John Russell (collier)
John Russell (c.1788 – 1 March 1873)
Biography
Russell was born in1796 at
He developed commercial interests in the Russell and Brown
"In working the narrow seams we are compelled to use the labour of children as men are too large for the work, and, from the necessity of the case, boys from 11–15 years of age are employed to draw with the girdle and chain; distances not exceeding 300 yards, the weight drawn from 50 lb to 1 cwt. Very young children are of no service to us, as their strength is insufficient; they rarely commence until 10 years of age."
In 1842, John Russell and Co. were awarded the contracts to provide the steam coal to the
It was said that Russell's collieries in South Wales were so prone to accidents that he had to bring workers in from Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. In 1846, an explosion at the Blackvein colliery at Risca resulted in the deaths of 35 men; more were killed in explosions in 1849 and 1853. The worst disaster occurred on 1 December 1860, when 146 men were killed in an explosion at the Blackvein colliery. As a result of the loss of life and legal arguments over rights with Lord Tredegar, the Risca Colliery Company was bankrupted, and the Blackvein colliery was sold.[1][2]
Russell also had business interests in iron workings in the Forest of Dean, and in the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company. He was involved both in the development of Coalbrookdale near his birthplace, and, with Sir Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar, in developing port facilities at Newport.[1]
During his activities in South Wales, Russell moved between Risca House,
Russell was appointed as a
Russell's eldest daughter Susannah married in 1840 his partner Georrge Randale Hookey. In 1854 Russell's daughter Eleanor (1821–1884) married Thomas Henry Maudslay, grandson of the great engineer Henry Maudslay, with whom Russell had business interests. In 1856, Russell's son John Richard Russell JP (1831–1910) married Maria Frances, daughter of Sir Hugh Owen Bt of Orielton and niece of Sir Charles Morgan, 1st Lord Tredegar. They lived at The Lodge, Risca, and later at Coldbrook Park, Abergavenny. His second wife was Annette Willoughby-Hill,[6] daughter of the banker Arnaud Clarke ( Robarts,Lubbock,Bosanquet and Clark - later Coutts) and Anna Brett.[7] Russell's daughter Ellen (1828–1902) married Col John Selwyn Payne, whose niece Rosina married Lt. Col Lawrence Heyworth and was to be Chairman of what had been John Russell's South Wales Colliery Company.
Notes
- ^ Although some sources give his date of birth as 1796, in Worcestershire, census records from 1851, 1861 and 1871 all give his place of birth as Broseley, Shropshire, in about 1788.
References
- ^ a b c d e Peter Verity, John Russell, Friends of Claines Church. Retrieved 25 September 2013
- ^ a b c d e E. Roper and R. Jeffries, "John Russell, Iron and Coal Master", Journal of the Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology and Local History Society, no.37, 2009, pp.26–29. Retrieved 25 September 2013
- ^ S. Lewis, Worcestershire General and Commercial Directory, 1820
- ^ Tony Jukes, The development of Risca, Risca Industrial History Museum Archived 29 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 September 2013
- ^ Verity Family Records at Glamorgan Records Office, Burkes Landed Gentry, (Hookey) Gaskell of Churchdown. Burkes Peerage, Cunyngham Bts, Owen of Orieton Bts,
- ^ Burke's PB Willoughby Bts
- ^ Burke's PB Viscounts Esher.