Bridgwater History
Bridgwater
can boast the most interesting and eventful history of any town in Somerset.
From its humble origins in the Dark and Middle
Ages, it developed a strategic significance during the mediaeval period
when it acquired its bridge and castle.
It grew to be a town with a maritime
trade, ship building, a booming brick
and tile industry and a legacy of markets and
a fair, which survives today,
along with its world-famous illuminated carnival.
Through the bloody days of the 17th
century, it experienced the Civil
War at first hand, with the downfall of the enormous Bridgwater
Castle, and the Monmouth
Rebellion when so many townsfolk rallied to the Protestant call, only
to suffer death as hundreds were hung, drawn and quartered whilst others
were transported into white slavery in
the West Indian sugar plantations.
Stage
coach travel, corrupt elections and a workhouse
which could boast a thirty percent mortality rate
over the winter period all add to the colourful
past of this former market town. The rise and
fall of the brick industry acted as a prelude to
the years of First World War and First World War l. Discover
more about Bridgwater’s rich history, learning
of its most interesting characters by selecting
from the list to the left.
The sections are all categorised, simply click a heading and its relevant sections will appear below.
Text Copyright © 2008 Roger Evans
