BEWDLEY, a borough and market-town and chapelry,
in the parish of RIBBESFORD,
having separate jurisdiction,
locally in the lower division
of the hundred of Doddingtree,
county of WORCESTER,
14 miles (N.W.) from Worcester,
and 122 (N. W.) from
London, containing 3725
inhabitants. Thisplace,from
the pleasantness of its situation,
and the beauty of the surrounding scenery, anciently
obtained the appellation of Beau lieu, of which its present
name is a corruption. la the 13th of Henry IV.,
a petition was presented to parliament from the men of
"Bristowe" and Gloucester, praying that they might
navigate the river Severn without being subject to new
taxes levied by the men of Beaudley. At this time
Bewdley appears to have enjoyed many privileges,
among which was that of sanctuary for persons who
had shed blood: it was formerly extra-parochial, but,
by letters patent granted by Henry VI., was annexed to
the parish of Ribbesford. Edward IV. gave the inhabitants
a charter of incorporation in the twelfth year of
his reign; and Henry VII. erected a palace here for
his son Arthur, in which that prince was married by
proxy to Catherine of Arragon, and dying soon after at
Ludlow, his.corpse was removed to this town, where it
lay in state previously to interment in the cathedral
church of Worcester. Bewdley, formerly included
in the marches of Wales, was, by an act of parliament
passed in the reign of Henry VIII., added to the county
of Worcester. During the civil war in the reign of
Charles I., that monarch, who had been driven from
Oxford by the parliamentary forces, retired with the
remnant of his army to this town, where he encamped,
in order to keep the river Severn between him and
the enemy. Whilst staying here, he was attacked by
a party of Scottish cavalry, when several of his officers,
and seventy men, were made prisoners. In these attacks
the palace was greatly damaged, and was subsequently
taken down; the site is now occupied by a modern
dwelling-house, and not a single vestige of the original
edifice can, with certainty, be traced. The more ancient
part of the town was built at a greater distance from
the river, and the street called Load-street is supposed
to have been the place where the inhabitants loaded
their boats: there were formerly four gates, two of
which were standing in 1811, but they have since been
entirely demolished.
Bewdley is beautifully situated on the western
bank of the river Severn, over which a light and elegant
stone bridge was erected in 1797: the main street,
leading from the bridge, diverges right and left, but
extends furthest in the latter direction; it is indifferently
paved and not, lighted. The houses are in general well
built, and of respectable appearance; and several of
them, erected at different elevations on the slope of
the hill rising from the bank of the river, with well
cultivated gardens, and tastefully disposed pleasure
grounds, present an appearance truly picturesque: the
inhabitants are amply supplied with water , the air is
salubrious, and the surrounding scenery richly and
pleasingly diversified. Some years since, Bewdley was
a place of considerable trade, having two markets and
four fairs, and for a long period was the mart from
which the neighbouring towns were supplied with grocery
and other articles of consumption; but in consequence
of the recent construction of a canal from
Stourport to Stourbridge, that portion of its trade has
been diverted to other towns. The manufacture of
woollen caps, known by the name of Dutch caps,
was introduced here in consequence of the plague prevailing
at Monmouth, where it had previously been
carried on, and, being encouraged by legislative enactments
in the reign of Elizabeth, it. continued for some
time to nourish, but has now declined, and the trade is
principally in malt, the tanning of leather, and the
making of combs. The market is on Saturday: fairs
are held on April 23rd, July 26th, and December 10th
and llth. The government of the borough, by charter
of incorporation granted by James I., and confirmed by
Queen Anne, is vested in a bailiff, high steward, re-
corder, deputy recorder (who is usually the town clerk),
and twelve capital burgesses. The bailiff, who is alsa
coroner and clerk of the market, the late bailiff, and
the recorder, are justices of the peace: the freedom of.
the borough is obtained only by gift. The corporation
hold a court of session annually, in which the bailiff,
the late bailiff, and the recorder, preside; a court of,
record for all pleas, and for the recovery of debts under
£100, in which the bailiff, or, in his absence, a deputy
appointed by him from among the capital burgesses,
and the recorder, preside; and a court leet, at which,
constables and other officers are appointed. The town
hall is a neat building of stone, erected in 1818; the
front is decorated with six square pilasters supporting
a pediment, in which are the arms of the family of
Lyttelton; under the hall is the entrance into the market-
place, which has an arcade on each side for stalls,
and an open area in the centre; at the extremity are
two small prisons, one for malefactors, the other for
debtors. The elective .franchise was conferred by
James I., since which time Bewdley has returned one
member to parliament: the right of election is vested
exclusively in the bailiff and burgesses, thirteen in number;
the bailiff is the returning officer.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry
of Salop, and diocese of Hereford, endowed with-£8
per annum, the revenue of a dissolved chantry which
formerly existed here, and in the patronage of the
Rector of Ribbesford. The chapel, a neat stone edifice
at the upper end of the street leading from the bridge,
was erected in 1748, by means of a subscription among
the inhabitants, aided by a brief, and the Rev. Thomas
Knight, rector of Ribbesford, principally contributed to
the erection of the tower. There are places of worship
for Baptists, the Society of Friends, Wesleyan Methodists,
and Unitarians. The free grammar school,
founded and endowed in 1591, by William Monnox, or
Mormoye, and further endowed in 1599, by Humphrey
Hill, was made a royal foundation by charter of James I.;
the endowment, augmented by subsequent benefactions,
produces a salary of £26 per annum to the master,
who has also a house rent-free. A collection of books,
the gift of the Rev. Thomas Wigan, is deposited in
the school, under the care of the master, and the rector
of Ribbesford, for the use of the clergy and laity
in the neighbourhood. The Blue-coat school, for thirty
boys and thirty girls, is supported by subscription.
Almshouses for six aged men, founded by Mr. Sayer,
of Nettlestead, in the county of Suffolk, and endowed
with £30 per annum, were rebuilt in 1763, by Sir Edward
Wilmington, Bart., member for the borough.
Burlton's almshouses, for fourteen aged women, -were
founded and endowed in 1645; and eight other aimshouses
were erected and moderately endowed in 1693,
by Mr. Thomas Cook. John Tombes, a celebrated biblical
critic of the seventeenth century; and Richard-
Willis, Bishop of Winchester, and principal founder of
the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, were
natives of this town.