Richard Hosking
Richard Hosking (1819-1883)
Son of Richard Hosking of Gwithian, b.1790? He worked at Perran Foundry, and while there he invented a boiler water gauge and a 'lathe for cutting screw tools', for which he was awarded a prize by the Cornwall Polytechnic Society in 1833. [1].
1851 201. HUSKING, R., Perran Foundry, near Truro. - Treble-beat pump valve.
1883 Obituary [2]
Mr. RICHARD HOSKING was born at Perranuthnoe, West Cornwall, in 1819.
On leaving school, after a moderate education, he was employed in the copper-mines of the neighbourhood until 1839, when he removed to the Coniston copper-mines in Lancashire.
In 1840 he went to Dalton-in-Furness, where he was employed in searching for iron ore. The ground being found hard and expensive to work, he next went to Plumpton, an iron-mine near Ulverston, worked by Messrs. Schneider & Co.; but this also, proving unprofitable, was ultimately abandoned.
During the next four years Mr. Hosking was employed by Messrs. Schneider & Co. at Whitriggs, an iron-mine near Ulverston. In 1845 he discovered Monsell mines, situated near Dalton-in-Furness, which have since been very productive. Soon after discovering these mines, Mr. Hosking was appointed their manager.
In 1849 he found the Park iron ore deposit for Mr. Schneider, who was joined by Mr. Hannay in 1852, and as Schneider, Hannay, & Co. carried on these mines till the close of the year 1864, when a limited company was formed, which purchased and worked them, together with the iron furnaces and steelworks at Barrow.
Mr. Hooking retained his post as manager of the mines under this new company - the Barrow Hematite Steel Company (Limited). Stank mines, in the borough of Barrow, were commenced in 1869 by the Barrow Hematite Steel Company. The sinking of these mines, which turned out to be very costly, owing to the immense feeders of water to be dealt with, cost Mr. Hooking much care and labour; but ultimately turned out one of the most prolific and valuable mines in the district. It may be truly said of Mr. Hosking, that few men had had more experience in the uncertain and speculative work of "finding ore" on the West Coast, and few were more uniformly successful.
In 1879 Mr. Hosking resigned his position as mine-manager for the Barrow Hematite Steel Company. His death took place on the 15th April 1882.
He became a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1872.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Royal Cornwall Gazette - Saturday 28 December 1833
- ↑ 1883 Iron and Steel Institute: Obituaries