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1850 - Bolckow and Vaughan had recognised early the growing demand for iron that the coming of the railways would bring and the potential of the growing town of Middlesbrough, which, between 1830 and 1838, had been transformed from a hamlet of some 40 persons into a boom area. [Population was 7631 in 1851 and would grow to 58,120 by 1901.] |
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German born Bolckow provided the financial means and aptitude, while Vaughan had the practical knowledge and management expertise.
In 1841 they had opened a puddling furnace and bar mill in Vulcan
Street, manufacturing rails for the Stockton and Darlington Railway Co
and in
1843 diversified into marine engineering. At first they used cheap Scotch pig iron and when, in 1842, 'railway mania' caused a sudden growth in the iron industry they decided to make their own pig iron. They built works at Witton Park, 20 miles west of Middlesbrough and iron ore which outcropped on the coast was shipped from Whitby to Middlesbrough. and thence to the new works for processing. It then had to be returned to Middlesbrough for finishing. A depression in the industry in 1847 brought home the wastefulness of this procedure and initiated a search for local iron ore. This is the old story. But, in any event Cleveland iron had to be brought to Durham coal or vice versa. |
| 8th June 1850 - John Vaughan and his mining engineer,
John Marley of Darlington, discovered a
16 feet thick seam of ore at Upleatham Hill,part of the Eston
Hills.
The discovery was not pure luck as has sometimes been recorded. John Vaughan had noticed the greater iron content in some ore that had been obtained from North of Whitby on the East Cleveland coast and had deliberately set out to find its origin. The following account by Mr Marley of how the seam was traced is taken from J S Jeans' "Pioneers of the Cleveland Iron Trade", published in 1875. "Mr Vaughan and myself, having gone to examine the hills for the most suitable place for boring, we decided to ascend to the East, adjoining Sir J H Lowther's grounds, and so walk along to Lady Hewley's grounds on the West. In ascending the hill in Mr C Dryden's grounds, we picked up two or three small pieces of ironstone. We, therefore, continued our ascent until we came to a quarry hole, from whence this ironstone had been taken for roads and next on entering Sir J H Lowther's grounds to the West, a solid rock of ironstone was lying bare upwards of sixteen feet thick. I need scarcely say that having once found this bed, we had no difficulty in following the outcrop in going westward, without any boring as the rabbit and fox holes therein were plentiful as we went. We also examined the place in Lackenby Banks squared down in 1811 or 1812 by the Mr Thomas Jackson of Lackenby. The period from the 8th June 1850, till the middle of August following was occupied in completing arrangements for opening out this ironstone and the first trial quarry was begun on the 13th August 1850. A temporary tramway was soon laid down and by the 2nd September 1850 the first lot of seven tons was brought down in small tubs to the highway side, from thence carted to Cargo Fleet and thence again by rail to Witton Park Ironworks being about 3 weeks after actually seeing the ironstone and by this method 4.041 tones were sent away by the 28th December following. .....this ironstone cannot but be an interesting subject, whether they be mining engineers, coal owners, iron masters, or simply a part of the public personally disinterested, as I believe that nothing has been discovered, within the last twenty years, having so direct an influence on the landed, railway, and mineral wealth, in the North of England, on the South Durham coal field, and on the iron trade generally, as the discovery and application of this large ironstone district. I suppose it may now be taken as an admitted fact, that the prosperity or depression of the iron and coal trades regulates, in a very material degree, the prosperity or depression of nearly all other commercial pursuits in the same locality." In the next few years the railways would be extended into the Cleveland Hills and agricultural villages, like Skelton, would be invaded by people from all quarters. For the next century this region was to become the nation's main producer of iron. The consequences, good and bad, are still reverberating. |
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18th June. The death of the Rev William Close, age 75. Tombstone in Skelton Old Church. 18th August - London Gazette. "The Inclosure Commissioners for England and Wales hereby give notice, that applications have been made by the under-mentioned persons, for the advance of the under-mentioned sums, by way of Loan, under the provisions of the Act of the 13th and 14th Vict.31, for the drainage of lands hereunder listed. John Thomas Wharton Esq, for lands in Gilling and Skelton. £5,000." 1851 - The Great Exhibition is held in the Crystal Palace, London. 1852 - Fourth wettest year on record. 1853 - Middlesbrough was recognised as a Borough. [And recognised its Skelton beginnings.] Henry Bolckow was elected the first Lord Mayor. "By the provisions of its Charter, the Corporation was authorised to have a Common Seal, which could also be used as a Coat of Arms, and its design was entrusted to W Hylton Longstaffe, the Town Clerk of Gateshead. There can be little doubt that he was the author of that name who wrote "The History and Antiquities of Darlington", which was published in 1854, and the artist who sketched and described the remains of the Middlesbrough Priory which came to light in 1846 with the demolition of the Middlesbrough Farm House. |
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As the basis of the Borough Seal, Longstaffe borrowed the
blue lion from the arms of Robert de Brus of Skelton, the 12th century
founder of the Middlesbrough Priory.
To this, he added ships and anchors to highlight the town's
importance as a seaport, while his use of black in certain details was
to denote the significance of coal in relation to its industries. 1855 - 2nd November. The death of John Andrew Jnr, age
61, of Hunting fame and Smuggling notoriety. 1856 - The North Riding Constabulary was established with 51 county police officers. It policed the Skelton area until 1968, 1857 - Ordnance Survey mapped the area. Thomas Pressick Andrew. Master of the Cleveland Hunt 1855 - 1870. |
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