Bedworth Timeline

 According to the Domesday Book, the Earl of Mellent, a brother of the Earl of Warwick, held the the Manor of Bedworth. This holding was made up of 60 people, living with no priest or mill, on 720 arable acres for which they had two ploughs. Before the Norman Conquest of 1066 the land was owned by Edwyn, Earl of Mercia.

Few inhabitants of the town escaped the Black Death.

 Bedworth coal mines were the subject of a report to the Government by Richard Hussey, Stephen Verney and Michael Purfrey.

The Act of Uniformity was passed by Charles II, requiring England to accept the book of Common Prayer.

The Old Meeting Church was established, with Julius Saunders as its first minister. His original manuscript diary is still preserved, together with a chained set of Bible commentaries 

Nicholas Chamberlaine died in July. His will specified his vision for the formation of the School Foundation (church schools) and Hospital and Sermon charities (Almshouses) which were to be named after him.

Almshouses and schools were built in the grounds of Bedworth Hall.

Steam engines were first used in a local mine, and experiments in mine ventilation began using a ‘Blow George’ ventilation fan.

John Wesley preached at Bedworth brickyard on 13th July.

The population rose to 3,519.

One Parish Meeting considered the Canal Company’s refusal to pay the levied rate, while another changed the official Wake from November to the first Sunday in September. The church was repaired and considerably enlarged.

In the year of the great Reform Bill a local Board of Health was established.

The Church Schools were built; the Headmaster’s House in the town centre later became part of the schools when a replacement was built.

Bedworth welcomed its new street gas-lighting, though Collycroft remained without gas till 1908.

The distress of thirty years earlier was repeated for the weavers, on whom £30 a week was spent from public subscriptions.

In September the shaft at Exhall Colliery was sunk.

The population had dropped by 498 in less than ten years to 5,138. 
Bedworth Hall demolished.

A report on water supplies to the town’s 5377 people showed that only half of the 1,150 houses were adequately supplied.

Messrs. Wootton and Forge brought the new hat-making industry to Leicester Street in Bedworth.

The population, now rising, reached 5,485.

The mine-shaft at the new Newdigate Colliery was sunk in December.

Bedworth Water Works and Tower came into use.

Mr. William ‘Billy’ Johnson began his unbroken twelve years’ representation of the Nuneaton Division in parliament.

The First World War began, in which 1,129 Bedworth men served. 207 of these lost their lives.

The Miners Welfare Park was opened, and the Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis was consecrated.

Bedworth Urban District was established on 1st October and the first Council elected on 13th October.

From 1st April the Bedworth boundary embraced Exhall, Northern Foleshill, East Astley and part of Walsgrave-on-Sowe.

The Second World War.

The population reached 24,866.

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned and Bedworth celebrated its Silver Jubilee as an Urban District.

Bedworth Civic Hall opens.

Bill Lenton leads a successful fight to include Bedworth in the council title, becoming Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

Bedworth’s population is now approximately 32,500.

Bedworth’s population is now approximately 40,000.