THE WORLD has a lot to thank our county for.
Worcestershire has also put its own individual stamp on society, giving the world numerous inventions and products that we wouldn’t have been able to live without- many of these things are still used today.
Here are just seven things that were invented and created in Worcestershire- how many did you know about?
1. Worcestershire Sauce
This list would be incomplete without the addition of this famous condiment.
In the present day, families sprinkle Worcestershire sauce over their meals and in stews- but it had humble beginnings in our county.
It was first produced in Worcester by two chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Perrins.
It went on sale to the public in 1837- but legend has it that the original recipe was not their own.
Its mysterious origin story starts in 1835 when a “nobleman of the county” reportedly visited their Broad Street shop and commissioned them to replicate a recipe he had thoroughly enjoyed on his travels – a sauce infused with strong spices, onions and fish.
The chemists followed out his instructions and delivered the order, retaining a small quantity for themselves, but the sauce tasted quite unpleasant and so it was placed in storage and forgotten about.
Time passed and when the batch was tested again, they discovered it had fermented and was now delicious.
2. Worcester porcelain
Royal Worcester was the oldest porcelain manufacturer in Britain and touched the lives of thousands of people in Worcester, from its formation in 1751 to its closure in 2008.
The Worcester porcelain factory was founded by the Worcestershire physician physician, Dr John Wall.
The aim was to create a perfect porcelain formula that would be better the porcelain of the Far East.
The company exported to every corner of the world and had porcelain orders commissioned by monarchs and statesmen- including King George III who ordered a breakfast service in Blue Lilly Design.
3. Asparagus
Asparagus has been grown for thousands of years, with evidence of cultivation from the Egyptians and Romans.
While it wasn’t ‘invented’ in Worcestershire, its growth is intrinsically linked to the county- especially the Vale of Evesham.
Here, it has protected status and it’s said that the best asparagus comes from here.
Some say it’s Evesham’s soil while others are adamant that the skilled growers just have what it takes to lovingly grow the asparagus spears.
4. Queen Elizabeth II coronation gloves
(Facebook/@Dents.co.uk )
Dents is thought to be one of Britain’s oldest existing fashion manufacturers and it dates back as far as 1777.
John Dent set up the business from a small house in Wood Street, Worcester- it wasn’t long before his name became synonymous with luxury gloves.
Monarchs and movie stars have ordered these gloves over the years- including Queen Elizabeth II who commissioned them to make her coronation gloves.
5. The world’s first stamp
The Penny Black was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp and it was issued in the United Kingdom between 1840 and 1841.
Sir Rowland Hill, from Kidderminster, reformed the postal system and is responsible for the introduction of the Penny Black into society.
Hill’s proposals for postal reform began to formulate between 1835 and 1837.
He was tired of the pricey and inefficient postage system- so proposed the idea of one prepaid postage rate for all letters regardless of distance.
From here, the idea of an adhesive postage stamp was put forward.
6. The gates of Buckingham Palace
Have you ever visited London and admired the intricate gates of Buckingham Palace?
You might not realise that they were actually made by the Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts in the early 1900s.
This guild was a company of modern artists and designers associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement, founded by Walter Gilbert.
In 2014, the members of the guild, which was y bought out by American company Globex Corporation, were sorting through old files and receipts at the end of 2014 and discovered that one of its most famous works had not been paid for in full!
Liverpool’s Liver bird and The statue of Hygieia at Chequers were also made by the guild.
7. Morgan sports cars
The Malvern-based Morgan Motor Company was established in 1909 by H.F.S Morgan with the design of the iconic Morgan Three Wheeler.
At the time, it was one of the most successful lightweight cars around in those early days of motoring.
Shortly after this in 1936, the Morgan 4-4 was created and based on the Morgan steel chassis.
This chassis was produced until 2020, making it the longest running production car architecture in the world.
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