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The needlemakers of Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire decided
that their trade could be improved and made more profitable by moving it to the Needleland
of the Redditch, Studley and Alcester district, where new technology had made needlemaking
a profitable undertaking In 1844, in the midst of winter, several families put all their
belongings into a caravan of covered wagons and set out for Astwood Bank. Three days later
they arrived, in reasonable shape, in spite of wintry conditions. Getting the vehicles up
the hills they met en route must have been a strenuous business Prior to 1844, various
individuals from Long Crendon had come into our area and it is probable that Astwood Bank
was a pre-arranged place between the travellers and those already established.
The migration contained a number of Shrimptons, who settled widely in the area and their
descendants may still be' found in Alcester. Studley and the Ridgeway.
Additional Information
Small Print - the
connection to Long Crendon - 'Local Past' -Spring 1997