370 CITY OP WORCESTER.

Revs. K. Sargent and T. Rowson. There are also Primitive Methodist Chapels in South Street and Boughton Fields, and the United Methodists' Free Chapel in Park Street. Lady Huntingdon's followers first appeared in Worcester in 1767, meeting at the house of T. Biddulph, a Church clergyman, at Henwick, and afterwards in a feather warehouse in the town ditch (now called Sansome Street), where Rowland Hill preached on several occasions. A chapel on the present site was built in 1771, and the present one in 1804, which was enlarged in 1815, and opened by Rowland Hill. Minister, Rev. T. Dodd. In 1836 a part of the congregation seceded, and took a chapel in Lowesmoor, which had belonged to a branch of the Wesleyans, - The Plymouth Brethren have a room in St. Nicholas Street. - The Presbyterians erected a chapel in Salt Lane in 1866; cost nearly £5,000. Minister, Rev. R. R. Thorn.

According to Leland, "draperinge " formed the great wealth of Worcester three or four centuries ago. This meant the clothing trade, which was carried on here to a larger extent than in any town in England, till the manufacturers - in too great haste to become rich - stretched their cloths and lost their character and trade. The only relic of the trade now remaining is the Clothiers' Company, which exists mainly in consequence of the charitable funds left at its disposal. Gloves were made at Worcester at as early a period as the records go; and at a time when each trade had usually a street assigned specially to it the present New Street was called Glovers' Street. Until about the last half-century, an immense number of persons were employed in the trade in the city and country districts - some 30,000 in 1825 - but free trade, and the introduction of other fabrics, destroyed three-fourths of it. Still, there are thousands of persons employed, including the female sewers in the rural districts. Messrs. Dent, Allcroft, and Co., are the principal manufacturers. Carpets were manufactured in Worcester in the last century. The china trade dates from 1751, Dr. Wall having made