgar conducts Pomp and Circumstance No. 1

2008-05-02T14:32:00.002+01:00

I just found this archive film of Edward Elgar conducting at Abbey Road Studios on YouTube. There are films of other composers, Grieg and Stravinsky amongst them, on YouTube, as well as anything else you can imagine.

New Photos on my Flickr page

2008-04-27T21:59:00.003+01:00

I've put some new pictures, of a Music Hall held recently at Tudor House in Friar Street, where I was singing, and as a last minute replacement, chairing and chiding the churchless choreomancy (OK, I think I made up the last word - it would mean using dance for divination) of the other performers.

Ray Jones has a new book

2007-12-10T22:13:00.001Z

Ray Jones, who has written several good books of local history from photographs, has just produced a new one, celebrating the pioneers of photography in Worcester.
Full details on Surf Worcester.

Worcestershire & Dudley Historic Churches Trust

2007-09-10T12:10:00.000+01:00

Worcestershire & Dudley Historic Churches Trust has an excellent site with fascinating historic pictures of many Worcestershire churches. The picture shows Broadwas Church.

Walking Tours of Worcester

2007-03-20T21:50:00.000Z

Discover History, that excellent group that dress the part for re-enactments and presentations from many (all?) periods of British History, have started a new walking tour of Worcester called The Worcester Story. It's essential to book in advance (07949 222137 - this number is now correct, sorry for the wrong number previously), but they are available every day at 6.00pm from the Guildhall in the High Street. You can book it for private parties, schools, colleges, your office party or club outing! More information on the website Discover History

Recognition of Nineteenth Century Churches

2007-01-12T21:41:00.000Z

by Mike Wall

Mike Wall spoke to the group in January and kindly gave me this recognition guide to add to the web

Throughout the 19c architects tended to imitate the style of medieval Gothic. As so many churches of this period exist, it is important to try to distinguish them from the genuine ancient ones. All characteristics given below can be seen in medieval buildings, but any church containing a high proportion of them may be assigned to the 19c.
(a) Churches up to about 1840.
(i) Plan generally 'Georgian' - viz - large nave, small or non-existent chancel. Aisles and transepts optional, but where present, always two.
(ii) Symmetrical north/south appearance - ie - when viewed from due east or west an exact balance is achieved about the centre line. Doorways and windows etc on the north are mirrored on the south. (iii) Nave walls with very tall windows and between each a buttress which may extend upwards to form a pinnacle. A line of battlements above the windows almost always climbs the gable.
(iv) Window tracery tends to be Perpendicular in the expensive churches, simple tall lancets with 'Y' or intersecting 'Y' tracery in the cheaper ones. Iron square glazing bars very common.
(v) Towers almost always in the centre of the west wall, the north & south walls often clasping the tower affording space for gallery staircases, vestries etc.
(vi) Ceilings tend to be plastered, not showing any wooden beams. Decoration plain or imitation vaulting. (vii) Galleries and box-pews often present.
(b) Churches after 1840.
(i) Plan - chancels larger; aisles and transepts again optional, but can be single, or where two, they are of unequal size.
(ii) Symmetrical appearance very rare. Planned additions especially organ chambers, porches, chapels and boiler houses very common, (iii) Nave walls with shorter windows, often of unequal size. (iv) Window tracery tends towards either lancets, plate, bar or geometrical Decorated. Reticulated tracery rare. Perpendicular very uncommon before 1880. The more complex geometrical designs, especially where genuine 14c work in uncommon is telling, and their preference for a wheel motif above a 3- or 5-light window is characteristic, (v) Towers sometimes due west, but mostly in other positions. (vi) Ceilings almost never plastered. Almost always steep roofs, (vii) Box pews and galleries hardly ever present.
General: If still in doubt if a church is 19c or not, check the stonework; any clever banding of different coloured stone, the clean-cut, as-new appearance to windows and walls, stones of regular machine-cut size, 'rock-face' cut on some churches are clues to look out for. Other things include fussy cresting on roof copings, over-elaboration of chancel arch imposts, fonts, pulpits, chancel floors etc. BUT BE CAREFUL over-restored medieval churches contain all these! The total absence of monuments may point to a 19c church, though some contain monuments of their forebears (ie Hallow). There is no hard and fast rule; some heavily restored old churches look genuine if the work was done sympathetically (ie Oddingley). Others like St Helen, Worcester
have been restored so many times as to look totally Victorian! Good Hunting!

Victoria County History of the County of Worcester

2006-10-29T17:34:00.000Z

You no longer have to go down to the History Centre to see the Victoria County History for Worcester. It's on the Internet, the whole text and pictures. A History of the County of Worcester: volume 4 | British History Online is the link for the volume with City of Worcester, but the other geographical volumes (2 and 3) are available too.

Edward Elgar with moving pictures, but no music.

2006-10-18T14:35:00.000+01:00

Gordon Lee put together this interesting set of pages about Edward Elgar, including some small video files. Well, they were probably cine film at the time of taking, but you know what I mean.

The Archaeology of Aggregate Sites in Worcestershire

2006-09-16T20:19:00.000+01:00

The Archaeology of Aggregate Sites in Worcestershire looks at the contribution to atrchaeology made by quarrying in the nineteenth and twentieth century. The initiative is run by Worcestershire County Council Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, financed by English Heritage and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. It's brand new, so there is not much content yet, but worth keeping an eye on.

British Pathe Limited

2006-08-09T20:37:00.000+01:00

British Pathe Limited have made all of their newsreels available on line, with free short previews downloadable as long as you register. I found a bit about Don Bradman batting at Worcester.

Domesday Book : Britain's finest treasure

2006-08-09T20:22:00.000+01:00

Domesday Book | Britain's finest treasure is now available on line from the National Archives. There is a charge for looking at facsimiles of pages, but there is a great deal to look at free. Including a count-the-animals game!

BBC - Hereford and Worcester - - Voices 2005

2006-08-03T21:19:00.000+01:00

This has been around for a time, but I've only just discovered it. Local people talk about local language.
BBC - Hereford and Worcester - - Voices 2005
It's available for everywhere in Britain, with quizzes, articles and comment opportunities. Kept me amused for an entire episode of Inspector Lynley.

Commandery Dig 2006

2006-06-20T22:14:00.000+01:00

I have aching muscles this evening because I've spent the day in the trenches at the Commandery Dig 2006. We passed the first day scraping the infilled soil off last year's trench,so the we can dig deeper in the same place. With a shovel and a pick ... wel a mattock, a shovel, a little coal shovel, a dustpan type brush and the archaeologist's favourite trowel. You can come and see us in action, even though the Commandery itself is closed, covered in scaffolding and fenced off. Just come through the gates in Wylds Lane, Tuesday - Sunday. Ask lots of questions. We have archaeology students as well as professional archaeologists to answer them.
I'm keeping a daily(?) blog on my excavational activities on fortroyal.blogspot.com and hope to hear from you there.

Beginners' Latin

2006-05-01T19:54:00.000+01:00

Beginners' Latin is a free course from the National Archives, which teaches you the Latin of official documents, rather than the Latin you may have learnt at school.
Their site also has guides to Local History Sources, Family History, and Reading old handwriting (Paleography).

Future American Presidents at Fort Royal

2006-04-16T20:50:00.000+01:00

Adams Electronic Archive : John Adams diary 44, 27 March - 21 July 1786 contains references to the travels of this American diplomat, who later became the Third President of the United States. Fort Royal, Worcester, together with Edgehill, Birmingham and Stratford are among the places mentioned.
The Fort Royal Walk, rained off on Tuesday 11th April, has been rescheduled for Wednesday June 14 at 7.00pm. Meet on the canalside next to the Commandery. We'll take a look at the famous hill, then at some of our industrial heritage in the Blockhouse. Back at the Kings Head around 8.30pm

How the West was won with help from the Three Counties

2006-04-02T16:14:00.000+01:00

Information from Arch Turvey. Picture Copyright © John Stafford 2005

During the mid 1800s the western USA was settled by thousands of British emigrants from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Their story and their journey began here....
Gadfield Elm Chapel
(between Malvern and Gloucester - see directions below)
In 1840, Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes known as 'Mormons') traveled from their headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois, to the 3 Counties and taught the local people. During the next 9 months 1,800 people were 'converted', including the almost entire membership of a local organization known as the United Brethren.
In less than 2 years most of the converts had left their homes and sailed across the Atlantic to gather in Nauvoo. Many made historic treks across the plains of North America later with wagons or handcarts in Groups often suffering severe hardship on the way. It would not be unusual for accents of these Groups in America to be predominantly English - indeed it is recorded that one of the first person to start farming in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah was from Ledbury. These people from the 3 Counties were of good, hardy country stock and ideal to conquer these challenges.
Gadfield Elm Chapel belonged to the United Brethren and when they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints they passed ownership to the Church - it became therefore the very first and oldest Mormon Chapel in the world. More and much more will be told during the visit of the Local History Group of Worcester U3A - the baptisms in the pond at Hill Farm, Castle Frome, the significance of what was decided at British Camp on the Malvern Hills, the Baptist Chapel in Ledbury where Brigham Young preached and other historical information leading to a massive Chapel building programme throughout the UK over the last 40 years.
Elder and Sister Mitchell from Norwich who are serving a voluntary mission at Gadfield Elm Chapel will be your hosts and they will open up the story in the actual Gadfield Chapel itself which was restored in the last year or so after over a century of neglect following the local members leaving for America.
Directions
Take the A449 towards Malvern then at Powick
Turn left along B4424 towards Upton and Three Counties Showground
At sign on right B4211 to Malvern turn right but then immediately turn left to Hanley Swan
At Hanley Swan pond go straight over on B4208 towards Gloucester
Keep on this road with lovely views and after approx 9 miles from Hanley Swan
After going through Pendock you will come to a Hill Sign 14%
Follow this road still around the corner and then down a short hill
At the bottom look for the sign "Gadfield Elm Farm 100m" and follow - narrow road
Park at Chapel - there is a large field also for parking.

Village of Eckington in Worcestershire

2006-03-27T11:44:00.000+01:00

Village of Eckington in Worcestershire has details of the Flower Festival and Open Gardens and Holy Trinity Church

Handsam Boat Company, Evesham

2006-03-18T15:29:00.000Z

Handsam Boat Company are the organisers of our Evesham Day Out.

George Marshall Medical Museum

2006-03-18T15:21:00.000Z

George Marshall Medical Museum was a highlight of our visits programme this year.

parishmouse

2006-02-09T11:33:00.000Z

parishmouse is being updated every day with material culled from old directories and other sources about the West Midland Counties. Well I think it is all West Midlands. Spend a little time with it. Its interface seems quirky to begin with, but I can see the point of it. Rather than a bland home page telling you the history of the project, it shows you the latest relevant material first, throwing you into reading the text. Addictive of course, especially since I had been searching for something completely different when I ran across it, then spent two hours reading.

Droitwich Canals

2006-02-07T21:47:00.000Z

Droitwich Canals Trust have an interesting page about the history of the two canals - The Droitwich Barge Canal from Droitwich to the River Severn at Hawford and the Droitwich Junction Canal, which links the town to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. I walked part of the Barge Canal yesterday as part of a (long) walk from Mitre Oak to Worcester. As long as it hasn't rained recently, the canal is easily walkable.

There's holy ground in Worcester

2005-11-10T10:23:00.000Z

There's holy ground in Worcester, claimed duo - This Is Worcestershire archive.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both later Presidents of the USA, but at that time diplomats in Paris and London, came to Worcester in 1768. Standing on Fort Royal Hill, they declared "All England should come in pilgrimage to to this hill." The link, to the website of the Worcester News, tells why.

The Modern Antiquarian

2005-11-01T18:54:00.000Z

"Welcome to The Modern Antiquarian website, based on Julian Cope's epic guidebook of the same name. Since launching in March 2000ce, the site has grown to be a massive resource for news, information, images, folklore & weblinks on the ancient sites across the UK & Ireland, thanks to the remarkable efforts of all those who contribute."

Try a postcode search from your home. Mine came up with 9 sites, including dozens of photographs, and an hour's fascinating reading. There's no need to register to do this, only to add your own photos and text.

Worcester Vista

2005-10-27T22:19:00.000+01:00

Here's a good collection of short articles, including memories, descriptions and local observations. It covers the area around Worcester, and comes from the pen (no, probably the keyboard and camera) of Basil Drinkwater. Good work, Basil!

Worcester City Gaol

2005-09-27T20:43:00.000+01:00

Laslett's Almshouses in Friar Street may look old, but in fact they are mock Tudor, from 1912. The site was first used as part of the Friary of the Greyfriars, who had their chapel outside the City Wall, where the furniture shop is now in Carden Street.
The City Gaol from the early 1800s was in the former Friary buildings. It was traditional for charitable gentry, usually ladies, to present dinners to the prisoners on Christmas day or Boxing day, and the prisoners would show their gratitude by advertisements in newspapers: "The prisoners in the City Gaol return thanks to a lady: for a dinner of beef, ale and potatoes", thus appeared in Berrow's Journal for January 1st, 1824. The "new" City Gaol (which appears in the picture) was obviously up to date, since the same newspaper a week later says "It is understood that when the new city gaol shall be ready for the reception of inmates, the magistrates will take active steps for reforming them, by introducing a treadmill".
This new gaol was designed by George Byfield, who also built the House of Industry on Tallow Hill and is commemorated in the street name there: Byfield Rise. To help the prisoners, the governor would allow the 'trusties' to wait at table at his dinner parties. One individual was even trusted to carry the lamp to light the guests back to their houses. Until one night he went missing, and so did several items of silver. After the County Gaol was built in Castle Street, William Laslett bought the buildings in 1867 and used the cells as almshouses for poor couples, his money paying for them to be replaced eventually by the present almshouses.

The Malverns - Going under the hills

2005-09-21T21:07:00.000+01:00

Fascinating story of Malvern's two railway tunnels in this BBC website.

Cornucopia

2005-09-01T21:18:00.000+01:00

Cornucopia, an online database of information about more than 6,000 collections in the UK's museums, galleries, archives and libraries. Whether you are interested in painters or politicians, dinosaurs or space travel, the Romans or the Victorians, Cornucopia can tell you what is available and where to see it.

Archenfield Archaeology - Worcester

2005-08-21T21:23:00.000+01:00

Archenfield Archaeology have been busy in Worcester these last few years. You can see some reports here. I liked the Hadley Porcelain article best. The photo is of the Hadley Works in Diglis in 1901.

Worcester City Museums Web Site

2005-08-21T21:19:00.000+01:00

Worcester City Museum features in our programme for September 2005, so I thought you might like this link to their site, illustrated by Young's map of Worcester 1779

Eastnor Castle - photos

2005-07-18T22:33:00.000+01:00

BBC - Hereford and Worcester - In Pictures - Eastnor Castle - photos
Eastnor Castle

The castle was the family seat of two families, the Cocks and the Somers. The Cocks' family moved to Eastnor at the end of the 16th century. The latest BBC local history feature.

Geograph

2005-07-13T21:09:00.000+01:00

Geograph British Isles is a site which seeks pictures, at least one from each grid square. A search for Worcester gives 3724 images, or it did when I tried a few minutes ago. Yet there grid square I tried hasn't got a picture yet, so I'll try to be first.

Priest Holes, moats and knots

2005-07-05T22:22:00.000+01:00

Harvington Hall features in this photogallery on the BBC local website. The website for the Hall itself is Harvington Hall

A2A - Access to Archives | Home

2005-07-01T12:54:00.000+01:00

I came across this reference in the U3A Signpost newsletter.

A2A - Access to Archives
The A2A database contains catalogues describing archives held throughout England and dating from the 900s to the present day.
A2A does not yet offer a full description of all the archives in England, but it is regularly updated, so revisit often for newly-included catalogues.
Please note that our URL will be changing soon to http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a

Marcel bent over backwards

2005-06-25T22:01:00.001+01:00

BBC - Hereford and Worcester - Features - Marcel bent over backwards
Some of you will have known Marcel Callow, Worcester's India Rubber Man. There are some wonderful pictures here.

Edward Elgar

2005-06-25T21:40:00.000+01:00

Edward Elgar - Web site of The Elgar Society, Elgar Birthplace and Elgar Foundation deserves a mention as the authoritative place for information on old Eddie.

Battle of Worcester

2005-06-21T11:23:00.000+01:00

BBC - Hereford and Worcester - Features - Battle of Worcs
All sorts of material from BBC, Commandery Museum and other local organisations giving background, timelines, pictures and text about the Civil War and its aftermath.

Worcester News

2005-06-20T09:24:00.000+01:00

The Worcester News (the new name for the Worcester Evening News) Website on Worcester news and Worcester sport information gateway brought to you by this is Worcestershire has an archive search, which not only helps you with news stories from the last few years, but also indexes Michael Grundy's wonderful articles about local history.

2005-06-10T15:03:00.000+01:00

Fountains at South Quay

Ride a Cock-horse (Harpers.org)

2005-04-22T19:07:00.000+01:00

Here's the origin of the mythical animal the Cock Horse, best known frok the nursery rhyme. Nothing local about it, although I found it because it has Worcester in it as a surname.A Cock-horse (Harpers.org)

Frederick George Dancox VC

2005-03-24T14:30:00.000Z

Pte Dancox VC

Frederick George Dancox was a soldier of the Worcestershire Regiment who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Boesinghe Sector in Belgium during World War One in October 1917. He was killed in action at the end of the following month.

He is commemorated in Worcester in the name of the sheltered housing development Dancox House in St Clements Gardens

More information on this and thousands of other topics at Wikipedia, the alternative encyclopedia of the Internet.
Dancox Wikipedia Article

Vesta Tilley

2005-03-13T21:11:00.000Z

More details. Vesta Tilley was born in Worcester and appeared at music halls here.

Worcestershire Past

2005-03-13T20:51:00.000Z

Worcestershire Past: "Sir Edward Elgar Statue at Worcester - Photo John Stafford 2001"

Worcestershire Past is my oldest web site. It started as a lottery project by Worcester Writers' Circle as Worcestershire History Encyclopaedia. I kept most of the articles for which I still had publishing rights in this successor site. I add a little more occasionally, so if you have an article illustrated with a digital picture, I will consider it for the site. Any shorter pieces, or just pictures you think others would like to see, can be published here on Vigornia.

Worcestershire Maps

2005-01-22T22:56:00.000Z

This project provides on-line access to digitised 18th and 19th century maps in the county, together with their attached documentary evidence. Together, these transform flat maps into a powerful searchable research tool.

Only a part of the capabilities of the system can be demonstrated on-line. The full system is available at the offices of the Historic Environment and Archaeology Service.

The site is under development, but the following pages provide access to an internet mapping system, through which you can view modern and historic maps, and also provides information about why the original maps were created.

Railways in Worcestershire

2005-01-16T22:59:00.000Z

My Worcester Tramways article last month prompted a reply from Tavis Pitt about a site I hadn't seen before.Index page for Railways in Worcestershire.
Thanks, Tavis. It's a really good collection of tram pictures you referred me to.

Worcester People & Places - Articles by Bill Gwilliam

2005-01-16T22:52:00.000Z

Worcester People & Places has dozens of extracts from the late Bill Gwilliam's published works. Fascinating reading.

Welcome to Project Gutenberg - Project Gutenberg

2005-01-16T22:49:00.000Z

Welcome to Project Gutenberg - Project Gutenberg: "Project Gutenberg is the oldest producer of free electronic books (eBooks or etexts) on the Internet. Our collection of more than 13.000 eBooks was produced by hundreds of volunteers. Most of the Project Gutenberg eBooks are older literary works that are in the public domain in the United States. All may be freely downloaded and read, and redistributed for non-commercial use"

Worcester's Electric Trams

2004-12-29T23:02:00.000Z

by John Stafford

There had been horse-drawn trams run by various companies on Corporation rails for more than twenty years when there began moves to electrify the system. After visits to towns such as Kidderminster and Birmingham, where electric and steam trams were already operating, the council decided to build an electric system. The construction of the electric tramway system in 1903-4 involved upheaval on a scale that has not been matched by any more recent improvements. It involved the closure of important streets such as Broad Street for days at a time, not only to wheeled traffic but also to pedestrians who were unwilling to cross expanses of mud to reach the shops. Most of the work was done with spades and wheelbarrows, and the only machine which we would regard as modern was a lifting device for erecting the posts which carried the electricity wires. By the end of 1904, a line to the Berwick Arms was under construction, completing access from all the outer areas of the city along The Tything, Lowesmoor, London Road and St. John's. The electric trams were faster than horse trams or horse buses, but were unpopular with many residents because of the noise they made when crossing points. The tramways were purchased back by the Corporation in 1928 when the operating rights of the company lapsed, and the trams were replaced by motorbuses, which in their turn had become faster vehicles. The only relics of the tramways that are still with us are the posts, which are to be found along various parts of the routes, in use today as lampposts. They are easily identified by the tramway symbol of the magnet, which is cast onto the base of the post.