Jonas Gregson - An Interesting Character

[Andy873]

Thanks to @stuving's help who confirmed Jonas was his first name and not James plus other details, I've been able to get a picture of what kinds of things he was doing up to and including when he went bust which I think some of you might find interesting to read about.

Jonas, born in 1816 in Haworth, West Yorkshire was one son of James Gregson. James was a stone mason / builder and Jonas followed in his footsteps. He married Ann Whitaker in Keighley in 1837 and seems to have spent some time in Ireland.

Back in England, he formed a partnership with what looks to be his brother George, but by 1851 they dissolve the partnership and go their own way as far as building work is concerned. However, Jonas having finished work on the Regent's canal extension is recorded as selling up various things connected with the build in November 1950.

In 1857 he won a tender to replace Liverpool's Exchange station's roof. He must have been someone of note around Wakefield / Bradford, as in November 1861 two women try to steel eight gold sovereign's and a half sovereign, and end up in court for their troubles - that's one way to get a free no return journey to Australia!

In August 1866 he, together with a new partner John Turner Alcock tender and win the contract to build the Heckmondwike and Thornhill line. This line was just 2 miles and 15 chains long, it was completed in just under three years and opened 1st June 1869. Also in 1866 working out of Wakefield he (without Alcock) wins the contract to build a turnpike road from Wakefield to Aberford.

During the late 1860's and early '70s he is seen undertaking many building projects around Wakefield such as building houses, laying drains, pavements etc, so at this time, he has many works ongoing. I don't know how good a person he was regarding paying his workforce but in 1870, two labourers take him to court for non payment of wages. Also in 1870 he wins the job to lay a tramway in Wakefield, perhaps these labourers had worked on the tramway.

Jonas would by the very nature of his work had one eye on tenders being advertised by the railway companies, and I'd be very surprised if he didn't bid for the initial western section of the North Lancs loop in 1870. He did however win the tender for the eastern section (Padiham - Rose Grove) in January 1871 which was to prove to be his undoing. This section has striking similarities with the Heckmondwike and Thornhill line, more or less the same distance and mostly a straight line.

The first sign of trouble comes when he is confronted with a group of labourers in September 1871 at his yard in Padiham, it looks like once more the trouble was over payment of wages. A Mr. Smith, one of the men puts Gregson's office window through one Saturday afternoon. They of course are dragged to the courts for their trouble.

In 1872 the partnership of Gregson & Alcock is dissolved by mutual consent.

Most people have a hobby of some sort, Jonas liked the horses, he had horses entered in the local agricultural shows at Padiham, won one prize and came second in another. It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't go to race meetings either.

Now, it's unclear why he had difficulties fulfilling his contract with the L&Y building the Padiham - Rose Grove section, perhaps (as indicated) by non payment of wages it might have been cash flow problems as he likely had other ongoing works else where. What is clear is that the L&Y were not happy with his progress in 1874. They effectively cancel his contract. These contracts by the L&Y withhold 10 percent of your original tender, when you complete the works, you get half of that 10 percent, and the other half after 12 months of finishing - Jonas did neither, by my crude calculations (in today's money) missed out on something like £260,000! enough to tip anyone over the edge in my opinion. What I can say is that in both cases where he had been in partnership with someone else, he is the one that pays any outstanding debts, perhaps another possible reason, this happens right in the middle of him building the Padiham - Rose Grove section of line.

Jonas is now forced to do the only thing he can, and instructs a local auctioneer to put up for sale the equipment in his yard (Bridge End area of Padiham), October / November 1874, and once more in 1875.

He lived to see the goods trains run on this section but not passenger services, on Friday, 18 Feb 1876 Jonas died at the age of 60. He had been ill for only a few days but I don't know what with.

The irony of all this is just after Jonas dies, the executors of the will organise one final auction of the remaining equipment etc, and the auction is held at what is called "station ground" where Padiham station is now being built on the section he built and he probably would have built the station too if things had gone the other way.

I'm sure somewhere if we look around, he would have been involved with other railway works for other companies.

An interesting character in my opinion.

 

[weepingwillowb]

He seems to have been capable of being quite headstrong. Any idea of what happened when this case continued in July 1851?

....CLERKENWELL. — Mr. Jonas Gregson, a railway contractor, was summoned before Mr. Combe, charged by Wm. Rowbottam with having assaulted him.
....Mr. Wakeling, the solicitor, attended to conduct the prosecution, and said his client, Mr. Rowbottam, had formerly been clerk and cashier to the defendant. A certain railway plant, consisting of waggons, &c., was deposited in a yard in Balls-pond, Islington, they having been mortgaged to Timothy Tyrrell, Esq., solicitor of the city, and another, and possession of the property had been given to them, and Mr. Rowbottam had been appointed to protect it under a written authority, and keep possession of it, and not to suffer it to be removed during his (Mr. Tyrrell's) absence in Ireland, without the production of a written authority from him. On the night of the 18th instant, about 11 o'clock, the defendant, in company of a large body of navvies, came to the place where the waggons and other plants were deposited, with twenty or thirty horses, for the purpose of taking the property away, but could not produce any written authority to entitle him to do so, when Mr. Rowbottam, in the execution of his duty, attempted to resist and prevent the removal of the property, and placed his back against one ot the waggons, on which the defendant called to his men to put horses to the waggons, which they forcibly dragged from the premises, in doing which Mr. Rowbottam was severely injured, and narrowly escaped with his life. This constituted the assault complained of.
....Mr. Wakeling was about to call witnesses, when
....Mr. Combe said it was a matter that he could not interfere with, as it was an assault arising out of a question of right and title to property, and Mr. Tyrrell being in Ireland, nothing could be decided without his evidence. They might take the case to the sessions.
....Mr. Gregson denied the charge, and asserted his right to the property.
....Mr. Combe, after some consultation, ordered the defendant to put in his bail to appear at this court in 14 days, for the attendance of Mr. Tyrrell, and also to keep the peace during that period of time.
....The bail was put in, the defendant was liberated, and the parties left the court.
[The Morning Post, Friday, 27 June 1851]

 

[Andy873]

And then I checked the London Gazette, and found another end of partnership notice. This was put in on 10/1/1851 by Jonas Gregson and (I think) his brother George, saying their partnership as railway contractors was dissolved. The early date is a surprise, given his census entry a few month later as "tradesman". But the biggest surprise is their address - the contractors' office of the East and West India Docks and Birmingham Junction Railway. This opened in sections from 1850, and is now the North London Line. So quite an important job.

Yes, it seems he was indeed in Islington at the time. He and his brother George had been in partnership but this was dissolved in January 1851, not too long before this court case. Perhaps George got fed up with Jonas's attitude / temper?

It seems he wasn't shy at taking things into his own hands when needed.

He seems to have been capable of being quite headstrong. Any idea of what happened when this case continued in July 1851?

Didn't know about this case, in some ways it surprises me and doesn't in equal measures, if that makes sense. I mentioned earlier about a group of labourers turning up at his yard in Padiham, the briefest of headlines is all I'm able to read but states they "came with vengeance for wages", and one put his office window through whilst Jonas Gregson was inside (Burnley Gazette, Page 5, 16 September 1871).

Can anyone tell me more about the article regarding his window being smashed?

It seems he ended up in court several times in his life, one time he was accused of taking away part of a building without permission, building another without any permission at all and so on. In his defence, he did contribute to local hospital funds and build part of a Baptist chapel (well at least as far as I can make out) in Wakefield.

Anyone know anything more about Jonas Gregson? especially around the 1870's.

 

[Rescars]

He seems to have been capable of being quite headstrong. Any idea of what happened when this case continued in July 1851?

This was an era of robust action on the part of contractors. July 1851 was the date of the famous Battle of Mickleton, when Brunel assembled an army of 2000 or so to persuade the contractor Marchant to relinquish his contract to construct Campden Tunnel.

 

[stuving]

Didn't know about this case, in some ways it surprises me and doesn't in equal measures, if that makes sense. I mentioned earlier about a group of labourers turning up at his yard in Padiham, the briefest of headlines is all I'm able to read but states they "came with vengeance for wages", and one put his office window through whilst Jonas Gregson was inside (Burnley Gazette, Page 5, 16 September 1871).

Can anyone tell me more about the article regarding his window being smashed?

This is the story cited; nothing spectacular and only one aggrieved navvy was involved. And for that Tyrrell case, I can't find any further reports. I guess it was sorted out between the parties.

Given what we know (or think we do) about navvies, being a ganger must have been a very hands-on - or even fists-on - job. The contractor was a level above that, but would still have been out on site much of the time. And he'd have to back up, or face down, his gangers as need be. So it wasn't a job for wimps like us. It may be that George found he could not cope and gave up contracting as soon as he could.

But I did wonder if his retreat to the family home (in 1851 he is listed there as landed proprietor) was due to his health. It would not be a surprise if he was injured, perhaps on site, or had one of those debilitating diseases prevalent at the time (TB being the main one). If he was able to quit contracting with, say, £1000, he could have applied that to property or commercial ventures and ended up with nearly £5000 at his death in 1873. If you really want to know, his death registration from the GRO will cost £3.

 

[Andy873]

This is the story cited; nothing spectacular and only one aggrieved navvy was involved. And for that Tyrrell case, I can't find any further reports. I guess it was sorted out between the parties.

@stuving - Thank you for that, at least now I know what happened.

Given what we know (or think we do) about navvies, being a ganger must have been a very hands-on - or even fists-on - job. The contractor was a level above that, but would still have been out on site much of the time. And he'd have to back up, or face down, his gangers as need be. So it wasn't a job for wimps like us.

I see exactly what you're saying here, I don't think I would have been able to keep such a work force in order, so it's not a job for everyone.

It may be that George found he could not cope and gave up contracting as soon as he could.

But I did wonder if his retreat to the family home (in 1851 he is listed there as landed proprietor) was due to his health. It would not be a surprise if he was injured, perhaps on site, or had one of those debilitating diseases prevalent at the time (TB being the main one). If he was able to quit contracting with, say, £1000, he could have applied that to property or commercial ventures and ended up with nearly £5000 at his death in 1873.

Well, with towns growing at an enormous rate, and if you did have some money to invest in property (and of course you get it right), surely it's an easier way to make a living, especially if you're not as fit as you used to be!

Many thanks,
Andy.

 

[stuving]

When George was back home in 1851, there were two sisters living there too. Both were about 20, unmarried, and employed as power loom weavers - the classic female working class job then in Keighley. That looks out of line with the brothers, some of whom were now becoming quite successful in their trade or business. So who were Jonas's family of origin, and how did they fare?

We already know his father James was a stone mason, and he died in 1861 aged 66. His wife Sally Wright had died in 1860 aged 62. I have found twelve children, of whom two died as infants and one probably did too, but with no clear record. So in 1841 the remaining nine are living with their parents in Bradford, including Jonas who has married.

By 1851 three more have died (aged 8, 10, 17), and just George and the two daughters are now with their parents; the other three sons (john, James, Jonas) are married. But both girls were to die within two years (aged 20, 21), so in 1861 there are four sons still living. And their ages at death are 41 (James), 48 (John), 51 (George), 59 (Jonas) - who was the oldest and died last.

 

[Andy873]

When George was back home in 1851, there were two sisters living there too. Both were about 20, unmarried, and employed as power loom weavers - the classic female working class job then in Keighley. That looks out of line with the brothers, some of whom were now becoming quite successful in their trade or business. So who were Jonas's family of origin, and how did they fare?

We already know his father James was a stone mason, and he died in 1861 aged 66. His wife Sally Wright had died in 1860 aged 62. I have found twelve children, of whom two died as infants and one probably did too, but with no clear record. So in 1841 the remaining nine are living with their parents in Bradford, including Jonas who has married.

By 1851 three more have died (aged 8, 10, 17), and just George and the two daughters are now with their parents; the other three sons (john, James, Jonas) are married. But both girls were to die within two years (aged 20, 21), so in 1861 there are four sons still living. And their ages at death are 41 (James), 48 (John), 51 (George), 59 (Jonas) - who was the oldest and died last.

A fabulous bit of research here, we are really getting a picture of Jonas and his family.

I.ve been doing some research of my own and this is what I've found:

Firstly, Jonas died of something called Erysipelas, a form of streptococcus bacteria, otherwise know as St. Anthony's file. It causes a fever, and in many cases it was fatal, as it was for Jonas. The newspapers report he was 60 when he died, but perhaps he died just before or soon after his birthday?

Sureties - In August 1866, Jonas gets accepted to do some building work for Wakefield council, although he's in partnership with John Alcock this seems to be an independent tender by Jonas. The surprise is that John is named as one of the sureties of the work, and it appears the council are happy with Mr. Alcock in that role. I wonder if there were times Alcock tendered and Jonas was one of his sureties?

In 1870, both are accepted by the council to build a new approach road to a railway station, presumably Wakefield.

Something that didn't surprise me is that in September 1871 (whilst contracted to build the Padiham - Rose Grove section of the loop line), he was still accepting new works back in Wakefield.

Also, he is seen buying up plots of land, one case states over 3,500 square acres at 1s 1d, which works out at £306 together with another one of similar size at the same auction. He is obviously going to build houses etc, but it's a lot of money to lay out in todays money.

So it seems he's working both as what we would call a sole trader and in partnership with Alcock.

We can see from those land purchases of 1871 and building work on the railway line that he's spending a lot of money at that time, perhaps Alcock could see this, and felt it wise to end their partnership in 1872 - in any case, for Alcock it turned out to be a wise move on his part. In both cases of partnership first with Goerge his brotherand later with John Alcock, when the partnerships are dissolved, it's Jonas that is left to pay the bills.

More digging shows he's in court on several occasions on both sides of the coin.

The newspaper reports about his death state he was a well known person (in Wakefield), but I can't find any reference to "well liked"!

I wonder in the end, if it was cash flow that did for him, or perhaps one of his builds in Wakefield went belly up?