Reading a such a story really makes one wonder if the age of achieving anything close to that is long gone and never to return. The Elon Musks of our age don’t even come close - at least on romanticism.
Well, I go to the foot of our stairs. Merthyr is my hometown and yet I’ve never heard of John Hughes. Thank you for this, Guy! Just to add that the Cyfarthfa ironworks in Merthyr were at one point the biggest in the world and the town was responsible for 40% of iron exports from Britain. It’s a source of immense sadness that the town’s industrial heritage has not been preserved - it has a fascinating history.
The extent to which many nations' industrialistion was masterminded by British expatriates may come as a surprise to many readers -- John Cockerill in Belgium, for example.
Belgium also provides the example of Lieven Bauwens, a notable exception. He wasn't British; he wasn't Belgian either, as the Kingdom of Belgium didn't exist in his lifetime -- he was born a Flemish Catholic in Ghent, then part of the Austrian Netherlands. He set up the textile industry -- ie, factories rather than craft weaving -- in Ghent around 1800, obtaining technology by what would nowadays be called industrial espionage; the British Governments of the era were well aware of the value of the technology and were keen to prevent it leaving the UK.
I have speculated elsewhere that being Catholic was his misfortune. Had he pitched up in Manchester looking for technology and skilled artisans, and been a member of a less prominent Noncormformist church such as the Baptists or the Methodists, his brethren might have been far more forthcoming than the people he dealt with in reality.
A relative of mine by marriage is a professional historian, and in the early 80s was looking into how the textile industry in New England developed from that in the UK. A Baptist himself, he compiled several lists, of prominent Noncomformists in the UK, and in New England, and of prominent industrialists on both sidea of the Atlantic. Apparently certain names cropped up frequently.
Well, I like to learn something new every day (if possible). This fits the bill. What a great story. He must have had an iron will (Is that a pun? Never can tell.) to achieve this. And what a smart move by his sons. Thanks for the great article, Walt.👍
Truly inspiring but autocratic to the core.
Yeah really interesting I enjoyed that
Reading a such a story really makes one wonder if the age of achieving anything close to that is long gone and never to return. The Elon Musks of our age don’t even come close - at least on romanticism.
Brilliant - fascinating story. I never knew Yuzovska = Hughsovska.
Well, I go to the foot of our stairs. Merthyr is my hometown and yet I’ve never heard of John Hughes. Thank you for this, Guy! Just to add that the Cyfarthfa ironworks in Merthyr were at one point the biggest in the world and the town was responsible for 40% of iron exports from Britain. It’s a source of immense sadness that the town’s industrial heritage has not been preserved - it has a fascinating history.
A very interesting article, thanks so much.
Thank you Beverley – I'm glad you enjoyed it!
"leaving an estate worth £90,550 – worth some £50 million today"
for comparison, William Armstrong at that time was supposedly earning £80,000 a year
The extent to which many nations' industrialistion was masterminded by British expatriates may come as a surprise to many readers -- John Cockerill in Belgium, for example.
Belgium also provides the example of Lieven Bauwens, a notable exception. He wasn't British; he wasn't Belgian either, as the Kingdom of Belgium didn't exist in his lifetime -- he was born a Flemish Catholic in Ghent, then part of the Austrian Netherlands. He set up the textile industry -- ie, factories rather than craft weaving -- in Ghent around 1800, obtaining technology by what would nowadays be called industrial espionage; the British Governments of the era were well aware of the value of the technology and were keen to prevent it leaving the UK.
I have speculated elsewhere that being Catholic was his misfortune. Had he pitched up in Manchester looking for technology and skilled artisans, and been a member of a less prominent Noncormformist church such as the Baptists or the Methodists, his brethren might have been far more forthcoming than the people he dealt with in reality.
A relative of mine by marriage is a professional historian, and in the early 80s was looking into how the textile industry in New England developed from that in the UK. A Baptist himself, he compiled several lists, of prominent Noncomformists in the UK, and in New England, and of prominent industrialists on both sidea of the Atlantic. Apparently certain names cropped up frequently.
Thanks for this Patrick! I find all such stories fascinating!
Well, I like to learn something new every day (if possible). This fits the bill. What a great story. He must have had an iron will (Is that a pun? Never can tell.) to achieve this. And what a smart move by his sons. Thanks for the great article, Walt.👍