The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-15 00:00:00

THE LATE THOS. B. CROMPTON, ESQ.

(From the Horning Post.)
The memoirs of men who have successfully occu-
pied positions of extensive respongibility and influ-
ence—who have had great opportunities and been
equal to them, and who have possessed the rare art
of making the worthy discharge of their ordinary
duties the means of doing good in their day and
generation—are among the most valuable of the
lessons of life. To sketch the career of such
men is to extend the beneficial range of their ex-
ample, and prolong its salutary influence after the
visible exhibition of it has been withdrawn by death.
But besides this, departed worth has a claim on
the memory of society, which there is pleasure,
though a pensive one, in acknowledging. Goodness
is moral greatness, though it may.not be heroism,
and has its triumphs, though they may not 'lead to
fame. Those who, by natural genius, or force of
character, or perseverance, or by gifts of Provi-
dence, acquire a position from which they are able
to influence and energise large circles of men, and
their innumerable interests, social, commercial, and
domestic, have a very important part to perform in
the progress of human improvement, and, where
they perform it well, are to be classed with the
benefactors of mankind. Amongst such, who, we
may ask, have a better title to public esteem than
those whose industrial talent feeds the active
strength of the country, and is continually aug
menting the sources of its material prosperity? Ii
would be a great mistake to underrate the im

portance of the manufacturing interest as an ele-

ment in the greatness of Britain, or to assign it a
place antagonistic to the interests of land. Manu-
factures are the correlative of civilisation. The
progress of the one marches side by side with the
refinement of the other. They are a department
of the arts—they are the application of the sciences.
They combine the craft of the hand with the tlis:
coveries of the brain. They take in its raw state
what the land produces, and they return it to the
producer and the public in a form fit for use and

enjoyment. In doing so they stimulate industry,
encourage talent, and offer scope to competition,
enterprise, and discovery. They develop the fertility
of human resources, both intellectual and physical ;
and in the industry they stimulate, in the rewards
they offer to capacity and integrity, and in the sta-
bility they give to the national independence, they
constitute a power which is experienced—we may
fearlessly say beneficially—through all grades of
English society, and through every phase of the
national life. In nothing is the influence of
the manufacturing element more felt than in the
wealth it creates, and the assistance thence de-
rived to the country in times of monetary pres-
sure. The impetus it gives to foreign trade, and
the large stake which, in consequence of it, the rest
of the world has in the maintena,nce of unrestricted
commerce with England supply a strong motive in
all to the cultivation and perpetuation of amicable
relations ; while, as regards ourselves, the ag-
gregate strength which it places at our command
enables us, when peace is impossible, to go to war
with a confidence that, in the power of turning to
effective account every possible resource, we stand
pre-eminent, and have means at our command which
no other nation can pretend to claim. Under these
circumstances, the master manufacturers of England
have. become a class of persons whose social and even
political importance is universally admitted. Pos-
sessing, in many instances, almost boundless wealth,
employing hundreds of thousands of hands, they
sway the minds of many large cities and Parlia-
mentary boroughs, and exercise considerable weight
in Parliament and with the public. It will not
be disputed that the country should honour well
those who discharge with conscience and success
these great responsibilities. The deceased gentle-
man who is the subject of this memoir occupied for
many years a foremost place amongst these power-
ful men ; and it will illustrate the truth of these
considerations, and render a just tribute to the
memory of a good man, if we subjoin a brief sum-
mary of his life and work.
Thomas Bonsor Crompton was well known in
commercial circles by the great extent of his trans-
actions as a paper manufacturer and cotton spinner,
as well as by his vast engagements in other depart-
ments of business, by the ability and success with
which he conducted his numerous and complicated
undertakings, and the large fortune he so acquired.
He was born May 20, 1792, at Farnworth, a place
which owes its rise from the obscurity of a rural
hamlet to its present populous and prosperous con.
dition in great part to the enterprise of Mr.
Crompton's family. His grandfather had a paper-
mill and bleach-works at Great Lever, about half-
a-mile distant from the existing Farnworth Mills.
Perceiving what an eligible site Farnworth pre-
sented for manufacturing purposes he obtained a
lease of the property from the late Duke of Bridge-
water, and built a paper-mill and bleach-works
upon it. His son John, the father of the subject of
the present memoir, succeeded to these works, and
built Rock Hall as a residence. He was not, how-
ever, permitted to occupy it, having died at the
very period of its completion, leaving three sons,

'ohn, Robert, and Thomas Bonsor. The eldest and
youngest became partners in the Farnworth Mills.
John, the elder brother, died in 1834, leaving a
widow, -without issue.
_From that period to the

time of his own death, last week, Mr. T. B. Cromp-
ton was the sole proprietor of that extensive con-
cern. The Farnworth Mills are thus mentioned in
Lewis's " Topographical Dictionary":—
" FARNWORTH.—There arc extensive coal mines,
belonging to the Earl of Ellesmere, and W. Hut-
ton, Esq. ; large spinning and power-loom mills ;
and one of the best paper-mills in the kingdom,
belonging to John and Thomas B. Crompton, whose
premises, called Farnworth Mills, are of great
extent," &c.

The second brother, Robert, carried on extensive
paper-mills at Worthington, near Wigan. This
gentleman (who lived unmarried, and died in 1855)
retired from business in 1840, and Mr. T. B. Cromp-
ton became the sole proprietor of the Worthington
Mills also. Here he greatly enlarged the business,
and almost entirely rebuilt the extensive premises.
In the conduct of these two large establishments
he exhibited great inventive skill and knowledge
of business, and great fertility of mechanical appli-
cation. Owing to the superiority of his manufac-
ture of printing and packing papers, he supplied
the principal newspapers and merchants both in
London and the provinces. Soon after the " Four-
drinier machine," for making the paper web in
continuous length, was introduced, the quick per-
ception of Mr. Crompton foresaw that unless a
better mode of drying could be discovered, that
machine would be comparatively valueless. He
therefore invented the continuous-drying apparatus
now in general operation. For this invention he
took out a patent ; but such was the then
imperfect state of the law of patents, that, after
several days' trial at Lancaster, he was deprived
of the exclusive benefit of this valuable dis-
covery, upon a mere technical point in the
specification. Lord Brougham afterwards com-
mented upon this state of the law, and, in con-
sequence of this decision, introduced a clause giving
patentees power to amend a specification and to
disclaim. Perhaps on these subjects we shall best
do justice to Mr. Crompton by quoting here from
the report of the juries appointed by the Commis-
sioners of the Exhibition of 1851
"At the end of the last century (1799) the first
trial was made at Essonnes, in France, in the paper
mill of M. Francois Didot, of a machine for making
continuous paper. It was the invention of M.
Robert, a workman in that establishment, who ob-
tained a patent for 15 years, and a sum of B,ooofr.
from the French Government. Some sheets of
paper in continuous lengths Were then made ; but
the troubles in which France was involved at the
time caused delay in the necessary experiments,
which were both tedious and expensive. As soon
as the Peace of Amiens restored intercourse, M.
Didot, jun., convinced of the great utility of the in•
vention, came over with it to seek in England what
was then wanting in France—capital, engineers,
and enterprisiig paper manufacturers ; he was ac-
companied by John Gamble, his brother-in-
law, who had resided several years in Paris.
Having obtained patents in England—one in 1801
and the other in 1803—they were assigned to
Messrs. Henry and Sealy Fom'drinier, in 1804. .
" In 1826 M. Canson, of Annonay, first applied
suction pumps t) the Didot and Pourdrinicr ma-
chines.

" In April, 1839, Mr. T. B. Crompton took cut
Letters patent for producing apadial„and continual

' vacuum under the wire, by means of a fan ; and a
uniform rarefaction is obtained by this arrange-
ment.
"Notwithstanding the great benefits derived by
the perfection of the Didot and Fourdinier paper-
machines, and the immense quantities of paper pro-
duced by them, it was not till 1821 that the advan-
tages of this invention were fully developed. This
was effected by Mr. T. B. Crompton, who took out
a patent on the Ist of November, 1820, for drying
and finishing paper by means of a cloth or cloths
against heated cylinders, and the application of a
pair of shears to cut the paper off into suitable
lengths, as it comes from the machine or rollers.'
The old, tedious, and expensive process of drying
in lofts was no longer necessary. The
_paper was
much better finished and cut than had been found
possible until this improvement. Through the im- ,
perfection of the patent laws of that period a mum
her of persons eventually succeeded in setting aside
Mr. Crompton's patent.
" In 1828 Mr. T. B. Crompton, in conjunction'
with Mr. Enoch Tayor, obtained a patent for cut-
ting paper longitudinally by means of revolving
circular blades.'
"In 1826 Mr. Firmin Didot introduced into his
mill- at Mesnil Mr. Crompton's drying process.,
This was the first time that it was put into opera-
tion in France. . • . . The paper used in
England for newspapers is required to be very
strong and firm ; to obtain these qualities it is sized
with gelatine. To Mr. T. B. Crompton is due this
mode of continuous sizing with rollers. The amount
of excise duty on paper made by him has been no
less than £15,000 per annum, taking an average of
10 years, and now exceeds £20,000, giving the
enormous weight per annum of 1,400 tons."--Re.
port, p. 938.
We may here add what the jurors have omitted
to mention, that Mr. Crompton was amongst the
first to turn the waste of cotton-mills to account in
the manufacture of paper, and was certainly one of
the foremost who applied fibrous material in its
raw condition to that purpose. He was always
searching for new materials, and conceived several
mechanical appliances for utilising fibres hitherto
considered unsuitable for being made into paper. --
Mr. Crompton was one of those influential menu-

facturers who induced Government to abandon the

classification of paper for excise duty. Indeed, he
lost no opportunity of impressing upon public men
the impolicy of the paper duty altogether, whether
differential or uniform—not as a political question,
or "as a tax upon knowledge," but as opening a
door to fraud, and an injury to the honest trader.
Great loss and inconvenience had been felt by the
conductors of newspapers published in the north
of England from the obligation to send all their
paper to Somerset-house, London, to be impressed
with the penny stamp then required by law. Upon
the urgent representations of Mr. Crompton, who
largely supplied the provincial journals with papei,
the Government was induced to establish an office
in Manchester for the impression of the obnoxious
stamp, without transmission to London, to the great
relief of the press in all that. part of the country.
Some years since Mr. Crompton became pro-
prietor of the Morning Post, which shared in
the benefits of his great experience, and became
under his protection, the flourishing property that it
now is.

But the extensive transactions of Mr. Crompton
were not confined to paper-making; he was also a
large manufacturer of cotton. About 25 years ago
he erected at Prestolee, about two miles from Farn-
worth, a very extensive cotton-mill, giving employ-
ment to upwards of 800 hands. This mill is well
known in the neighbourhood for the completeness of
its machinery and arrangements, and the enter-
prising scale nn which it has always been con-
ducted. It forms a conspicuous object of interest
on the Yorkshire line of railway between Manches-
ter and Bolton. Besides the manufacture of cotton
and paper, Mr. Crompton was connected with many
other markets for capital, and was known through-
out the commercial world for the untiring perse-
verance and enviable skill by which he won the
position which he occupied at the time of his de-
cease, with so much credit to himself and usefulness
to his fellow-creatures.

It remains to trace the personal qualities of the
man who engaged in all this work and discharged
these arduous responsibilities. It will readily be
understood that only a man with a strong decision
of character, persistency of purpose, self-reliance,
and ability to command could successfully hold the
reins where the transactions were so extensive and
the interests so complicated. The mental and
moral qualities of Mr. Crompton were essentially
masculine, strong in their development, and rigo-
rous in their exercise. Hence he would reprove
with an unflinching sternness where he had good
reason to complain. But the capability of exercis-
ing the severer virtues when occasionally required
did not hinder the more general prevalence of
kindly and generous feelings. lie despised in-
dolence, and pitied incapacity ; but he respected
industry and persevering effort wherever he found
them, and was ever ready to help forward with
capital and advice those in whom he discovered

these admirable qualities. Many now wealthy con-
cerns can bear testimony to his past kindness to
them in this way. Mr. Crompton was ever ready
to help those who strove to help themselves, while
towards those who were unable to strive—especially
the widow and the orphan—his charity was bounti-
ful and openhanded. It was hardly possible that
a man conducting such vast and varied concerns
should altogether escape being misunderstood by
those who were not capable, either from their own
deficiency or insufficient knowledge of him, to
appreciate his commanding powers and thorough-
ness of character ; but no man was ever more above

the reach of malevolence or accidental misrepre-
sentation. What merely occasioned annoyance he
was too much occupied not to forget ; what really
pained him he had greatness to forgive. lie was
not insensible to the responsibilities of wealth and
the claims of his workmen upon his liberality.
Having created by his mills the populations of Farn-
worth and Prestelce, he did not leave them without
the means of moral and religious impression. To
his munificence Farnworth and Prestolee owe the
erection of their churches, their schools, and the
benefits of additional pastoral superintendence, lie
took great interest in the -Cleanliness and sanitary
condition of his workpeople, who in return regarded
him with a respectful and grateful loyalty. He had
a high opinion of the advantages to society of pro-
viding a sufficiency of employment for the working
classes. Plentiful work and full wages entered
largely into his theory of social improvement. If
he worked hard to the close of his life, long after he
had amassed princely wealth, it was not from the
vulgar vanity of being known as a millionaire, but
because he felt of hoW large a circle he was the
centre, how many interests must be broken up,
and how many thousands of hands be, temporarily
at least, deprived of employment by his retirement
from the arduous toils of business to the calm
delights of a country life. Yet he was not indif-
ferent to rural pleasures. He was an ardent
sportsman ; he held extensive moors in the High-
lands, and was one of the best shots of the day.
His hospitality was bountiful, without ostentation,
and he never was seen to more advantage than when
living at home in the very heart of his extensive
concerns, receiving his friends, and presiding
over the plentiful board that gave them welcome
to his hearth. In politics he was a Conservative,
but he had a thorough respect for honest convic-
tions, and numbered many warm friends amongst
those opposed to him in political sentiments. As a
Churchman, he was a staunch upholder of the
principles of the Reformation, dud took great in-
terest, as we have said, in providing for the reli-
gious wants of his people. Hence, those in his
employ were sincerely attached to him, and
served him with fidelity ; and, in return, their ser-
vices have been bountifully acknowledged by lega-
cies. Thus lived, and on the Bth inst., after half a
century of work, died, one of the most industrious,
influential, and useful of our merchant princes,
whose name will long be pleasurably associated
with the many vast concerns of which he was
the head. Few men have worked as hard and
achieved as much ; and few can, in our humble
judgment, give a more faithful account of the dis-
charge, often under very trying circumstances, of
an unusually extensive and arduous stewardship.
He leaves a widow, but no ehildKen. The male
branch of the family is now extinrand the founder
of Farnworth, the creator of Prestolee, the reno-
vator of Worthington, and the informing soul of
many a great commercial undertaking, which in
its operation conduced to the material welfare of
the country, rests from his busy labours, in peace,
as we trust, with God and all mankind, and was
followed to the grave on Monday last amidst the
silent tears and outspoken grief of the thousands of
hands amongst whom he had gone in and out as a
father and a friend.

* - -