Gloucester History
The History of Gloucester
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. We have attempted to split the history of Gloucester into manageable sections, so click on each section shown on this page
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 |
AD 1990 | Winner of England for excellence award: Tourism destination of the year. |