642 Henry Bolckow

Constituency : Middlesbrough 1868-78

Henry  was  the  first  MP  for  the  new  seat  of  Middlesbrough. He  was  unopposed.

Henry  was  born  in  Germany  of  merchant  stock. In  1827,  when  he  was  21,  he  was  invited  to  become  a  business  partner  to  a  corn  merchant  operating  out  of  Newcastle. H  became  a  naturalised  British  subject  in  1841. He  went  into  business  with  John  Vaughan to  form  the  ironworking  company  Bolckow  Vaughan  which  rapidly  expanded  to  encompass  mining, quarrying a  gasworks  and  brickmaking.  Henry  handled  the  finances  while  John  was  in  charge  of  operations. Middlesbrough  rapidly  developed  as  a  town  as  a  result  and  Henry  became  its  first  mayor. He  gave  a  park  and  a  school  to  the  town.

Henry  was  a  great  collector  of  contemporary  art

In  1877  Henry  fell  ill  from  kidney  disease  and  died  the  following  year.