Profiles

The Middlesbrough that we know today has been shaped by many people throughout its history.

William Hustler, Joseph Pease and Dorman Long are just a few of the long-list of pioneers that have had a hand in developing the town, but perhaps the biggest impact on the area came from a German immigrant called Henry William Ferdinand Bolckow.

So who was this accountant from Rostock whose vision led to Middlesbrough becoming an industrial powerhouse in the mid 19th Century?

Bolckow originally arrived in Tyneside in 1838 and worked as a clerk, but soon grew tired of his job and embarked on using the money he had made to set up his own Iron business with his brother-in-law, John Vaughn, in 1840.

Their Ironworks gave Middlesbrough a worldwide reputation for industrial excellence and would change the town forever, leading to Bolckow becoming the first Mayor of Middlesbrough and using his own money to fund many of the buildings and services that have helped to shape the town in the 21st Century.

To celebrate the achievements of Bolckow and his innovations in the town, a plaque and clock have been unveiled in Captain Cook Square.

Travelling from Germany to the North East, from a humble clerk to an industrial pioneer, providing huge financial contributions to the town, Henry Bolckow is a man who changed the face of Middlesbrough in so many ways.

To find out more about Henry Bolckow, click on the audio and gallery links at the top right of this page.