Samuel Courtauld (industrialist)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Courtauld was an industrialist and Unitarian
, chiefly remembered as the driving force behind the rapid growth of the Courtauld textile business in Britain.
The Courtauld family were descendants of Huguenot
s (French Protestant) refugees who ran a highly successful silver and goldsmithing business in London.
Courtauld was the eldest son of Unitarian
George Courtauld
. In 1794 George established a textile business in north Essex
at Pebmarsh
– George Courtauld & Co
.
In 1818 Samuel Courtauld expanded the business – by building further mills in Halstead
and Bocking
. In 1825 Courtauld installed a steam engine
at the Bocking mill, and then installed power loom
s at Halstead. The mills, however, remained heavily dependent on young female workers – in 1838, over 92% of his workforce was female.
Courtauld was strongly interested in politics. A supporter of the Whigs
, he supported the 1832 Reform Act
, was involved in the Nonconformist campaign against the paying of church rates, and was an active supporter (particularly financially) of the Anti-Corn Law League
.
By 1850, Courtauld had recruited partners including (in 1828) his brother, George Courtauld II (1802-1861)
. By this time, Courtauld was, by any estimate, an extremely wealthy man but was also suffering from deafness. He planned to spend more time on his large country estate Gosfield Hall
near Halstead, but could not convince himself to retire, and continued to play an active role in the company until just before he died in March 1881.
His great nephew Samuel Courtauld
(1876-1947) became chairman of the Courtauld company in 1921 but is chiefly remembered today as the founder of the Courtauld Institute of Art
in London
. Another great nephew, Sir Stephen Courtauld
MC
(1883–1967), was also an arts patron and in 1933 restored Eltham Palace
in south-east London
where he and his wife lived until 1944.
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, chiefly remembered as the driving force behind the rapid growth of the Courtauld textile business in Britain.
The Courtauld family were descendants of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s (French Protestant) refugees who ran a highly successful silver and goldsmithing business in London.
Courtauld was the eldest son of Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
George Courtauld
George Courtauld
George Courtauld was the founder of Courtaulds which was to become one the United Kingdom's largest textile businesses.-Career:Apprenticed to a Spitalfields silk weaver in 1775, George Courtauld first worked on his own as silk throwster. Between 1785 and 1794 he made a number of visits to America...
. In 1794 George established a textile business in north Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
at Pebmarsh
Pebmarsh
Pebmarsh is a small village and a civil parish the Braintree district, in Essex, England. It is situated to the north east of Halstead close to the A131.- External links :*****...
– George Courtauld & Co
Courtaulds
Courtaulds was a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres, and chemicals.-Foundation:The Company was founded by George Courtauld and his cousin Peter Taylor in 1794 as a silk, crepe and textile business at Pebmarsh in north Essex trading as George Courtauld & Co...
.
In 1818 Samuel Courtauld expanded the business – by building further mills in Halstead
Halstead
Halstead is a town and civil parish located in Braintree District of Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. It has a population of 11,053. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river...
and Bocking
Bocking
Bocking can refer to:*Bocking, a village near Braintree, Essex*Bocking 14, a cultivated strain of the plant Comfrey*Powerbocking, the use of powered stilts patented by Alexander Böck...
. In 1825 Courtauld installed a steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
at the Bocking mill, and then installed power loom
Power loom
A power loom is a mechanized loom powered by a line shaft. The first power loom was designed in 1784 by Edmund Cartwright and first built in 1785. It was refined over the next 47 years until a design by Kenworthy and Bullough, made the operation completely automatic. This was known as the...
s at Halstead. The mills, however, remained heavily dependent on young female workers – in 1838, over 92% of his workforce was female.
Courtauld was strongly interested in politics. A supporter of the Whigs
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
, he supported the 1832 Reform Act
Reform Act
In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is a generic term used for legislation concerning electoral matters. It is most commonly used for laws passed to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the British House of Commons...
, was involved in the Nonconformist campaign against the paying of church rates, and was an active supporter (particularly financially) of the Anti-Corn Law League
Anti-Corn Law League
The Anti-Corn Law League was in effect the resumption of the Anti-Corn Law Association, which had been created in London in 1836 but did not obtain widespread popularity. The Anti-Corn Law League was founded in Manchester in 1838...
.
By 1850, Courtauld had recruited partners including (in 1828) his brother, George Courtauld II (1802-1861)
George Courtauld (industrialist)
George Courtauld was a Crepe and Silk manufacturer, and part of the Courtauld family empire in Great Britain-Personal life:He was born Pebmarsh, Essex in 1802, the son of George Courtauld and Ruth Minton...
. By this time, Courtauld was, by any estimate, an extremely wealthy man but was also suffering from deafness. He planned to spend more time on his large country estate Gosfield Hall
Gosfield Hall
Gosfield Hall near Braintree in Essex, England was built in 1545 by Sir John Wentworth, a member of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and hosted Royal visits by Queen Elizabeth I and her grand retinue throughout the middle of the 16th century....
near Halstead, but could not convince himself to retire, and continued to play an active role in the company until just before he died in March 1881.
His great nephew Samuel Courtauld
Samuel Courtauld (art collector)
Samuel Courtauld son of Sydney Courtauld and Sarah Lucy Sharpe was an English industrialist who is best remembered as an art collector...
(1876-1947) became chairman of the Courtauld company in 1921 but is chiefly remembered today as the founder of the Courtauld Institute of Art
Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. The Courtauld is one of the premier centres for the teaching of art history in the world; it was the only History of Art department in the UK to be awarded a top...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Another great nephew, Sir Stephen Courtauld
Stephen Courtauld
Sir Stephen Lewis Courtauld, MC was a member of the wealthy English Courtauld textile family...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1883–1967), was also an arts patron and in 1933 restored Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace is a large house in Eltham, within the London Borough of Greenwich, South East London, England. It is an unoccupied royal residence and owned by the Crown Estate. In 1995 its management was handed over to English Heritage which restored the building in 1999 and opened it to the public...
in south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he and his wife lived until 1944.