George Heaton (1833-1904)
Note: Beware of confusion with George Heaton (1791-1854)!
1833 Born, son of Ralph Heaton, Junior and his wife Mary[1]
Assisted his father in the management of the Birmingham Mint
1851 Ralph Heaton 56, brass founder, .... coiner, employing 58 pairs of hands, town councillor and guardian of the poor, lived in Birmingham with Mary A Heaton 51, Eliza Heaton 25, Harry Heaton 21, stationer, employing 12, George Heaton 18, employed at home, Kate Heaton 14, and grand daughters, Mary Kynaston 7, Emma Kynaston 5[2]
Represented the Mint in Italy for 2 years in connection with the establishment of the Italian Mint at Milan.
1858 A brassfounder, on the baptism of his daughter, Rosa[3]
1858 Brass stamper, of Hunter's Lane[4]
1859 R. and G. Heaton patented Coining Machinery[5]
1860 George Heaton, Royal Copper Mint, Birmingham.[6]
1877 Entered into partnership with Thomas Atkins and carried on business known as William Hunt and Sons, Brades Steel Works, Oldbury.
1891 George Heaton 58, edge tool manufacturer, employer, lived in Edgbaston with Rosa Heaton 53, Rosa M Wright 32, William Heaton 28, edge tool manufacturer, employer, Charles Heaton 26, edge tool manufacturer, employer, Emily M Heaton 20, Lilian M Heaton 16, Maud Heaton 14[7]
1904 Died at Handsworth[8]
1904 Obituary [9]
GEORGE HEATON was born in Birmingham on 10th January 1833.
He received his education at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and commenced his apprenticeship in 1847 in his father's firm of die-sinker and stamper.
He was one of the original members of the firm of Ralph Heaton and Sons, The Mint, Birmingham, and was to a great extent responsible for the laying out of the works, and for many improvements in the coining and other machinery. Whilst a member of the firm he undertook the erection of a mint at Milan for the Italian Government, residing there for a long time and also during the execution of a coining contract. For his services he received the Order of the Crown of Italy.
He was chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the Birmingham Gas and Water Companies, and conducted the negotiations for their sale to the Birmingham Corporation.
In 1877 he became a partner in the firm of William Hunt and Sons, Brades Steel Works, and was afterwards managing director on its being converted into a company.
In 1850 he contributed a Paper to this Institution on the importance of making a compensation for the pull of the air-pump bucket in the Condensing Steam-Engine (Proceedings, April, page 26). He was a Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire and Worcestershire.
His death took place at his residence at Handsworth, Birmingham, on 3rd September 1904, in his seventy-second year.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1860, resigning in 1869, but was re-elected in 1897.
1904 Obituary [10]
We have to record the death of Mr. George Heaton, whose father, Ralph Heaton, was the founder of the Birmingham Mint.
Mr. George Heaton, who was seventy-one years of age retired from the Mint about thirty years ago, and it is recalled that at one period, while connected with the Mint, he spent two years in Italy as the representative of the firm, and specially in connection with the execution of a large contract taken by the firm for the fitting up of the Italian Mint. Since his retirement from business be has devoted himself to public work, and he leaves behind him an honoured name.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ BMD
- ↑ 1851 census
- ↑ Parish records
- ↑ Birmingham Directory 1858
- ↑ The Engineer 1860/03/23
- ↑ 1860 Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- ↑ 1891 census
- ↑ The Times, Sep 06, 1904
- ↑ 1904 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries
- ↑ The Engineer 1904/09/09