Industrial Change in Wolverhampton and District Timeline of events 1400 - 1980
	14th - 15th centuries	Evidence of coal dug at Bilston, Bradley and Wednesfield Click here to find out more
	Pre 16th century	"Bloomery" process used to make iron Click here to find out more
	16th century	A process that used a blast furnace and a forge was introduced to make iron Click here to find out more
	17th century	Dud Dudley claims to have produced iron using coal Click here to find out more
	17th-18th centuries	Rapid expansion of South Staffordshire Coal Field Click here to find out more
	1709	Abraham Darby successfully produces iron with coke Click here to find out more
	1748	John Wilkinson moves to Bradley Click here to find out more
	1758	John Wilkinson builds his first blast furnaces at Bradley Click here to find out more
	1770	Birmingham to Wolverhampton Canal opens
	1777	John Wilkinson introduces steam power at Bradley Click here to find out more
	1780	The first blast furnaces built in Bilston Click here to find out more
	1786	John Wilkinson's works at Bradley cover some 88 acres Click here to find out more
	1808	John Wilkinson dies
	1819	A crank driven quadricycle built Click here to find out more
	1839	The first application of the crank to a bicycle Click here to find out more
	1855-1860	Henry Clarke and Mr Panter build a Tandem Tricycle Click here to find out more
	1858	T Johnson claims to have built first bicycle in Wolverhampton Click here to find out more
	1860 - 1928	Numerous coal mines close in the Wolverhampton area Click here to find out more
	1860	Pedals and a crank are fitted to the front axle of a Hobby Horse Click here to find out more
	1866	Hickman family acquire Springvale Furnaces Ltd Click here to find out more
	1866 - 1883	Six new blast furnaces are built at Springvale Click here to find out more
	1867	The first velocipedes are shown at the Paris Exhibition Click here to find out more
	1867 - 1868	Henry Clarke exporting wooden wheels for bicycles to France Click here to find out more
	1869	Forder & Traves advertise velocipedes for sale in Wolverhampton Click here to find out more
	1869	Fatal Velocipede accident in Wolverhampton Click here to find out more
	1870	Parkfield Colliery opens Click here to find out more
	1877	William Lewis builds Mann & Motive Carriage Click here to find out more
	1880	Five Bilston blast furnaces produce 24,944 tons of iron Click here to find out more
	1882	The Staffordshire Steel Ingot & Iron Company Ltd founded Click here to find out more
	1885	JK Starley of Coventry designs safety bicycle Click here to find out more
	1887	Henry Clarke advertises his Cogent Safety Bicycle Click here to find out more
	1887	The first open-hearth furnace built in Bilston Click here to find out more
	1887	John Marston begins production of the Sunbeam safety bicycle Click here to find out more
	1896	The first bore holes are drilled at Baggeridge Wood Click here to find out more
	1897	Springvale Furnaces and the Staffordshire Steel & Ingot Iron Co amalgamate and become Alfred Hickman Ltd Click here to find out more
	1899	First shaft built at Baggeridge Colliery Click here to find out more
	1900	Parkfield Colliery closes
	1900-1914	Decline in the number of cycle makers in Wolverhampton Click here to find out more
	1902	Wolverhampton Industrial Exhibition
	1902	A seam of coal discovered at Baggeridge Colliery Click here to find out more
	1907	A cogging mill and a bar mill are built at Bilston Click here to find out more
	1911	First fatal accident at Baggeridge Colliery Click here to find out more
	1911	A 40 ton open-hearth furnace is built at Bilston Click here to find out more
	1912	William Hayward advertises his New Tower Cycles Click here to find out more
	1912	George Dugmore opens his Cycle Shop Click here to find out more
	1914-1918	Extra furnaces built at Bilston Click here to find out more
	1914-1918	Sunbeam make military bicycle Click here to find out more
	1914	The Viking Cycle Co founded
	1920	Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd acquire the Bilston Works
	1920	A continuous strip mill is installed at Bilston Click here to find out more
	1921-22	Four Wolverhampton cycle makers listed in Directory
	1927	Wearwell, the successors of Cogent Cycles, sold Click here to find out more
	1928	The Viking Cycle Co move to Broad Street Click here to find out more
	1930	Wearwell move premises to Colliery Road Click here to find out more
	1932	Wearwell suffers a serious fire Click here to find out more
	1937	Sunbeam bicycles business sold Click here to find out more
	1939	The Viking Cycle Co make 800 cycles a year
	1948	The Viking Cycle Co makes 2,000 cycles a year
	1950	The Viking Cycle Co moves to Russell Street
	1950	Bilston Steel Works steel production 224,477 Tons Click here to find out more
	1950s	75% of the Wearwell Cycles production is exported to over 30 different countries
	1950s	£16million development scheme for Bilston Steel Works Click here to find out more
	1954	New blast furnace "Elisabeth" lit at Bilston Steel Works Click here to find out more
	1955	Bilston Steel Works steel production 282,907 tons
	Mid 1950s	Second stage of the redevelopment at Bilston Steel Works
	Late 1950s	Third stage of the redevelopment at Bilston Steel Works
	1959	Clogging mill and Rolling mills at Bilston cease operation
	1961	Bilston Steel Works steel production 449,709 Tons
	1963	The Viking Cycle Co make 20,000 cycles a year
	1967	The Viking Cycle Co ceases production Click here to find out more
	1968	Baggeridge Colliery closes
	1972	Wearwell moves production to Alveley
	1979	The last steel billet is cast at Bilston Click here to find out more
	1980	The blast furnace "Elisabeth" is demolished
	1980's	Percy Stallard and Jack Hateley making bicycles in Wolverhampton Click here to find out more