The historic town of Colchester has a long history stretching back over
2,000 years to when it was the capital of Roman Britain, and before that
a prominent centre during the Iron Age. Throughout the centuries the
inhabitants of the town have engaged in all manner of occupational
activities, bringing much prosperity to the area. During the Middle Ages
the town grew rapidly as a centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth,
and following the arrival of a large number of cloth workers from the
Low Countries in the sixteenth century went on to achieve international
fame as a centre for high-quality workmanship. In later years, the
Industrial Revolution brought several new industries to the town,
including Paxman's engineering works, which came to be one of the
leading suppliers of diesel engines both in this country and abroad.
Other industries to have boomed at this time include the boot and shoe
industry and also the rag trade where the town flourished as a centre
for the production of men's ready-to-wear clothing. The author has also
included a chapter highlighting the working lives of a number of
Colchester residents who were employed in the town during the early to
middle decades of the twentieth century. Today Colchester is one of the
fastest-growing communities in the country, benefitting from its
university, new residential developments and its close proximity to
Stansted Airport, Felixstowe and Harwich seaports and good connections
to London. Colchester at Work explores the working life of this Essex
town, and will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of
this part of the country.
