| Industrialists
are the people who own and develop industry. They were
the men who ran the factories of the Industrial Revolution,
making their fortunes as a result of their ingenuity,
grasp of market forces or good luck. many industrialists
were greedy men, with little regard for the well being
of the workforce, others were considered to be good
employers who took the health and welfare of their workforce
very seriously.
A brief introduction
to two industrialists.
Samuel Greg
Samuel Greg
built a large cotton mill in Styal, south of Manchester.
His investment was around £16,000, a lot of money
in the late 18th century. His factory was built on
land rented from the Earl of Stamford and Warrington
and was manned largely by children from the local
workhouses. Greg's vision led to him becoming a very
wealthy man.
Titus Salt
Titus
Salt made his fortune in the Wool trade. He owned
a number of mills in Bradford. Salt saw the possibilities
of a different type of wool, Alpaca, and established
a buying system that ensured that he was the only
person able to produce Alpaca wool in this country.
His gamble was a definite success and he used his
wealth to build a massive new factory and village
for his workers six miles outside of Bradford. His
choice of location was ideal. The site had access
to the River Aire, was next to the canal and later
had access to the Railways. Salts mill was the largest
in Europe at the time. Salt made a fortune from Alpaca
wool, clothing made from which became the most desirable
garments of the era.
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