Redditch - some Historical details -
Pre-Norman history
The area has the remains of two 'Hill Forts'; one in the grounds of what is now the Quality Hotel, the other sited on the side of Beoley Church Hill. The second example has a prominent position and is known as 'The Mount'.
The only real remains from the Roman period are sections of Rycknield Street which runs from Studley, through Ipsley and on past Beoley.
Ipsley is the site of a Norman church, and a building known as Ipsley Court, originating in feudal times, and the former seat of the Huband family. Ipsley Court is now the offices of the Law Society. The current church building and one of the bells date from around 1340 AD., although the east wall is thought to be earlier. When the new building was added at the back of the church in recent years, evidence of an earlier floor and foundation level was uncovered. This dates back into the Saxon period circa 800-900 AD. This makes the site the earliest known example of Christian presence in what is now the Redditch area. The county archives in Worcester hold a vast store of records of Ipsley, reaching back into the latter years of the first Christian millennium.
Norman and Medieval history
Bordesley is the site of Bordesley Abbey. This Abbey, though now existing almost entirely below ground-level, was an important Abbey in its time and is recognised internationally as an important archaelogical site. The Abbey was founded in 1138 and dissolved in 1538 along with so many others.
General History
At the time of the Norman Conquest (1066) the area that is now Redditch bordered the great forest of Feckenham, a vast 190 sq. mile oak forest that became the site of King John's Royal Hunting Lodge. In the valley of the River Arrow, lay several tiny settlements, Osmerley and Bordesley amongst them. Ipsley was on a hill above the valley floor. There is a mention of Ipsley in the Domesday Book (1086) and the priest who lived there. Washford and its mill are also mentioned in the Domesday Book. Both Washford and Ipsley had close proximity to the roman road Icknield (Rycknield) Street.
It was at Bordesley in 1138 that Cisterian monks established their Abbey. A charter was granted in 1141.
The monks called it St.Mary of Bordesley. They re-directed the Arrow to power their mill and create a fishpond.
The name Osmerley disappeared.
From 1146 a settlement began to spring up around the Abbey to house a group of skilled stone masons and by 1348 the growing hamlet had acquired the name "La Rededitch" or Rubeo Fosetto in Latin. The name is based on the fact that the channels of the local streams and river, flow through red clay. It was at this time 1348 - 49 that the area was struck by the Plague.
The Abbot of Bordesley (1361), John de Acton, abused his office from the start. He placed his own relatives in positions of authority
and used his own position to defraud the house of its property and wealth. He was deposed. On escaping he became leader of a gang of malcontents and outlaws.
In a document dated 1461, Redditch is referred to as a 'township' showing that it had grown from being more than a mere hamlet. It is probable that by this date there were needlemakers in Redditch who worked independantly from the Abbey.
Clay bricks and tiles were produced at 'The Tilehouse' in Pitcher Oak Wood.
In 1461 William Sheldon, a Warwickshire gentleman, purchased Beoley Manor. His family were famous weavers.
The Cisterian monks remained for 400 years and established a strong community.
Everything changed in 1538 when King Henry VIII ordered the dissoluton of Bordsley Abbey and three years later the
property passed into the ownership of Lord Windsor, the Lord of the Manor based at Hewell Grange. The Abbey and most of its outbuildings were torn down. The small chapel of St. Stephen was allowed to remain and was used by local people until 1805 when it was demolished.
After the dissolution of the Abbey, the displaced community moved from the valley of the River Arrow up the hill to a wide
flat area of land that was to become the centre of Redditch.
St Stephen's Chapel was replaced by a new Chapel in the centre of the town.
Another influential local family were the Throckmorton Family. They were seated at Coughton Court, south of Studley. They were a Roman Catholic family and were involved in a plot against Queen Elizabeth the First known as the Throckmorton Plot. They were also involved in the famous Gunpowder plot against King James the Fourth. Some of the family were executed in connection with this.
During the Civil War, Beoley Hall was destroyed by the Parliamentarians. Ipsley Church has evidence of execution by musket shot on the west wall of the tower.
By 1639 needle-making emerged from among the various cottage industries to dominate the area, the earliest references being 1639. The Windsor family encouraged this industry and also the manufacture of fishing hooks. This was due to the plentiful supply of water used to power the scouring mills. As the population grew the work of cutting and pointing the needle wire was taken over by new needle factories. Scouring mills sprang up all across the area. In the 1960’s there was the remains of one on Watery Lane on the east bank of the river. The Forge Mill, built in 1730, is now the only remaining water-driven needle scouring mill in the world, converted into a Museum, it offers a unique insight into the life and history of Redditch. In the early twentieth century, Redditch was world-famous for needles, springs and fish hooks and flies.
The 18th Century onwards
Many of the needlemakers were Roman Catholics, although in the atmosphere of the times they were frequently at great pains to conceal the fact. They would attend services in the Anglican Church and afterwards walk across the fields for the celebration of Mass
at Wootton Wawen or one of the Mass houses supported by Catholic gentry families of the district.
There were also Nonconformist groups in the villages. The Quakers built their Meeting House in Breedon, now Ipsley Street, in 1704. John Wesley visited the Redditch area twice.
Once in 1720, when on his way to Stanton in Gloucestershire, he preached a sermon under the Gospel Place Oak on the green. On
another visit in 1756, Wesley and his two companions (Mr Bruce and Mr Welch) nearly drowned crossing a ford across the Arrow at the bottom of Beoley Road.
In 1800 the local malitia had to be used to quell rioting known as the bread riots.
The Catholic Emancipation Bill of 1829 gave freedom of worship to the local Roman Catholics. The large residual population of Catholics quickly availed themselves of the new freedom. The priests came out of hiding
and celebrated mass openly being among the first in the country to do so. A committe was formed which consulted with wealthy local Catholic families inclusing the Throckmortons and the Plymouths. The outcome was the brave decision to
build what was possibly the first Catholic church to be buily for over 300 years - Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Beoley Road. The Dowager Lady Smythe of Wootton Hall donated the land and Mr Charles Tunstall defrayed the whole cost of the project.
The foundation stone was laid in 1833.
Bates Hill Wesleyan Chapel opened in 1843
St Stephen's Church was opened in 1855
A large Baptist Church was built in Ipsley Street in 1867
St Georges was consecrated in 1876.
A cholera epidemic claimed a large number of lives in the area in 1833.
A shortage of coins led to the introduction of tokens (privately struck discs for use instead of coins). Wages were paid in a mixture of money and tokens which were redeemable at certain shops. In some cases these shops were owned by the needlemasters themselves. This system, known as 'truck' was obviously open to abuse and was found in many other branches of industry in the 19th century. It came to be a heavy burden on working people and a method of depressing their living standards because prices became artificially high at truch shops.
In 1848 Tom Steeland and John James were convicted before the magistrates and sent to prison for various offences including paying in 'truck tokens'. The amount they were paying - 2 shillings per day - was in violation of the wages level agreed between masters and artisans which was 3 shillings per day. Paying this reduced amount in truck meant that the workers were effictively only receiving half pay.
In 1850, under the patronage of the Earl of Plymouth a society was formed which established a Public Library and Scientific Institute.
During the 1920 - 1939 period, a large number of people from the depressed Welsh Valleys were brought to Redditch. In 1937 the firmsof Herbert Terry and Sons and the Royal Enfield Cycle Company were expanding their output and the BSA Cycle company returned to the town. Many of these industries were to gear up for wartime armaments manufacture in 1939 and this saw a large influx of people from many parts of the nation.
In 1855 the town finally became a parish in its own right and the Chapel in the centre of town was replaced by St.Stephen's Church. Industry diversified with the coming of spring making, fishing tackle and cycle manufacturing. In 1894 Redditch Urban District Council was created allowing the town to be governed by its own local authority. By the early 1960's the population had risen to 32,000, then, in 1964, Redditch was designated as a New Town.
Large new housing estates and industrial estates were built, the town centre was largely demolished and replaced with the Kingfisher Shopping Centre. This was followed by the construction of new schools, road systems and there was extensive landscaping. The population rocketed to almost 80,000. In 1974 the District Council was created.
