The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-06-04 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. HENRY PEASE.

The following is from the Obituary Notices of The Times
of Tuesday :

On Monday evening, at 5.50, Mr. Henry Pease, of
Stanhope Castle, county of Durham, and Pierremont,
Darlington, died at his London residence. Mr. Pease
was in his 75th year. He was the son of Edward Pease,
the father of railways, and was born at Darlington.
After receiving a sound commercial education he
was sent to learn the business of a tanner, but did not
long follow that occupation. The official records
of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Company,
the earliest in the world, show that when quite
a youth, and soon after the line was opened, he
took an active part in the direction of the affairs of
that undertaking. Since that time he had been on
the board of management, and when the Stockton and
Darlington was merged in the North-Eastern Railway
Company he still retained his seat, and was, in fact,
the oldest railway director in the world. While play-
ing an important part in the extension of the wonderful
railway system which his father had originated, he
found time to embark largely in commercial pursuits,
to devote himself to politics, and to take a conspicuous
place as a social reformer.
The Pease family are almost, If not quite, without
a parallel in this country in their gigantic industrial
operations. They are the owners of many collieries
in South Durham, of vast ironstone mines in Cleve-
land, and of lead workings in the northern dales.
The late Mr. Jose ph Pease was the founder of
Middlesbrough, and his brother, the deceased, was the
founder of Saltburn—the watering-place at the ter-
minus of the Darlington section of the North-Eastern
Railway. Six years ago, when the railway jubilee
was celebrated at Darlington, Mr. Pease was the
centre of the demonstration which marked the first
half century in the history of railways.
Mr. Pease, although largely engaged in mercantile
pursuits, lived a varied and eventful life as a poli-
tician, a member of the Peace Society, a traveller, a
horticulturist, a member of the Society of Friends,
aid an active citizen, taking part in all municipal
matters. In 1857 he was returned in the Liberal
interest as member for South Durham, and eight years
afterwards he voluntarily retired from Parliamentary
life in favour of his nephew, Mr. Joseph Whitwell
Pease, now the head of the family, who has since
occupied the seat.
As representing the Society of Friends, Mr. Pease,
along with the late Joseph Sturge, of Birmingham,
and Robert Charlton, of Bristol, journeyed to Russia
in 1853 for the purpose of endeavouring to prevent the
war which was then threatened between England and
that country. At St. Petersburg they bad an inter-
view with the late Czar, who not only received them
kindly and iatroduced them to the Empress, but pressed
them to prolong their stay and visit Moscow. Their
efforts were unavailing, although the Czar declared
his anxiety to maintain cordial relations between the
two countries. Mr. Pease was one of another em-
bassy of three who shortly afterwards visited the late
Emperor of the French at Paris to urge him to use his
influence in calling together a Congress of European
nations to promote the interests of peace. Here again
the object of their mission was unsuccessful, notwith-
standing the cordial sympathy of the Emperor, who
rPeeived thp deputation graciously at the Tuileries.
On the death of his brother Joseph, who was the
first Quaker member of Parliament, Mr. Pease suc-
ceeded him as President of the Peace Society. He
was elected first Mayor of Darlington in 1867, when
that town was incorporated. His horticultural taste
led him to beautify the principal thoroughf area of his
native borough by planting trees in such a way as to
give the roads the appearance of boulevards. Mr.
Pease was twice married, his first wife being Miss
Fell, of the great Quaker family, in Westmoreland.
By- that marriage there was issue Mr. Henry Fell
Pease. Mr. Pease married secondly Miss Mary
Lloyd, of Wednesbury, by whom he leaves five
children.