Joseph Ledger
Born 15 Jun 1819 at Dipton, County Durham.[1] Son of Joseph Ledger and his wife Elisabeth née Nattress.
1851 Census – Stocktaker. Resided 366 Conside Terrace, Conside & Knitsley, Durham (now Consett)
1861 Census – Manager, Plate Mills. Resided Black Hill, Conside & Knitsley, Durham. (Shotley Bridge Tin Works, confirmed by various newspaper reports)
1864 Presentation made to Joseph Ledger, manager of the Shotley Bridge Iron Works [sic], at his home, Tin Mill House, Black Hill, to mark his leaving the works on 28 Aug 1864 to take up a new post as manager of “extensive new works in Workington”.[2]
1865 Joseph Ledger, Manager, West Cumberland Haematite Iron Works, Workington.[3]
1871 Census – Iron Merchant. Resided 80 High Street, Workington.
1872 Partner in the Aireside Iron Company. This appears to have been a new venture begun in about 1870. West Yorkshire Archives hold a set of drawings of the works dated 21 Oct 1870. , Name changed to Aireside Hematite Iron Company in 1872.
1873 Directory entry – Resided 80 High Street, Workington.[4]
c1875 Became a partner in Moss Bay Hematite Iron and Steel Co.
1877 Resided Castlette Tower, Keswick.[5]
1880 Partner in newly constituted Workington Hematite Iron and Steel Company.[6]
1881 Became a director and chairman of Moss Bay Hematite Iron and Steel Co when it converted to a limited company.[7]
1881 Census – Ironmaster. Resided Castlett House, Keswick. Of Aireside Hematite Iron Company. Leeds
1883 Directory Entry – Ironmaster. Resided Castlette Tower, Keswick.[8]
1883 Appointed a Magistrate.[9]
1886 Director and chairman, the Aireside Steel and Iron Company Limited, established to acquire as a going concern the assets of Aireside Hematite Iron Company (which he co-owned) and to add steel making facilities.[10]
1887 Partnership trading as Aireside Hematite Iron Company, between J Ledger and Leonard Cooper dissolved. All debts due and owing by the said late firm will be received and paid by the said Joseph Ledger.[11]
1887 Aireside Steel and Iron Company Limited in liquidation. This must have presented a big loss for Ledger, as he had been paid for his part of the Aireside Hematite Iron Co in shares in the new company. It seems that additionally he had been unable to meet the debts of the old partnership, and by May 1888 his affairs (stated at Joseph Ledger trading as Aireside Hematite Iron Co ) were in the hands of a trustee (W B Peat), with secured or partly secured liabilities of £91,924 and unsecured liabilities of £30,113. He was said to be in poor health.[12] His household and personal effects were sold at auction in June.
1891 Census – Retired Merchant. Resided 20 Spring Street, Stockton-on-Tees.
Died 28 Aug 1891 at 20 Spring Street, Stockton-on-Tees.[13]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Monumental inscription
- ↑ Newcastle Chronicle - 3 Sep 1864
- ↑ 1865 Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- ↑ Kelly’s Directory of Cumberland 1873
- ↑ English Lakes Visitor - 1 Dec 1877
- ↑ Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser - 13 Jan 1880
- ↑ Manchester Courier - Thursday 10 Mar 1881
- ↑ Bulmer’s Directory of Cumberland, 1883
- ↑ English Lakes Visitor - 20 Oct 1883
- ↑ Prospectus - Manchester Courier - 10 Jul 1886
- ↑ London Gazette - 8 Jul 1887
- ↑ Whitehaven News - 17 May 1888
- ↑ Newcastle Chronicle - 5 Sep 1891