Birmingham - A History of Birmingham

Birmingham has a rich history. It's origins start with the Saxons. In 1190 the Lord of the manor Peter De Birmingham, allowed people to hold a weekly Market in the city. Merchants and craftsmen came to live in Birmingham and it soon developed into a busy small town.

In 1250 people in Birmingham were allowed to hold a fair each summer. Back then a fair was like a market. This fair attracted buyers and sellers from all over the midlands.

Birmingham became well known for its wool industry. Wool was woven and dyed in Birmingham. By the end of the 14th century Birmingham was also well known for the metalwork and leatherworking industries. Leather was used to make gloves, saddles, bottles, shoes, and a number of other items..

In 1500 Birmingham was still a small market town.

By the 1600's Birmingham grew rapidly. by the end of the century the population had doubled. Aston Hall was built in 1635.

In 1662 the civil war between the crown and parliament had started. and in October of that year King Charles 1 came to Birmingham with his army. His soldiers looted the houses of the people of Birmingham. After he left the towns people of Birmingham looted his baggage train. In 1643 the kings army had been sent to capture Birmingham. The towns people prepared the defences as best they could but the army simply marched right through it and plundered the city again.

In 1715 St Phillips Church was build.

Like most towns in the early 19th century Birmingham was a dirty city. But things started to impove in the later part of the century. In the 1850's sewers were being dug under the streets of Birmingham.and in the 1860's a new by-law said that all new houses had to be connected to a sewer. But old houses had to wait sometimes decades to be connected.

The Botanical Gardens opened in 1832.

During World War II Birmingham was a major manufacture for the war efford. This made it a major target for German Bombings. Over 2000 people lost their lives as a result of German Bombings. The ten years that followed the war 37 thousand new council houses were built. By 1970 this rose to 70 thousand. These houses were needed badly. In the mid 50's a survey shoed that 20% of houses in Birmingham were unfit for human habitation.

Birmingham today is a ever changing city. Over the past decade a lot of money has been given to the city to re invent itself. Birmingham is continuanly changing, the city centre has had lots of money spent on it to make it a shopping haven. The areas around the city are still being re invented.