By Tim Lambert
1086 Bridgwater has a population of about 160
1200 King John gives Bridgwater a charter (a document giving the townspeople certain rights)
c. 1246 Greyfriars arrive in Bridgwater
1249 Bridgwater is allowed an annual fair. The main industry in Bridgwater is making wool but the town is also an important port.
1400 Bridgwater has a population of about 1,600
1468 Bridgwater is given a corporation and a mayor
1643 During the Civil War Bridgwater is captured by Royalists but Parliamentary soldiers recaptured it in 1645.
1685 The Duke of Monmouth leads a rebellion that fails. Afterward, 9 people are hung, drawn, and quartered in Bridgwater.
1694 Bridgwater gains a piped water supply
1779 A group of men is formed in Bridgwater with powers to light, pave, and clean the streets
1801 Bridgwater has a population of 6,600
1813 A theatre opens in Bridgwater
1816 Angel Crescent is built
1827 Bridgwater gains gas street lighting. The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal is built.
1841 The railway reaches Bridgwater
1860 An Art College opens
1883 A new town bridge is built
1901 The population of Bridgwater is almost 15,000
1906 A public library opens in Bridgwater
1926 The Admiral Blake Museum opens
1946 An arts centre is built
1964 A new fire station is built
1966 A new police station is built
1971 Bridgwater Docks close
1973 The M5 is built past Bridgwater
2021 The population of Bridgwater is 41,000