William Cockerill was a British entrepreneur who created a textile machine manufacturing business in Verviers

Verviers

Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...

 and Liege

Liege

Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...

, Belgium (then part of the French First Republic

French First Republic

The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...

).

He was instrumental in founding the industrial spinning industry in continental Europe.
William Cockerill was born in Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, England in 1759. He began his working career as a blacksmith in England, and was said to be exceptionally skilled as a mechanical engineer although he met little success in England..

In 1794 he travelled to St.