Worcester

Worcester, city, England

Worcester (ws`tər), city (1991 pop. 75,466) and district, Worcestershire, W central England, on the Severn River. The making of porcelain, gloves, and sauces are long-established industries; metal goods and machines are also manufactured. The site became a bishopric c.680. Worcester's cathedral is chiefly 14th cent., with a Norman crypt and tombs; in it are held, alternately with Hereford and Gloucester, the Festivals of the Three Choirs. Several old parish churches and timbered houses remain. The Commandery, restored in 1954, was a hospital in the 11th cent. In the English civil war, Worcester was the scene of Oliver Cromwell's final victory with the complete rout of Charles II and the Scots in 1651. Two old public educational institutions are Royal Grammar School (13th cent.) and King's School (1541). The Worcester Journal, Britain's oldest surviving newspaper, was founded (1690) in the city.

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Worcester, town, South Africa

Worcester, town (1991 pop. 117,159), Western Cape, SW South Africa. It produces wine and liquor and processes the fruits and vegetables of the surrounding farm region. There are also textile and metal industries. Worcester's large thermoelectric station powers the electrified railroad that runs through the nearby Hex River Mts. The town was founded in 1820 and was named for the Marquess of Worcester, governor of Cape of Good Hope Colony. A technical college and the Drostdy (1825), which is a national monument and the home of the Afrikaner Museum, are in Worcester.

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Worcester, city, United States

Worcester, industrial city (1990 pop. 169,759), seat of Worcester co., central Mass., on the Blackstone River; inc. 1722. The canalization (1828) of the Blackstone River marked the beginning of Worcester's rapid industrial development. A port of entry, its manufactures include machinery, metal goods, chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, glass, electrical equipment, textiles, clothing, and shoes. There is also a printing and publishing industry, and state hospitals add to the city's economy. Settled in 1673, Worcester suffered Native American attacks in 1675 and 1683. In Shays's Rebellion the courthouse was besieged (1786) by insurgents. The first woman's suffrage national convention was held (1850) in Worcester. Edward Everett Hale was pastor there from 1842 to 1856. Worcester is the seat of Clark Univ., the College of the Holy Cross, the Univ. of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State College. It has a number of notable museums, two zoos, and an annual music festival (dating from 1858). Also of interest is a huge three-level shopping center with a Plexiglas dome. Lake Quinsigamond and two state parks are in the vicinity.

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Worcester

City (pop., 2000: 172,648), central Massachusetts, U.S. On the Blackstone River, the original settlement (1673) of Worcester was disbanded during King Philip's War (1675–76) and a later settlement was established in 1713. Textile manufacturing began in 1789; the first corduroy cloth in the U.S. was produced there. Industrial development occurred after the opening (1828) of the Blackstone Canal. An early abolitionist centre, Worcester became an important stop on the Underground Railroad. It is a commercial and industrial centre and the state's second largest city. Among its institutions of higher education are College of the Holy Cross and Clark University (1887).

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Worcester

City and administrative district (pop., 2001: 93,358), administrative and historic county of Worcestershire, west-central England. Located on the River Severn, it was settled before AD 680. During the Middle Ages it was an important wool town and also became known for its glove making. Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentarian army routed Charles II and his Scottish army in the Battle of Worcester, effecting an end to the English Civil Wars. In 1751 John Wall founded the porcelain industry for which the town became famous, and in 1838 the condiment known as Worcestershire sauce was introduced there by Lea & Perrins. The town's noted cathedral (11th–14th century) contains the tombs of King John and Prince Arthur, the eldest son of Henry VII. Cathedral Grammar School and Royal Grammar School were founded in the 16th century.

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Worcester

1. a cathedral city in W central England, the administrative centre of Worcestershire on the River Severn: scene of the battle (1651) in which Charles II was defeated by Cromwell. Pop.: 94 029 (2001)

2. an industrial city in the US, in central Massachusetts: Clark University (1887). Pop.: 175 706 (2003 est.)

3. a town in S South Africa; centre of a fruit-growing region. Pop.: 66 349 (2001)