NEW entries are being made all the time to Worcester’s History and Heritage Calendar of happenings in and around the city from the tenth century up to the present day and on the first Saturday of each month throughout 2023 we are going to give a taster of what was going on.

Launched last January, the plan is to create a calendar with an important local historical event next to every day of the year.

This is a look back at January over the centuries through the eyes of the Calendar researchers, which this month include Dr David Morrison, Liz Smith,  Brian Humphries, Mike Donovan, Robin Whittaker and David Hallmark. So here we go.

In January 1825 George III awarded Flights Worcester Porcelain factory its first Royal Warrant. This allowed the company the use of the Royal Crest and the logo “Manufacturers to their Majesties.”

Each new monarch granted new warrants. On January 29 1958 Charles William Dyson, owner of both Royal Worcester Porcelain and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce factory, died.

On January 7, 1824 the great bare knuckle boxing contest between Tom Spring and Jack Langan for the Championship of All England took place on Pitchcroft for a £300 prize. It was fought from 1.40pm for two hours and over 77 rounds until Spring knocked out Langan.

On January 16, 1540 there was the closure of Worcester Benedictine Monastery. It was surrendered under the directives of Thomas Cromwell. But on January 15, 1542 Worcester Cathedral was ‘refounded’ and Henry VIII gifted lands back to the Cathedral

On January 15, 1836 Worcester City Police was formed. It continued as an independent force until 1967 when it merged with Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire constabularies to create West Mercia Police.

On January 13, 1980 one of Worcester’s most colourful crimes took place when an armed gang from Liverpool broke into the city’s postal sorting office. After a pitched battle worthy of The Sweeney TV series they were detained by waiting police and at  Birmingham Crown Court five men, all hardened criminals, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with one of them admitting: “Well, I can hardly say I was going to post a letter, can I?”

January 15, 1959 Worcester City Football Club beat Liverpool, knocking them out of the FA Cup. The defeat cost Liverpool manager Phil Taylor his job and he was succeeded by the legendary Bill Shankly.

In January 1795 the Romantic Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge spent three days in Worcester. He was in the Midlands to seek subscribers for a radical newspaper he was publishing. But was advised he would find few subscribers in Worcester because  “the influence of the Clergy being so extensive”.

On January 30, 1606 Robert Wintour of Huddington Court, Worcestershire, one of the Gunpower Plot group, was hanged in St Paul’s churchyard, London.. Wintour was one of several county families involved in the treason plot to kill the King and blow up Parliament. Others came from Hagley, Harvington, Hewell, Hindlip and Holbeche, near Dudley.

If anyone can suggest an event for the calendar email info@worcestercivicsociety.com where copies of the latest version in booklet form costing £4.50 can also be obtained.