I
City (pop., 2000: 172,648), central Massachusetts, U.S. On the Blackstone River , the original settlement (1673) of Worcester was disbanded during King Philip's War (1675–76) and a later settlement was established in 1713.
Textile manufacturing began in 1789; the first corduroy cloth in the U.S. was produced there. Industrial development occurred after the opening (1828) of the Blackstone Canal. An early abolitionist centre, Worcester became an important stop on the Underground Railroad . It is a commercial and industrial centre and the state's second largest city. Among its institutions of higher education are College of the Holy Cross and Clark University (1887).
II
City and administrative district (pop., 2001: 93,358), administrative and historic county of Worcestershire, west-central England.
Located on the River Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentarian army routed {{link=Charles">Charles II and his Scottish army in the Battle of Worcester, effecting an end to the English Civil Wars . In 1751 John Wall founded the porcelain industry for which the town became famous, and in 1838 the condiment known as Worcestershire sauce was introduced there by Lea & Perrins. The town's noted cathedral (11th–14th century) contains the tombs of King John and Prince Arthur, the eldest son of Henry VII . Cathedral Grammar School and Royal Grammar School were founded in the 16th century.