A History of the city of Gloucester
Gloucester History
The city centre of Gloucester stands on the site of a Roman fortress dating from the 60s, which by about AD 97 had been made a colonia – a self-governing city with similar rights to those of Rome itself.
Important Dates in The History of Gloucester
| c.2500,000 – 3500 BC | Nomadic Hunter Gatherers |
| c 3500 – 1600 BC | The first farmers occupy the Severn Vale |
| AD 48-49 | Roman Army establishes a fort at Kingsholm |
| c AD 65 | New fortress built on present day city centre |
| c AD 97 | Foundation of Colonia Nervia Glevensium |
| AD 577 | Battle of Dyrham: Saxons win control of Gloucester |
| AD 679 | St Peters Abbey ( Gloucester Cathedral ) founded |
| AD 877 | Vikings under Guthrum camp in the city for the winter |
| AD 871-879 | Alfred the Great opens a mint at Gloucester, issuing silver pennies |
| AD 900 | Aethelfaeda founds the Minster of St Oswald and rebuilt the city |
| AD 1052 | Rebuilding of St Peters Abbey |
| AD 1043 – 1062 | King Edward the Confessor held his Witan at Gloucester 9 times |
| AD 1068 | William the Conqueror builds castle at Gloucester |
| AD 1089 | The foundation stone of the current Cathedral was laid by Serlo |
| AD 1110 – 1120 | New castle built on site of modern prison |
| AD 1137 | Llanthony Secunda Priory founded at Hempsted |
| AD 1141 | King Stephen imprisoned in Gloucester |
| AD 1155 | Gloucester’s oldest known Charter from Henry 11 |
| AD 1216 | Henry 111 crowned at St Peters Abbey |
| AD 1239 | Blackfriars founded |
| AD 1327 | Edward 11 murdered at Berkley Castle and buried in St Peters Abbey making Gloucester the 15th wealthiest town in England |
| AD 1378 | Parliament held in College Green |
| AD 1412 | Great Cloister finished at St Peters Abbey – considered the birthplace of fan vaulting |
| AD 1450 | The New Inn built by St Peters for a lodging for pilgrims |
| AD 1457 | Tower of St Peters Abbey finished |
| AD 1483 | King Richard 111 visits Gloucester and grants letters patent |
| AD 1541 | St Peters Abbey is converted to become the Cathedral of the new diocese |
| AD 1542 | The first corporation water supply |
| AD 1555 | Bishop John Hooper burned at the stake as a Protestant martyr |
| AD 1580 | Queen Elizabeth 1 awards the city status of port |
| AD 1643 23 March | Royalist Army of 1500 men captured at Hignam |
| AD 1643 10 August | King Charles 1 refused entry to the city. He besieges Gloucester with 30000 men |
| AD 1643 5 September | The Earl of Essex raises the siege |
| AD 1648 | Gloucester’s first fire engine |
| AD 1654 | First HMS Gloucester launched |
| AD 1661 | Orders from Charles 11 to destroy City defences |
| 1714 | George Whitefield born at the Bell Inn Westgate St |
| 1722 | Gloucester Journal published |
| AD 1736 | Robert Raikes born at Ladybellgate House Gloucester |
| AD 1750 | John Stafford Smith born |
| AD 1755-61 | Gloucester Infirmary built |
| AD 1791 | County Prison Built |
| AD 1802 | Charles Wheatstone born in Westgate St |
| AD 1827 | Gloucester Berkley canal opened |
| AD 1849 | William Ernest Henley born in Westgate St |
| AD 1879 | Horse drawn trams introduced |
| AD 1890 | Ivor Gurney born in Queen St Gloucester |
| AD 1891 | Public Baths opened |
| AD 1900 | Electric lighting installed in city |
| AD 1904 | Electric trams |
| AD 1945 | Right granted to the Gloucestershire regiment to march through the streets of the city with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed |
| AD 1955 | Queen Elizabeth 11 and the Duke of Endiburgh visit Gloucester on the 800th anniversary of the Royal charter of 1155 |
| AD 1957 | City twinned with Trier in Germany |
| AD 1960 | Freedom of entry to City given to RAF |
| AD 1963 | Freedom of entry to City given to Royal Gloucestershire Hussars |
| AD 1966 | Freedom of entry to City given to 14th Signal Regiment |
| AD 1967 | City twinned with Metz |
| AD 1972 | City twinned with Gouda |
| AD 1977 | 250th Anniversary of the 3 Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral |
| Ad 1982 | Launch of 10th HMS Gloucester |
| AD 1983 | 500th Anniversary of the Charter of Incorporation |
