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EspañolSIR JOHN BRUNNER, 1ST BARONET
(Redirected from John Tomlinson Brunner)
'Sir John Tomlinson Brunner, 1st Baronet', PC, DL (8 February 1842 – 1 July 1919) was a British industrialist and Liberal Party politician who represented Northwich, Cheshire, as a Member of Parliament. He was the grandfather of HRH The Duchess of Kent.
John Tomlinson Brunner was born in Everton, Liverpool, the fourth child and second son of John Brunner, a Swiss Unitarian and schoolmaster, and Margaret Catherine Curphey, who originated from the Isle of Man. His father established a school in Netherfield Road, Everton, known as St George's House, to teach children along the lines advocated by Pestalozzi.[1] Brunner's mother died in 1847 when he was aged 5 and his father married Nancy Inman in 1851. She had a shrewd business sense and Brunner gave credit to her for teaching him skills in practical matters.[2] Brunner was educated at his father's school and then, at the age of 15, he decided to follow a career in commerce.[3] He spent four years in a shipping house in Liverpool, but found this neither exciting nor lucrative and decided to change career.[4] In 1861 Brunner gained a clerical post at Hutchinson's alkali works in Widnes. His older brother Henry was already working at this works as technical manager.[5] With this company he rose to the position of general manager. Shortly after starting work in Widnes he met the German-born chemist Ludwig Mond.
In 1873 Brunner formed a partnership with Mond and together they founded Brunner Mond & Company. Their initial capital was less than £20,000, and most of this was borrowed.[6] In April 1872 Mond had been to Belgium to meet Ernest Solvay to negotiate terms to manufacture alkali by the process Solvay had developed. The Solvay process produced soda ash more cheaply than the established Leblanc process from raw materials which were more easily obtainable and resulting in less waste products. Its problem was in building the plant to successfully run the process.[7] Mond made a gentlemen's agreement with Solvay to apportion the global markets, with Mond's company having exclusive rights to the United States and to the British Isles.[8]
Brunner and Mond decided to build their factory at Winnington, near Northwich, Cheshire on land owned by Lord Stanley of Alderley. This was sited on the River Weaver which allowed for the transport of the raw materials and finished products to and from the works. Lord Stanley insisted on selling the house, Winnington Hall, as well as the surrounding land. This was purchased in 1873 and for a time both Mond, and then Brunner, lived separately in the wings of the hall.[9] The early years were extremely difficult, initially in getting the plant to work efficiently and then in selling the soda ash. It was not until 1878 that success was achieved when they outsold their competitors and were producing their products more cheaply.[10] In 1881 the partnership was converted into a limited company with capital assets listed at £600,000 and the founders became managing directors for life.[11] In 1891 Brunner became the chairman and retained that position until April 1918, only 14 months before his death. However by then his duties were being increasingly performed by his son, Roscoe.[12]
After a slow start they were to become the wealthiest British chemical company in the late 19th century. When the company merged with three other British chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1926 it had a market capitalization of over £18 million. His sobriquet "Chemical Croesus" was given to him by ''The Times''.
He was a paternalistic employer and went to great lengths to improve the situation of his employees. Measures introduced by Brunner and Mond were shorter working hours, sickness and injury insurance, and holidays with pay.[13]
During the years he was working at Hutchinson's in Widnes, Brunner was developing his political interests. He joined the Widnes chapter of the National Education League becoming its secretary in 1872.[14] This gave him the opportunity to come into contact with Liberals from Liverpool and other parts of the country.[15] Soon after moving to Northwich Brunner became more practically involved with education locally, serving on the local board of the British School in the town. He later served on its board of governors and also on the local sanitary authority.[16] As a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the parliamentary constituency of Northwich was created and Brunner offered himself as a candidate for the Liberal Party.[17] In his speech for the position he expressed support for the disestablishment of the Church of England, for reform of property laws, for Irish Home Rule and for compensation for those whose properties had been damaged by the pumping of brine.[18] During the campaign he was heckled because he had a foreign-sounding name. He responded "My father was a Swiss, my mother was a Manx woman, I was born in Liverpool, my nurse was Welsh: is that Cheshire enough for you?"[19] At the general election on 1 December 1885 Brunner beat William Henry Verdin, his Conservative rival, with a majority of 1,028.[20]
The Liberal Parties had won most seats but insufficient to form a majority government, the Irish National League holding the balance of power. It was impossible to form a stable government and another general election was called in June 1886.[21] During this time the Liberal Party had split and the Liberal Unionist Party had been formed. Brunner's opponent at this election was not William Henry Verdin, but his brother, Robert, standing as a Liberal Unionist.[22] At the election on 13 July Brunner was defeated by 458 votes.[23] In November Brunner, with his wife and son Stephen, embarked on a world tour. They returned to Northwich on 2 July 1887 and were greeted with great celebrations in the town.[24] Within three weeks of his return Robert Verdin died[25] and a by-election was called. His opponent this time was Lord Henry Grosvenor, standing as a Liberal Unionist.[26] This time, at the election on 13 August, Brunner won with a majority of 1,129.[27] At the 1892 general election, Brunner's opponent was a Conservative, rather than a Liberal Unionist, George Whiteley, a cotton maufacturer from Blackburn. Brunner was returned with an increased majority of 1,255.[28] In the 1895 election he beat Thomas Ward, Conservative, by 1,638 votes.[29] The 1900 general election was held during the Boer War, to which Brunner was opposed. He retained his seat, but with a reduced majority of 699.[30] In the 1906 general election, Brunner's opponent was the Conservative Colonel B.N. North who had fought in the Boer War. Brunner increased his majority to 1,792.[31] He continued to be the Member of Parliament for Northwich until the general election of 1910 when he decided not to stand again, partly because of his own health and also because of concern for his wife's health.[32] Following this he moved to Surrey and continued to play a part in politics by being elected to the Chertsey division of Surrey County Council.[33]
As a Liberal MP he supported Irish Home Rule, trade unions, free trade and welfare reforms. Leading up to the First World War he argued for a less provocative British stance towards Germany, including naval disarmament.
Outside his business he was a generous benefactor. His gifts included the provision of schools, guildhalls and social clubs. He provided a free library in Northwich, endowed three chairs at Liverpool University and funded many scholarships. Abroad he gave gifts to the Landesmuseum in Zürich and provided a hospital, also in Switzerland.
In 1899 Brunner became chairman of the Runcorn and Widnes Transporter Bridge Company. He subscribed £25,000 towards its construction plus a loan of £12,000 together with a personal guarantee on a bank loan of £31,000. When the building of the bridge was complete in 1905 it was due to be opened by Edward VII but the king was unable to do so and the ceremony was performed by Sir John. By 1911 it had become apparent that the bridge would always operate at a loss and Sir John assigned his interest in it to Widnes Corporation. ''The Times'' stated that this action amounted to a "virtual gift of £68,000".[34]
In 1864 Brunner married Salome Davies, the daughter of a Liverpool merchant with whom he had six children. Salome died in 1874 and the following year he married Jane Wyman, the daughter of a Kettering physician and the governess to his children. From this marriage, three more daughters were born. In 1891 the Brunners moved from Winnington Hall to Wavertree, a suburb of Liverpool.[35]
In 1895 he was made the Baronet of Druids Cross in the County of Lancashire and in 1906 he became a member of the privy council, but he declined offers of a peerage. He died in 1919 at his home in Chertsey, Surrey. His estate amounted to over £899,000. The baronetcy passed to his eldest son, John Fowler Leece Brunner.
1. Koss, pp.3–6.
2. Koss, pp.7–9.
3. Dick, Francis (2004) 'Brunner, Sir John Tomlinson, first baronet (1842-1919)', rev., ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press [1] Retrieved on 9 March 2007.
4. Koss, p.11–13.
5. A History of the Chemical Industry of Widnes, , D. W. P., Hardie, Imperial Chemical Industries, ,
6. Koss, p.23.
7. Koss, p.24.
8. Koss, p.25.
9. Koss, pp.27–29.
10. Koss, pp.30–31.
11. Koss, pp.33–34.
12. Koss, pp.46–47.
13. Koss, pp.35–45
14. Koss, pp.17–18.
15. Koss, p.47.
16. Koss, p.49.
17. Koss, pp.49–51.
18. Koss, pp.54–55.
19. Koss, p.38.
20. Koss, pp.67–68.
21. Koss, pp.68–69
22. Koss, pp.80–81.
23. Koss, p.85.
24. Koss, pp.89–95.
25. Koss, p.97.
26. Koss, p.98.
27. Koss, p.107.
28. Koss, pp.172–174.
29. Koss, p.178.
30. Koss, pp.186–189.
31. Koss p.202.
32. Koss, pp.207–208.
33. Koss, p.210.
34. Old Runcorn, , H.F., Starkey, Halton Borough Council, ,
35. Koss, p.33.
★ Sir John Brunner: Radical Plutocrat 1842-1919, , Stephen E., Koss, Cambridge University Press, ,
★
'Sir John Tomlinson Brunner, 1st Baronet', PC, DL (8 February 1842 – 1 July 1919) was a British industrialist and Liberal Party politician who represented Northwich, Cheshire, as a Member of Parliament. He was the grandfather of HRH The Duchess of Kent.
| Contents |
| Early life and career |
| Brunner Mond and Company |
| Politics |
| Benefactions |
| Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge |
| Personal life |
| References |
| Notes |
| Bibliography |
Early life and career
John Tomlinson Brunner was born in Everton, Liverpool, the fourth child and second son of John Brunner, a Swiss Unitarian and schoolmaster, and Margaret Catherine Curphey, who originated from the Isle of Man. His father established a school in Netherfield Road, Everton, known as St George's House, to teach children along the lines advocated by Pestalozzi.[1] Brunner's mother died in 1847 when he was aged 5 and his father married Nancy Inman in 1851. She had a shrewd business sense and Brunner gave credit to her for teaching him skills in practical matters.[2] Brunner was educated at his father's school and then, at the age of 15, he decided to follow a career in commerce.[3] He spent four years in a shipping house in Liverpool, but found this neither exciting nor lucrative and decided to change career.[4] In 1861 Brunner gained a clerical post at Hutchinson's alkali works in Widnes. His older brother Henry was already working at this works as technical manager.[5] With this company he rose to the position of general manager. Shortly after starting work in Widnes he met the German-born chemist Ludwig Mond.
Brunner Mond and Company
In 1873 Brunner formed a partnership with Mond and together they founded Brunner Mond & Company. Their initial capital was less than £20,000, and most of this was borrowed.[6] In April 1872 Mond had been to Belgium to meet Ernest Solvay to negotiate terms to manufacture alkali by the process Solvay had developed. The Solvay process produced soda ash more cheaply than the established Leblanc process from raw materials which were more easily obtainable and resulting in less waste products. Its problem was in building the plant to successfully run the process.[7] Mond made a gentlemen's agreement with Solvay to apportion the global markets, with Mond's company having exclusive rights to the United States and to the British Isles.[8]
Brunner and Mond decided to build their factory at Winnington, near Northwich, Cheshire on land owned by Lord Stanley of Alderley. This was sited on the River Weaver which allowed for the transport of the raw materials and finished products to and from the works. Lord Stanley insisted on selling the house, Winnington Hall, as well as the surrounding land. This was purchased in 1873 and for a time both Mond, and then Brunner, lived separately in the wings of the hall.[9] The early years were extremely difficult, initially in getting the plant to work efficiently and then in selling the soda ash. It was not until 1878 that success was achieved when they outsold their competitors and were producing their products more cheaply.[10] In 1881 the partnership was converted into a limited company with capital assets listed at £600,000 and the founders became managing directors for life.[11] In 1891 Brunner became the chairman and retained that position until April 1918, only 14 months before his death. However by then his duties were being increasingly performed by his son, Roscoe.[12]
After a slow start they were to become the wealthiest British chemical company in the late 19th century. When the company merged with three other British chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1926 it had a market capitalization of over £18 million. His sobriquet "Chemical Croesus" was given to him by ''The Times''.
He was a paternalistic employer and went to great lengths to improve the situation of his employees. Measures introduced by Brunner and Mond were shorter working hours, sickness and injury insurance, and holidays with pay.[13]
Politics
During the years he was working at Hutchinson's in Widnes, Brunner was developing his political interests. He joined the Widnes chapter of the National Education League becoming its secretary in 1872.[14] This gave him the opportunity to come into contact with Liberals from Liverpool and other parts of the country.[15] Soon after moving to Northwich Brunner became more practically involved with education locally, serving on the local board of the British School in the town. He later served on its board of governors and also on the local sanitary authority.[16] As a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the parliamentary constituency of Northwich was created and Brunner offered himself as a candidate for the Liberal Party.[17] In his speech for the position he expressed support for the disestablishment of the Church of England, for reform of property laws, for Irish Home Rule and for compensation for those whose properties had been damaged by the pumping of brine.[18] During the campaign he was heckled because he had a foreign-sounding name. He responded "My father was a Swiss, my mother was a Manx woman, I was born in Liverpool, my nurse was Welsh: is that Cheshire enough for you?"[19] At the general election on 1 December 1885 Brunner beat William Henry Verdin, his Conservative rival, with a majority of 1,028.[20]
The Liberal Parties had won most seats but insufficient to form a majority government, the Irish National League holding the balance of power. It was impossible to form a stable government and another general election was called in June 1886.[21] During this time the Liberal Party had split and the Liberal Unionist Party had been formed. Brunner's opponent at this election was not William Henry Verdin, but his brother, Robert, standing as a Liberal Unionist.[22] At the election on 13 July Brunner was defeated by 458 votes.[23] In November Brunner, with his wife and son Stephen, embarked on a world tour. They returned to Northwich on 2 July 1887 and were greeted with great celebrations in the town.[24] Within three weeks of his return Robert Verdin died[25] and a by-election was called. His opponent this time was Lord Henry Grosvenor, standing as a Liberal Unionist.[26] This time, at the election on 13 August, Brunner won with a majority of 1,129.[27] At the 1892 general election, Brunner's opponent was a Conservative, rather than a Liberal Unionist, George Whiteley, a cotton maufacturer from Blackburn. Brunner was returned with an increased majority of 1,255.[28] In the 1895 election he beat Thomas Ward, Conservative, by 1,638 votes.[29] The 1900 general election was held during the Boer War, to which Brunner was opposed. He retained his seat, but with a reduced majority of 699.[30] In the 1906 general election, Brunner's opponent was the Conservative Colonel B.N. North who had fought in the Boer War. Brunner increased his majority to 1,792.[31] He continued to be the Member of Parliament for Northwich until the general election of 1910 when he decided not to stand again, partly because of his own health and also because of concern for his wife's health.[32] Following this he moved to Surrey and continued to play a part in politics by being elected to the Chertsey division of Surrey County Council.[33]
As a Liberal MP he supported Irish Home Rule, trade unions, free trade and welfare reforms. Leading up to the First World War he argued for a less provocative British stance towards Germany, including naval disarmament.
Benefactions
Outside his business he was a generous benefactor. His gifts included the provision of schools, guildhalls and social clubs. He provided a free library in Northwich, endowed three chairs at Liverpool University and funded many scholarships. Abroad he gave gifts to the Landesmuseum in Zürich and provided a hospital, also in Switzerland.
Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge
In 1899 Brunner became chairman of the Runcorn and Widnes Transporter Bridge Company. He subscribed £25,000 towards its construction plus a loan of £12,000 together with a personal guarantee on a bank loan of £31,000. When the building of the bridge was complete in 1905 it was due to be opened by Edward VII but the king was unable to do so and the ceremony was performed by Sir John. By 1911 it had become apparent that the bridge would always operate at a loss and Sir John assigned his interest in it to Widnes Corporation. ''The Times'' stated that this action amounted to a "virtual gift of £68,000".[34]
Personal life
In 1864 Brunner married Salome Davies, the daughter of a Liverpool merchant with whom he had six children. Salome died in 1874 and the following year he married Jane Wyman, the daughter of a Kettering physician and the governess to his children. From this marriage, three more daughters were born. In 1891 the Brunners moved from Winnington Hall to Wavertree, a suburb of Liverpool.[35]
In 1895 he was made the Baronet of Druids Cross in the County of Lancashire and in 1906 he became a member of the privy council, but he declined offers of a peerage. He died in 1919 at his home in Chertsey, Surrey. His estate amounted to over £899,000. The baronetcy passed to his eldest son, John Fowler Leece Brunner.
References
Notes
1. Koss, pp.3–6.
2. Koss, pp.7–9.
3. Dick, Francis (2004) 'Brunner, Sir John Tomlinson, first baronet (1842-1919)', rev., ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press [1] Retrieved on 9 March 2007.
4. Koss, p.11–13.
5. A History of the Chemical Industry of Widnes, , D. W. P., Hardie, Imperial Chemical Industries, ,
6. Koss, p.23.
7. Koss, p.24.
8. Koss, p.25.
9. Koss, pp.27–29.
10. Koss, pp.30–31.
11. Koss, pp.33–34.
12. Koss, pp.46–47.
13. Koss, pp.35–45
14. Koss, pp.17–18.
15. Koss, p.47.
16. Koss, p.49.
17. Koss, pp.49–51.
18. Koss, pp.54–55.
19. Koss, p.38.
20. Koss, pp.67–68.
21. Koss, pp.68–69
22. Koss, pp.80–81.
23. Koss, p.85.
24. Koss, pp.89–95.
25. Koss, p.97.
26. Koss, p.98.
27. Koss, p.107.
28. Koss, pp.172–174.
29. Koss, p.178.
30. Koss, pp.186–189.
31. Koss p.202.
32. Koss, pp.207–208.
33. Koss, p.210.
34. Old Runcorn, , H.F., Starkey, Halton Borough Council, ,
35. Koss, p.33.
Bibliography
★ Sir John Brunner: Radical Plutocrat 1842-1919, , Stephen E., Koss, Cambridge University Press, ,
★
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