By Tim Lambert
Early Kidderminster
Kidderminster began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. A minister was a group of monks. It may have been Cyneburg’s minister, because it was dedicated to or founded by a woman of that name. At the time of the Domesday Book, in 1086 it was called Chideminstre. At that time Kidderminster was a tiny settlement but it grew larger during the Middle Ages. By the 13th century it had annual fairs and weekly markets.
Manufacturing cloth was first mentioned in Kidderminster in the 14th century. By the 16th century it was the mainstay of the town’s economy. In 1540 John Leland wrote ”This town stands mostly by clothing’. In the 16th century a grammar school opened in the town. It was given a charter by King Charles I in 1636.
In the 18th century carpet manufacturing began in Kidderminster. The industry began in 1735. It flourished in the late 18th century.
Modern Kidderminster
At the time of the first census in 1801, Kidderminster had a population of 1,600. It was still a tiny place. However it grew rapidly in the 19th century and by 1851 it’s population was almost 3,000. By 1901 it was over 24,000. The carpet industry was the main employer in the town.
Amenities in Kidderminster improved during the 19th century. The town gained gas light in 1818. The railway reached Kidderminster in 1852. The Corn Exchange opened in 1855. Kidderminster Town Hall was built in 1876. Brinton Park, in Kidderminster was opened in 1887.
Kidderminster’s most famous son is Rowland Hill. He was born on 3 December 1795. Before 1840 a person who received a letter had to pay the postage. Hill had the idea of selling adhesive stamps for one penny. The sender bought the stamp and attached it to the envelope. The ‘penny post’ made sending letters cheaper. It also made it quicker because the postman did not have to spend time trying to get the recipient to pay!
In the 20th century Kidderminster continued to thrive, although the carpet industry went into decline. The Swan Centre was built in 1970. Rowland Hill shopping centre opened in 1980.
In the 21st century Kidderminster is still flourishing. Weaver’s Wharf shopping centre opened in 2004. Kidderminster Museum of Carpet opened in 2012. Today the population of Kidderminster is 58,000.
