Joseph Gillott
| Joseph Gillott | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Joseph Gillott.
|
|
| Born |
11 October 1799 Sheffield, England |
| Died | 5 January 1872 (aged 72) |
| Resting place | Key Hill Cemetery |
| Known for | Pen maker |
| Children | Joseph junior |
Joseph Gillott (11 October 1799 – 5 January 1872) was an English pen-maker and patron of the arts.
After a brief period of schooling, Gillott began working in the cutlery trade in his home town Sheffield, but in 1821 he moved to Birmingham, where he found employment in the steel toy trade, the technical name for the manufacture of steel buckles, chains and light ornamental steel-work generally.
About 1830 he turned his attention to the manufacture of steel pens by machinery. His business rapidly became successful and Gillott was soon a very wealthy man. It was rumoured locally that he buried some of his money in his cellar so that it did not become known that he had acquired so much. He certainly spread his cash across a number of bank accounts in Birmingham. In 1840 he opened his Victoria Works; the business employed mainly girls. Gillott also invested in the new railway companies and especially in property and land - not just in Birmingham, where he bought a large estate in Edgbaston - but also in London and Wales.
Gillott was an art collector -at first he exchanged pens for paintings - and one of the first to recognize the merits of J.M.W. Turner. He died in Birmingham and was buried in Key Hill Cemetery. His collection of pictures, sold after his death, realized £170,000. A white marble bust of Gillott stands in the main foyer of Birmingham Council House, and may be viewed by members of the public. According to his biographer Joseph Gillott was an often secretive man in business and art collecting and socialized with a small group of friends at the Hen and Chickens Hotel and the Theatre Royal (which he part-owned) in New Street, Birmingham. (Stephen Roberts, 'Joseph Gillott and Four Other Birmingham Manufacturers' 2016).
The family home for many years was 'The Grove' on Westbourne Road in Edgbaston and this was where Joseph junior grew up. In later years, Gillott (jnr) purchased a vast estate in the village of Catherine-de-Barnes, Solihull on which he built New Berry Hall, a large gothic mansion with North and South Lodges. He also built the school in the village.
...
Wikipedia