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Description: | A bronze figure with coat over his arm. The pedestal bears bronze panels depicting in low relief: on the north face, a coal pithead; on the east, a dock scene with a coal train; on the south, a rolled steel mill interior; and on the west, a steelworks. Additional Information: Along with his business partner Henry Bolckow (MB04 q.v) Jacky' Vaughan was the founder of the Ironopolis' of modern Middlesbrough.(1) Born in Worcester in 1799, the son of a Welsh ironworker, Vaughan first found work as a puddler at the Dowlais ironworks in South Wales before moving to Carlisle c.1825. In 1832 he became manager for Losh, Wilson and Bell at their Walker works outside Newcastle and there befriended Bolckow, a successful Newcastle corn merchant. Shortly afterwards Vaughan and Bolckow went into partnership in Middlesbrough at the suggestion of Joseph Pease (DUDA09 q.v.) setting up as brass and iron founders, anchor, chain, cable and rail makers, steam engine manufacturers and wagon builders on 1st May 1841.(2) Success did not come immediately. In fact in 1847 the wo men had to be bailed out by Pease. However, when on 8th June 1850, Vaughan discovered a ready source of good quality ironstone (it was alleged whilst out shooting rabbits on Eston Moor in the Cleveland Hills) success quickly followed. In January 1851 Vaughan and Bolckow opened Eston mine and in 1852 they set up blast furnaces at Eston and Middlesbrough. By 1864 when Vaughan and Bolckow became Bolckow Vaughan Ltd it was the largest company in Britain and at his death in 1868 Vaughan left nearly £1 million. Meanwhile on the strength of the firm's success Middlesbrough grew at a prodigious rate. In 1831 its population was 154, in 1851 7,893 and in 1861 18,273. Vaughan's Smilesian rags-to-riches story was central to the town's sense of confidence and identity and he was three times elected mayor. When, however, in 1878 his son and heir, Thomas Vaughan, was declared bankrupt there was a profound feeling of shock in the community, so much so that Thomas for a time was obliged to live elsewhere. | Subjects: | Statue | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Sculptor: Lawson, George Anderson | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=7514... | Go to resource |
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