| Colchester.uk.com | The History of Colchester 1851-1900 |
| Year | Events |
| 1851 | |
| 1852 | 13th century St. Mary Magdalen's church demolished and replaced
Duncan's Gate discovered |
| 1853 | Colchester Vase found at West Lodge Road |
| 1854 | St. Michael's church, Mile End, built by C. Hakewill |
| 1855 | Infantry barracks established in Military Road |
| 1856 | April: Prince Albert inspects troops |
| 1857 | Infantry barracks established in Military Road |
| 1858 | Middle Row demolished |
| 1859 | |
| 1860 | September 27: Local museum opens in the castle crypt
Cattle market moved from High Street to Middleborough (1859, 1862) |
| 1861 | Co-operative Society founded
Charles Dickens gives a reading |
| 1862 | |
| 1863 | July 30: New Lion Walk church opened |
| 1864 | |
| 1865 | Standard Ironworks established off Hythe Hill |
| 1866 | The Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea Railway opens |
| 1867 | |
| 1868 | August: Tombstone of Marcus Favonius found in Beverley Road December 28: Violent gale damages Lion Walk church spire |
| 1869 | |
| 1870 | 18th century St. Mary at the Walls church demolished |
| 1871 | Quaker Meeting House in Quakers Alley burns down |
| 1872 | New St. Mary at the Walls church consecrated
Colchester has the third largest fishing fleet between Lincolnshire and the Thames with 382 sailing vessels |
| 1873 | |
| 1874 | Head Street Post Office built |
| 1875 | |
| 1876 | |
| 1877 | New Hythe Bridge opened |
| 1878 | St. Runwald's church demolished and St. Nicholas' church restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott |
| 1879 | |
| 1880 | Publication of "Mehalah: A Story of the Salt Marshes" by Baring-Gould |
| 1881 | |
| 1882 | Water tower built, nicknamed "Jumbo". At 32m high it is the second largest in the country (1881) |
| 1883 | |
| 1884 | April 22: England's most destructive earthquake occurs at 9.19am, centred on Peldon and felt within a 150 mile radius
Hythe sewage works opened |
| 1885 | |
| 1886 | |
| 1887 | |
| 1888 | |
| 1889 | |
| 1890 | |
| 1891 | |
| 1892 | First trade union strikes in Colchester
October 30: Castle Park opened |
| 1893 | |
| 1894 | October 25: Public Library opens in West Stockwell Street with a stock of 3,324 lending and 1,310 reference books |
| 1895 | |
| 1896 | Technical and University Extension College opened |
| 1897 | |
| 1898 | 1843 Town Hall demolished; foundation stone of new Town Hall laid by the Duke of Cambridge
December 1: Corporation electricity supply switched on |
| 1899 | |
| 1900 | |
| The History of Colchester : 1751-1800 : 1801-1850 :: 1901-1950 : 1951-2000 | |