George Haynes
Encyclopedia
George Haynes British entrepreneur, pottery manufacturer, banker, and newspaper proprietor of Swansea, Wales
, Warwickshire, although his exact place of birth and continuing religious affiliations are uncertain. As a young man he migrated to Philadelphia in the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania
where he established himself as an merchant
. He was a subscriber to the Bank of Pennsylvania
in 1780 and held two shares in the Bank of North America
of which he was briefly a director from 1782 until his return to Britain in 1783.
, Wales
for reasons that are no longer clear. Here in about 1786 he became a partner in the Swansea Pottery
. In 1790 he became managing partner and set about modernising the works along the lines adopted by Josiah Wedgwood
at his Etruria
works and changed the name of the works to the Cambrian Pottery
. Under his management the concern flourished and produced high quality porcelain
; Haynes was probably the only person in south Wales
at this time to have any knowledge of the processes involved in its manufacture. Following the death of John Coles, the son of the founder of the Pottery, Haynes became the sole proprietor and traded as Haynes & Co. However, in 1802 William Dillwyn purchased the remainder of the lease and invested a substantial amount of capital in the business. Dillwyn's son, Lewis Weston Dillwyn
, was taken into the firm as an active partner on instructions from his father. Haynes continued to manage the business, but the partnership was an uneasy one and in 1810 Haynes terminated the arrangement and left the pottery to concentrate on his other interests.
where it traded as the Llanelly Bank
. In 1820 Haynes opened a further bank in Neath
in partnership with his older son George and his younger son William Woodward Haynes. The Swansea bank acted as Treasurer to the Swansea Tontine
which was formed in 1805 to build the Theatre Royal and the Assembly Rooms, with Haynes as one of its promoters and its Secretary. The following year he became Treasurer of the Swansea Society for the Education of Children and by 1816 was also Treasurer of the Swansea Savings Bank and of the Royal Swansea Lancasterian Free School.
on its formation and continued as a member until 1822. He was himself a trader on the canal at one time as a partner in the Brynmorgan colliery in the Swansea Valley
. He also took an active part in municipal affairs and was concerned with improvements to paving and lighting the town and to its postal services. Between 1803 and 1808 he was a captain in the Western Glamorgan Infantry Volunteers.
In 1803 the publication of a weekly newspaper
in Swansea was proposed. Haynes formed a company to raise the necessary capital and in 1804 publication of the weekly newspaper, The Cambrian, commenced, the first newspaper to be published in Wales. The paper was controlled by Haynes and his son George until they sold their interest in it in 1822.
Haynes was a founder member of the Glamorgan Library (1804) and proprietor of the Cambrian Brewery
(1805), where he had various partners from time to time including Henry Pocklington, his colleague in the bank. In 1810 he established a short-lived soap
works on a site adjacent to the Cambrian Pottery, possibly in a fit of pique following his forced departure from the pottery. Following legal action on the part of Dillwyn
on the grounds of the nuisance caused by its activities, it was forced to close almost immediately. Subsequently, in 1813/14 Haynes was instrumental in the establishment of the Glamorgan Pottery
as a rival to the Cambrian Pottery
and on an adjoining site, although he was never formally a partner in the concern.
which he started to develop as a country seat. Following his withdrawal from the Cambrian Pottery in 1810 he used the capital so released to build a neo-Gothic-style house with a range of ancillary buildings, possibly designed by the Swansea architect William Jernegan.
Haynes's closing years were affected by the banking crisis of 1825
. Following a run on the bank in December 1825 Haynes, Day, Haynes & Lawrence were forced into bankruptcy in January 1826 followed by the bank in Neath controlled by Haynes and his son, William Woodward Haynes. Over the following two years several sales of the property of Haynes and of his son William took place, including the brewery in Swansea and household furniture from his house at Clydach.
Haynes died at his home in Clydach on 2 January 1830.
His contribution to the development of Swansea, and to all aspects of its social and economic life, at a time when the town was generally regarded as being the centre of polite society in south Wales and as one of the most important centres of industrial activity in the country, was considerable, although it has not been sufficiently recognised. A contribution of particular importance, but by no means the only one, was his development of the Pottery into what was for a time an establishment of national importance.
Early career
Haynes was born in 1745 to a Quaker family with its origins in Henley-in-ArdenHenley-in-Arden
Henley-in-Arden is a small town in Warwickshire, England. The name is a reference to the former Forest of Arden. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 2,011....
, Warwickshire, although his exact place of birth and continuing religious affiliations are uncertain. As a young man he migrated to Philadelphia in the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
where he established himself as an merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
. He was a subscriber to the Bank of Pennsylvania
Bank of Pennsylvania
The Bank of Pennsylvania was established on July 17, 1780, by Philadelphia merchants to provide funds for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
in 1780 and held two shares in the Bank of North America
Bank of North America
The Bank of North America was a private business chartered on December 31, 1781 by the Congress of the Confederation and opened on January 7, 1782, at the prodding of Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris. This was thus the nation's first de facto central bank. It was succeeded in its role as...
of which he was briefly a director from 1782 until his return to Britain in 1783.
Cambrian Pottery
On his return from Pennsylvania he settled in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
for reasons that are no longer clear. Here in about 1786 he became a partner in the Swansea Pottery
Cambrian Pottery
The Cambrian Pottery was founded in 1764 by William Coles in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales.In 1790, John Coles, son of the founder, went into partnership with George Haynes, who introduced new business strategies based on the ideas of Josiah Wedgwood....
. In 1790 he became managing partner and set about modernising the works along the lines adopted by Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
at his Etruria
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
works and changed the name of the works to the Cambrian Pottery
Cambrian Pottery
The Cambrian Pottery was founded in 1764 by William Coles in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales.In 1790, John Coles, son of the founder, went into partnership with George Haynes, who introduced new business strategies based on the ideas of Josiah Wedgwood....
. Under his management the concern flourished and produced high quality porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
; Haynes was probably the only person in south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
at this time to have any knowledge of the processes involved in its manufacture. Following the death of John Coles, the son of the founder of the Pottery, Haynes became the sole proprietor and traded as Haynes & Co. However, in 1802 William Dillwyn purchased the remainder of the lease and invested a substantial amount of capital in the business. Dillwyn's son, Lewis Weston Dillwyn
Lewis Weston Dillwyn
Lewis Weston Dillwyn, FRS was a British porcelain manufacturer, naturalist and Member of Parliament.He was born in Walthamstow, Essex, the eldest son of William Dillwyn and Sarah Dillwyn...
, was taken into the firm as an active partner on instructions from his father. Haynes continued to manage the business, but the partnership was an uneasy one and in 1810 Haynes terminated the arrangement and left the pottery to concentrate on his other interests.
Banking and related activities
From about 1800 Haynes was associated with Henry Pocklington in a banking house in Swansea. Following the death of Pocklington in 1816 Haynes became the senior partner and took his son, George Haynes junior, into the business. George Day and William Lawrence were subsequently admitted as partners and the bank traded as Haynes, Day, Haynes & Lawrence. This partnership subsequently extended its activities to LlanelliLlanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
where it traded as the Llanelly Bank
Llanelly Bank
-History:Little is known about the history of Llanelly Bank. However, the House of Lords Sessional Papers, of 1801-1833, record that the bank’s licence was renewed in 1812, and that the licence was granted to Richard Pemberton, the Elder of Barnes, Durham, Ralph Stephen Pemberton of Llanelli,...
. In 1820 Haynes opened a further bank in Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
in partnership with his older son George and his younger son William Woodward Haynes. The Swansea bank acted as Treasurer to the Swansea Tontine
Tontine
A tontine is an investment scheme for raising capital, devised in the 17th century and relatively widespread in the 18th and 19th. It combines features of a group annuity and a lottery. Each subscriber pays an agreed sum into the fund, and thereafter receives an annuity. As members die, their...
which was formed in 1805 to build the Theatre Royal and the Assembly Rooms, with Haynes as one of its promoters and its Secretary. The following year he became Treasurer of the Swansea Society for the Education of Children and by 1816 was also Treasurer of the Swansea Savings Bank and of the Royal Swansea Lancasterian Free School.
Other interests
Haynes was one of the trustees appointed under the terms of the Swansea Harbour Act of 1790 and continued to serve in this capacity until 1825 or later. In 1794 he was elected to the committee of the Swansea CanalSwansea Canal
The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for some from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise over its length...
on its formation and continued as a member until 1822. He was himself a trader on the canal at one time as a partner in the Brynmorgan colliery in the Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
. He also took an active part in municipal affairs and was concerned with improvements to paving and lighting the town and to its postal services. Between 1803 and 1808 he was a captain in the Western Glamorgan Infantry Volunteers.
In 1803 the publication of a weekly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Swansea was proposed. Haynes formed a company to raise the necessary capital and in 1804 publication of the weekly newspaper, The Cambrian, commenced, the first newspaper to be published in Wales. The paper was controlled by Haynes and his son George until they sold their interest in it in 1822.
Haynes was a founder member of the Glamorgan Library (1804) and proprietor of the Cambrian Brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
(1805), where he had various partners from time to time including Henry Pocklington, his colleague in the bank. In 1810 he established a short-lived soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
works on a site adjacent to the Cambrian Pottery, possibly in a fit of pique following his forced departure from the pottery. Following legal action on the part of Dillwyn
Lewis Weston Dillwyn
Lewis Weston Dillwyn, FRS was a British porcelain manufacturer, naturalist and Member of Parliament.He was born in Walthamstow, Essex, the eldest son of William Dillwyn and Sarah Dillwyn...
on the grounds of the nuisance caused by its activities, it was forced to close almost immediately. Subsequently, in 1813/14 Haynes was instrumental in the establishment of the Glamorgan Pottery
Glamorgan Pottery
The Glamorgan Pottery was a porcelain china works located in Swansea, Wales, from 1813 until 1838, producing various earthenware products.Works manager of the adjacent Cambrian Pottery started the works in 1813, having fallen out with Cambrian owner Lewis Weston Dillwyn...
as a rival to the Cambrian Pottery
Cambrian Pottery
The Cambrian Pottery was founded in 1764 by William Coles in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales.In 1790, John Coles, son of the founder, went into partnership with George Haynes, who introduced new business strategies based on the ideas of Josiah Wedgwood....
and on an adjoining site, although he was never formally a partner in the concern.
Later life
In about 1803 Haynes purchased the Ynystanglws estate at Clydach in the Swansea valley by the side of the Swansea CanalSwansea Canal
The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for some from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise over its length...
which he started to develop as a country seat. Following his withdrawal from the Cambrian Pottery in 1810 he used the capital so released to build a neo-Gothic-style house with a range of ancillary buildings, possibly designed by the Swansea architect William Jernegan.
Haynes's closing years were affected by the banking crisis of 1825
Panic of 1825
The Panic of 1825 was a stock market crash that started in the Bank of England arising in part out of speculative investments in Latin America, including the imaginary country of Poyais...
. Following a run on the bank in December 1825 Haynes, Day, Haynes & Lawrence were forced into bankruptcy in January 1826 followed by the bank in Neath controlled by Haynes and his son, William Woodward Haynes. Over the following two years several sales of the property of Haynes and of his son William took place, including the brewery in Swansea and household furniture from his house at Clydach.
Haynes died at his home in Clydach on 2 January 1830.
His contribution to the development of Swansea, and to all aspects of its social and economic life, at a time when the town was generally regarded as being the centre of polite society in south Wales and as one of the most important centres of industrial activity in the country, was considerable, although it has not been sufficiently recognised. A contribution of particular importance, but by no means the only one, was his development of the Pottery into what was for a time an establishment of national importance.