Droitwich Spa

Coordinates: 52°16′01″N 2°09′11″W / 52.267°N 2.153°W / 52.267; -2.153

Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich) is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe.

The town was called Salinae in Roman times, then later called Wyche, derived from the Anglo Saxon Hwicce kingdom, referred to as "Saltwich" according to Anglo Saxon charters, with the Droit (meaning "right") added when the town was given its charter on 1 August 1215 by King John. The "Spa" was added in the 19th century when John Corbett developed the town's spa facilities. The River Salwarpe running through Droitwich is likely derived from Sal meaning "salt" and weorp which means "to throw up" i.e. "the river which throws up salt" which overflows from the salt brines.

Droitwich is within the Wychavon area - the only Midlands area to be in the Halifax 'Quality of Life Survey' of 2011. It was 6th overall.

On 4 November 2013 Droitwich Spa Town Council made Max Sinclair an honorary Freeman of the town in recognition of the major role he played in the restoration of Droitwich Canals.

Droitwich (UK Parliament constituency)

Droitwich was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of England in 1295, and again from 1554, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough in Worcestershire, represented by two Members of Parliament until 1832, and by one member from 1832 to 1885. The name was then transferred to a county constituency electing one MP from 1885 until 1918.

History

The borough consisted of three parishes and parts of two others in the town of Droitwich, a market town which for many centuries depended on the salt trade for its prosperity. When Droitwich's right to return MPs (which had been allowed to lapse) was restored in 1554, there was only one salt pit in the borough, and this became the basis of Droitwich's unique franchise: the right to vote was vested solely in those burgesses (members of the corporation) who owned shares in the pit giving them the right to draw brine. This was finally established by a resolution of the House of Commons in 1690; yet within a few years of this date that salt pit had dried up completely; by 1747 it was accepted that ownership of this property had no function except conferring the vote, and had to be proved by possession of the title deeds since there could be no evidence of an otherwise meaningless right which could not be exercised in practice.