Worcestershire was a mainly rural county in the 18th century, and most workers were employed in agriculture. There was significant migration away from farming communities to the Black Country and Birmingham, while pockets of industry also thrived in Worcester (pottery), Kidderminster (carpetweaving), Redditch (needlemaking) and Bromsgrove (nail manufacture). Other centres of population include Bewdley, Droitwich, Pershore and Stourport-on-Severn, while Yardley and King's Norton, now suburbs of Birmingham, were formerly in Worcestershire.
Out of all the resources we road-tested during the compilation of this article, a great starting point is a free 70-page guide to