John Russell (collier)
John Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Broseley, Shropshire, England |
| Died | March 1, 1873 (aged 84–85) Cheltenham, England |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Years active | Mid-19th century |
| Known for | Coal and iron industries in South Wales; High Sheriff of Monmouthshire (1855) |
John Russell (circa 1788 – 1 March 1873) was a prominent British industrialist specializing in coal and iron, with significant business operations in the South Wales valleys during the mid-1800s. In 1855, he held the position of High Sheriff of Monmouthshire.
Biography
Russell was born around 1788 in Broseley, Shropshire, and relocated to Worcestershire early in his life. In 1817, he wed Mary Downes from Alton Court, Herefordshire. By the decade of the 1830s, he had established ownership of Worcester Pipe Works, Russells Brickworks, and several properties within Worcester.
His industrial portfolio expanded to include ventures such as the Russell and Brown Risca Coal and Iron Joint Company, John Russell and Co., Blaina Iron Works, and subsequently the South Wales Colliery Company. In 1836, John Russell and Co. purchased Waunfawr Colliery near Risca for approximately , and in 1841 they commenced sinking the Black Vein shaft. Partnering with Thomas Brown, Russell acquired Blaina Iron Works in 1839. Many of these enterprises were undertaken alongside George Randle Hookey from Ludlow, who became Russell’s son-in-law by marrying his daughter Susannah in 1840.
By 1842, Risca Colliery employed over 300 individuals, including miners under eighteen years old. That same year, John Russell and Co. secured contracts to supply steam coal to major clients such as the East India Company, Peninsular & Orient Company, and Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Further expansion occurred with the acquisition of Cwmtillery Colliery in 1852, which was integrated into the South Wales Colliery Company by 1864.
Russell’s collieries in South Wales were frequently affected by tragic incidents; among these were devastating explosions at Blackvein colliery resulting in significant loss of life—35 fatalities in 1846 and a major disaster in 1860 that claimed 146 miners. These calamities precipitated the financial collapse of the Risca Colliery Company and necessitated the sale of Blackvein colliery.
Apart from coal mining, Russell’s investments extended to ironworks located in the Forest of Dean and included shares in the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company. He played a role in advancing industrial infrastructure at Coalbrookdale and worked alongside Sir Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar, on developing port facilities at Newport.
His residences included Risca House, Wyelands near Chepstow, Terhill House in Cheltenham, and later Piercefield Park, which he sold in 1866 to establish a fund supporting victims of mining disasters. In 1867, he acquired Badgeworth Court near Churchdown, Gloucestershire, while also maintaining a London home located in Westbourne Park.
Russell was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1842. He passed away in Cheltenham in 1873 and was interred at St Clements close to his Worcester holdings. His memorial is commemorated by the east window at Badgeworth church.
His family ties strengthened his commercial alliances: his daughter Susannah married business partner George Randle Hookey; daughter Eleanor united with Thomas Henry Maudslay, connecting to engineering enterprises; his son John Richard Russell JP married into families related to Sir Hugh Owen Bt and Sir Charles Morgan. Daughter Ellen's marriage to Col John Selwyn Payne linked their descendants to ongoing involvement with the South Wales Colliery Company.