16 ALAN HITCHtellstheremarkablestoryofaRossendaleman who helpedbringtheIndustrialRevolutiontoEurope. second sonandsixthchildofWilliam the surroundingparishes.Hewas the year1759.Forreasonsunknown no recordofhisbaptismcanbefound Cockerill, ofCribdenside,whodied stonemasons andjoinersbytrade. early lifeexceptthathewasbrought in 1773.Verylittleisknownabouthis in eitherHaslingden,Goodshawor up surroundedbymenwhowere Bury ParishChurchagirlcalledBetty 1780 toFebruary 1786,Williamis 1785 theymovedhouse,coming down Charles. Theysetuphome inHigher ourer. OnNovember 22nd1785,the described variously asajoinerorlab- to 1784threechildrenwere born.In another fivechildrenwereborn. From Lane, Haslingden,wherefrom 1780 into Haslingdentowncentre, where PENNINE MAGAZINE William Cockerillwasbornabout In December1779,hemarriedat PENNINE IDENTITY echanical Missionary him of"HaslingdenGreen"butin baptism ofhisdaughterAlicedescribes later yearsheisof"Town".Itwas ving billies". business andcommencedmaking"ro- his hand,andmind,tothetextile probably atthistimethatheturned "maker ofJennies".Twoseparate of ablacksmithatsmithyinWhit- shuttle, runbypulleys".He certainly worth runbyhiscousinJamesCock- traditions saythathelearntthetrade erill andthatheinventeda"sheeting did learnthetradeofablacksmith for in lateryearsand,bythetime heleft that wasthedescriptiongiven ofhim England, hewasextremely proficient ces by goingabroad. Catherine the in makingmachinery. he decidedto improve hiscircumstan- By April1791,heisdescribedasa Sometime about 1796,traditionsays,
William Cockerill 1759-1 son CockerillinthefamousFortress of StPeterandPaul.Fortunately, of Russia.CatherinediedinNovem- developing anindustrially-trained caused WilliamCockerilltoworkona workforce. Hersuccessor,theTsar to escapefrom.Russia. time limit,Pauldeterminedtoimpri- travelled toStPetersburg,thencapital to herownsubjects.WilliamCockerill, visit Russiaandimparttheirexpertise William wasforewarnedandmanaged When itwasn'tcompletedwithinhis ber 1796,andwithherthepoliciesof Commission forsomepublicworks. Great, EmpressofRussia,hadbeen in thecompanyofotherslikemind, encouraging workmenfromBritainto Paul, whowasknownasalunatic, same yearhistwoeldestsons,William was therethathemetaBelgiannamed on theoutskirtsofStockhOlm.In of machinerymaking,orthetimber which provedsosuccessfulthatmore Mali fromawoollenfirminVerviers, Sweden afterfailingtomakeasuccess making machineryforawoollenmill England, ormadehisescapefrom and CharlesJames,leftEnglandtojoin he wasdefinitelyworkinginSweden uncertain. Hemayhavereturnedto delivered twelvemachinestothefirm firm ofSimonsandBiolley.In1800he Belgium. In1799hemovedtoVerviers trade, andtravelledtoHamburg.It Russia bysailingtoSweden.By1797 and morewereordered.Hebeganto and begantomakemachinesforthe him there.Aboutayearlaterheleft have themonopolyoftrade. son enteredintobusinessnearVerviers to Belgium.Hisson-in-lawJamesHod- bring hiswifeandotherchildrenover so securethatheretired,handing the on hisownaccountandbothfamilies government onhisbusiness develop- citizenship andby1813was financially in 1832 aged73. engineering workshipsatthePontdes prosperity. In1807,WilliamCockerill lived asagentleman inBrussels,dying Arches, andlateratthePontdes ments. In1810,hewasgranted French moved toLiegewherehesetupnew and. William. For therestofhislifehe Jesuits. Twoyearslatertherewasan business over tohissonsJohn,James rapidly begantheirrisetobusiness which hisbusinesswasbringingthe attempt bythegovernmenttoputhim community, wontheday. erill's integrityandtheobviousbenefit under policesurveillance,butCock- Where exactlyhewenttonextis In 1802,hereturnedtoEngland He himselfwroteareport tothe 4:5