Mr John Lancaster MP, Coal and Ironmaster 1816-1884

Mr John Lancaster MP, Coal and Ironmaster 1816-1884.
Mr John Lancaster (as seen left) was born 19th of September 1816, at Prestwich, Lancashire England.

Miss Euphemia Gibson.
In November 1841, Mr John Lancaster married Miss Euphemia Gibson of Johnston, Glasgow, Scotland. Later, John and Euphemia and family lived at Ince, Lancashire, England. Their children are listed below –

Mr John Lancaster Junior.
Mr John Lancaster Jnr (son) was born in 1842 at Patricroft, Burton on Irwel, Chorlton, Lancashire. John was the eldest of the children of John and Euphemia Lancaster and was to carry on the company after the death of his father.

Mr Robert Laurie Lancaster.
Mr Robert Laurie Lancaster (son) was born in 1843 at Patricroft, Burton on Irwel, Chorlton, Lancashire. Robert was the second child of John and Euphemia Lancaster.

Mr George Granville Lancaster.
Mr George Granville Lancaster (son) was born in 1853 at Ince, Lancashire, England. George G. Lancaster was the third child of John and Euphemia Lancaster.

Miss Catherine Lancaster.
Miss Catherine Lancaster (daughter) was born in 1855 at Etruria, Staffordshire, England.

Bilton Grange.
In 1866 Mr Lancaster purchased Bilton Grange (as seen in the main featured image), a Victorian mansion in 175 acres of land at Dunchurch, Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Bilton Grange had belonged to Mr Abraham Hulme, who, in the 1840’s, sold it to Capt. John Hubert Washington Hibbert, who hired Augustus Pugin to redesign the old building. Capt. Hibbert had inherited his fortune from his father who had owned plantations in Jamaica at the time of the slave trades in that area. In 1866 as mentioned above, Capt. Hibbert sold Bilton Grange to Mr John Lancaster. 

Member of Parliament.
Between 1868 and 1874 Mr Lancaster was M.P. for Wigan.

The Deerhound Yacht.
Apart from the industrial activities John Lancaster owned his own yacht called the “Deerhound” a three-masted sail and steam vessel, 190 tons with a 70-horsepower engine, captained by Mr Evan Parry Jones. The Deerhound yacht was built in 1858 at the John Laird shipyard at Birkenhead for the Duke of Leeds and soon after purchased by Mr John Lancaster. Mr Lancaster and his family used to sail around the Mediterranean Sea for leisure.

The C.S.S. Alabama and the U.S.S. Kearsage Incident 1864, During the American Civil War.
During one of these leisurely trips in 1864, he stopped off at Cherbourg, France, to attend the inauguration of a new casino the Casino Bains de Mer. John Lancaster, family and crew got caught up in the sea battle between the C.S.S. Alabama captained by Captain Raphael Semmes and the U.S.S. Kearsage under the control of Captain John Ancrum Winslow, just off the coast of Cherbourg.

During the American Civil War, the Confederate Ship Alabama had been at sea on raiding missions during which time had sixty-five interceptions and claimed over $6,000,000, ($123,000,000) in today’s money. The Alabama had to dock at Cherbourg for repairs and rest. The Union Ship, the Kearsage, which had been sent to find and destroy the Alabama, soon located her at Cherbourg.

The Sea Battle.
On Sunday 19th of June 1864, the two ships met just off the coast of France. Capt. Winslow of the Union Ship wanted to blockade the Confederate Ship in the port, though Captain Semmes refused to be held in a stalemate and sailed out to confront the Kearsage, a sea battle in the latter years of the American Civil War followed.

The U.S.S. Kearsage defeated and sank the C.S.S Alabama after a fierce battle and John Lancaster in the Deerhound who witnessed the battle firsthand sailed to the rescue of Captain Semmes and the other survivors of the Alabama where they gratefully accepted his help rather than be taken prisoners by the U.S.S. Kearsage, after safely all on board Mr John Lancaster took them to Southampton, England.

At Southampton, Captain Semmes, upon leaving the Deerhound, presented John Lancaster’s son with one of his officers’ swords and a pistol in remembrance of the occurrence and the kind treatment which he and his men had received while on board the yacht.

The John Lancaster Family and Crew Onboard the Deerhound.
The John Lancaster family onboard the Deerhound, June 19th 1864. Mr John Lancaster; Mrs Euphemia Lancaster; Miss Catherine Lancaster (daughter); Master John Lancaster Jnr (son); Master Robert Laurie Lancaster (son); Master George Granville Lancaster (son); Miss Wilson (niece) and Miss Brown (Maid): The Crew of the Deerhound. Captain Mr Evan P. Jones; Robert Hughes, (Mate); Harry Adams (A.B.S.); Mr J Page (A.B.S.); Mr John Roe (A.B.S.); Mr Robert Broderick (A.B.S.); Mr William Roberts (Steward); Mr Robert Durham (Cook); Mr William Bell (Engineer); Mr William Jones (Fireman) and Mr Robert Ferris A.B.S. (Marshall Fireman):

Mr Jefferson Davis – President of the Confederate States of America.
In March 1865, apart from the gifts given to Mr Lancaster by Captain Semmes, Mr John Lancaster also received a letter of thanks from Mr Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederate States of America) with a resolution vote of thanks from the C.S.A. Congress.

The Deerhound Yacht’s Later Years.
After the Alabama rescue, the Deerhound Yacht was sold to Sir George Stuckley M.P. and was said to have been one of the first British yachts to sail through the Suez Canal on its opening in 1869. 

The Marriage of Mr Robert Laurie Lancaster.
In 1873 Mr Robert Laurie Lancaster, the second son of John and Euphemia Lancaster married Miss E. M. L. McNaught (1851-1922) at Wolston, Warwickshire, England.

The Marriage of Mr John Lancaster Junior.
In 1874 Mr John Lancaster Jnr, the eldest child of John and Euphemia Lancaster married Miss Frances Eliza Wilcox (1851-1911) the daughter of Mr W. W. Wilcox of Wolston Manor, Warwickshire, England at Wolston, England.

The Blaina Collieries and Works.
In March 1878 the John Lancaster Co took over the Blaina Collieries and Works at Blaina, Monmouthshire, South Wales. The collieries were later under the supervision of Messrs John Dakers (General Manager) and Mr John Swinburne (Engineer).

The Marriage of Miss Catherine Lancaster.
In December 1879, John Lancaster’s daughter Miss Catherine Lancaster married Mr Oswald E. Part of Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Mr Part was the son of Mr Thomas Part, Solicitor of Aldenham Lodge, Watford, who had business interests in Wigan, he was also a partner in the Nantyglo and Blaina Works, Blaina, Monmouthshire. 

The Red Rose Yacht.
In March 1880 Mr John Lancaster paid a visit to Newport, South Wales. He arrived at the Alexandra Dock on his yacht “The Red Rose”. He had been electioneering as Liberal candidate for the Wigan area and had stopped off to see an old friend Mr E. H. Carbutt, the Liberal candidate for the Monmouthshire Boroughs and to take on bunker coal for a cruise to the Mediterranean.

Mr Lancaster’s yacht “The Red Rose” was one of the finest yachts belonging to the Royal Yacht Squadron, the members of which club were alone allowed to fly the St George’s Ensign. She was built in 1873 especially for Mr Lancaster and was 500 tons B.M. The yacht could steam at 16-17 knots per hour. The grand saloon was fitted with wall panels of polished walnut and maple, the ceiling was painted silver grey with gold beadings and a lobby furnished with polished pine. There was a ladies saloon and also a grand smoke room built in such a position that it had commanding views from all points of the compass.

The Death of Mrs Lancaster.
On Sunday the 29th of May 1881, Mrs Euphemia Lancaster sadly passed away at their residence Bilton Grange, Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

The Death of Mr John Lancaster Snr.
On the 21st of April 1884, Mr John Lancaster sadly passed away at his home at Frankfort House, 58 Fitzjohn’s Avenue, Hampstead, London just weeks after coming home from holiday in the Mediterranean.

Mr J. Lancaster Snr Obituary.
On Saturday 26th of April 1884, Mr John Lancaster’s obituary was published in the Birmingham Daily Post. It stated that he had been associated with the Patricroft Colliery, the Earl Granville works at North Staffordshire, the Wigan Iron and Coal Company, Bestwood Colliery and was the proprietor of the Nantyglo and Blaina Collieries, Monmouthshire, Wales.

The Will of Mr John Lancaster.
On Saturday 28th of June 1884, the Western Morning News published the will of Mr John Lancaster, who had passed away the previous April. Under the wills and bequests section, it stated that the will of Mr John Lancaster, late of Bilton Grange, Warwickshire, mining engineer and coal and iron master, had proved at over £194,000, equivalent to approximately £29.6 million in today’s money. The Lancaster Company lived on and flourished under the directorship of family members. 

The Cwmtillery and Rose Heyworth Collieries.
In 1888 the Messrs J. Lancaster & Co with Messrs Spier took over the lease of the Cwmtillery and Rose Heyworth Collieries.

The Arrael Griffin Colliery.
In 1891 the company under the directorship of Mr John Lancaster Jnr established the Arrael Griffin, Six Bells Colliery. 

Blaina Brickworks.
In 1892 the J. Lancaster Company opened a new brickworks at Blaina, Monmouthshire and began producing their own company bricks. They stated, that apart from making bricks for their own requirements, they intend to supply outside orders. Between 20 and 30 people were employed producing bricks at the works.

Arrael Street and Lancaster Street.
After the colliery was established and producing coal, the J. Lancaster Company arranged for houses to be built for its workers. These streets, Arrael Street, Lancaster Street and Griffin Street, also Lancaster Street and Part Street in Blaina were named in connection with the company.

Arrael Street or Arrail Street?
There were two different variations of the spelling of Arrail as in the street name i.e. Arrael and Arrail. Long before Messrs John Lancaster & Co came to the valley and sunk the colliery at Six Bells, there was a farm between Six Bells and Abertillery on land where Upper Arrail Street is today called Pant-yr-Arail, also, there were coal levels just south of Warm Turn named Arail along with the Arail Farm and mountain.

Arrael Griffin.
All of the collieries that were sunk under the control of the Lancaster Company that were located on the western side of the valley were named Griffin, I am unsure as to why this name was given as a name in connection with those pits. The name “Griffin” had nothing to do with the Lancaster Company, as the Griffin No1 Colliery at West Side, Blaina was originally owned and named as such by Crawshay Bailey and the Nantyglo and Blaina Iron Works Co, many years before.

Later, the new pits in the valley, sunk by J. Lancaster Co, were given the name Griffin and their location as a prefix along with a number, i.e. North Griffin No1 (Blaina). South Griffin No2 & No3 (Bourneville) and at Six Bells, the Arrael Griffin No4 & No5, all in sequence.  

The following is a link to the construction of Arrael or Arrail Street, Griffin and Lancaster streets, Six Bells, Abertillery.

Link to – The Story of the Construction of Arrail Street, Griffin Street and Lancaster Street, Six Bells.

Mr George Granville Lancaster.
In 1896 Mr George Granville Lancaster, son of  married Miss Cicely Champion De Crespigny (1875-1946). Mr George Granville Lancaster died in 1907.

The Arrael Griffin Colliery Miners Institute.
In 1902 the Arrael Griffin Colliery Six Bells, owned by Messrs J. Lancaster & Co had a miners institute built at a cost of £3,000. The institute was constructed at Arrail Street, Six Bells. Mr Charles T. Part J.P., St Albans, Herts one of the directors of the firm of Messrs John Lancaster & Co having performed the opening ceremony. It was intended that Mr Part would be the manager though there was a committee of management selected from the employees at the colliery. Mr J. J. Jeffreys the colliery manager was the chairman. Other members included Mr J. Trilla, under-manager, Mr A. Watkins, the Clerk, Mr T. Rosser, the overman and representative of various grades of workmen.

The Death of John Lancaster Junior.
John Lancaster Jnr died in April 1918 at his home Dunchurch Lodge, near Rugby, Warwickshire, England. His obituary in the Coventry Evening Telegraph – Tuesday 30th of April 1918 states, he left two children, a son John Reginald Lancaster (1879-1959) and a daughter Frances Euphemia Wratislaw nee Lancaster (1879-1919) the Countess Wenzel Wratislaw, the wife of Count Wenzel E. W. Wratislaw, a foreign languages teacher at Rugby School, Warwickshire.

Sources: South Wales Gazette, Various Online Newspapers, Census Records and Ancestry.