Braintree (Essex)
51.8780555555560.55361111111111Koordinaten: 51 ° 53 'N, 0 ° 33 ' E
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 inhabitants in Essex, England. It is the capital of the district of Braintree.
History
The origin of the name of Braintree is controversial; some historians are of the opinion that the city was named after the river Brain, others think that it was just the opposite.
The history of Braintree began about 4000 years ago with the first settlements near the River Brain in an area that is now called Skitt Hill. In addition, settlements developed where cross today the highway A120 and the north-south route from London to the East Coast.
It was the thoroughfare, the Braintree and Bocking their adjacent neighboring area could grow into a small town. Pilgrims on their way to Walsingham and Bury St Edmunds crossed the region and settled on their journey to the thriving taverns of the village. 1199 leaving the Bishop of London a charter establishing a marketplace in the city center. The city now had the right to hold a weekly market, which attracted traders from all over the region and Braintree rose to economically important community of interest.
Flemish Protestant immigrants brought in the 16th century the art of wool processing in the city. The once popular guest houses were converted into lucrative spinning mills. The local wool production made the city known nationwide and brought her wealth.
As in the 17th century religious intolerance and financial hardship increasingly shaped the everyday image, many people in Essex and also a group of Braintree decided to move to the New World. 1632 they sailed on the "Lyon" to America and founded two new towns named Braintree, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut.
Just a few years later the population of Braintree suffered from the great plague of 1665, which reduced the population by 865 to 2300 people. Yet Braintree could economically stabilize and grew steadily until the 19th century due to the success of the wool industry.
In the 19th century the wool industry was replaced by the silk industry. George Courtauld founded in 1908, the first silk factory, with which began the era of industrialization in the city. 1880 worked - with a total population of 8500 inhabitants - 1300 for the most part female wage workers in the textile factory.
With a flourishing agriculture, the construction of a Corn Exchange in 1839 and the construction of a rail link in 1848 Braintree grew into an economically attractive area. Attracted by the economic boom was built in 1895 Warner & Son, a smaller company, which specialized in handmade woolen manufactures. His clients were next to wealthy commoners also the royal family of England. Even today, memories of this time can be inspected in the Warner Textile Museum.
Early 20th century began the metal industry to spread locally. The company Critalls, specializing in the fabrication of metallgerahmten windows, developed into one of the largest of its kind As another example of success Braintree is the foundry Lake & Elliot to name (1896 ), which grew from a bicycle accessory sales to a wealthy large foundry.
The metal industry dominated until the 20th century the economy in Braintree. The city supplied during the Second World War the British Army with ammunition. With the conclusion of World War II, the era of metal industry declined in Braintree to its end.
Even today, the city benefits from the prosperous times of the textile industry. Many buildings that have been built by the Courtauld family, adorn the old city. These include the Town Hall, the old school that is now a museum, the hospital and the city garden, the Sydney Courtauld was built in 1888.
Geography
Braintree is located approximately 60 miles from London in North Essex. It is 46 m above sea level. Two rivers flow through Braintree: " Pods Brook " rises in the west of the city and forms a natural boundary between Braintree and the neighboring village of Rayne; in Braintree, he is then to the river " Brain". The river " Pant" (or Blackwater ) runs through the north of Bocking ( Essex ) and exits to the east of the city. The River Brain eventually flows near Witham in the Blackwater.
Transport
Braintree has two railway stations ( Braintree Town and Freeport ) with an hourly train service to / from London and Colchester. After North Essex lead only bus lines. The railway line Colne Valley in 1963 set and degraded; Today there is only a short heritage railway line with steam locomotive operation.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Liam Howlett: Founder of the band The Prodigy