From City of Steel to Ironopolis

I’ve spent the last week taking a deep dive into the history of steel production and why it had a bearing on Fred’s decision to move to Middlesbrough. In his long letter of Saturday 13th of November 1881 Fred starts to paint Jane a picture of the town.

I’m struck with the contrast between the personal experience of a young man trying to find his bearings in his new job in a new town, and the engine of industrialisation that is now in full flow irrevocably transforming the once quiet banks of the River Tee forever. After already acquiring the name ‘Ironopolis’ from the production of pig iron, Middlesborough was now switching to steel production and the company that Fred was working for, North Eastern Steel, would over the decades become part of Dorman Long – the world’s largest producer of steel, notable for such edifices as the Sydney Habour Bridge. But back in 1881, Fred would have had no way of knowing that he’d backed the right horse in moving from Sheffield to Middlesbrough to follow Mr Cooper.

Fred was clearly anxious about this journey and the move: “after getting rid of my early breakfast I did not feel very robust. I had a very comfortable carriage — but I could not smoke or read anything. I felt as tho’ I were leaving my heart or half myself behind me which you know love was quite true.”

It would appear the the tradition of baggage handlers being careless with one’s luggage is a long one as “At York I had to change + had 20 min to wait. I here had the pleasure of seeing them smash two feet off my box in getting it out of the luggage van. They handled it so delicately.”

The detail that surprised me the most though was that Fred had to put in a full afternoon’s work before he was able look for lodgings. However his boss, the aforementioned Mr Cooper, as managing director, has the liberty of being able to look for accommodation during work time: “I arrived at 11:50 + at once proceeded to the Exchange where I commenced work at once 1:10 went to dinner with Marston + at 2.30 back again to work. Rather a good beginning, was it not? — Mr Cooper did not come until 5.0 — Mr Cooper came by the same train as I did, + they were inspecting public buildings, or rather looking for a house. I may have to tell you that to get a decent house in M’bro is no easy matter. I could not find even lodgings that night so had to sleep with Marston.”

I feel for Fred so much, a real shocker of day; throw up your breakfast with anxiety and the sadness of farewells, watch your luggage get damaged and then focus on making a good impression, all the while wondering where in fact you are going to lay your head that night. And then that turns out to be with your coworker.

Fred’s new offices were based in the Royal Exchange, a grand red brick building specifically built to house the offices of several companies and facilitate trading. They were immediately opposite Middlesbrough Railway Station. Fred found lodgings about a mile west in Church Street near St Pauls Church. The steel works were situated on the northern bend of the River Tee – only a mile away from the Exchange. Multitudinous long terraces of brick houses were built for the workers and Fred noted “The streets are very well arranged, but very flat, stop at night you can see to any distance in a straight line, + they mostly go off at right angles, This has been done with M’bro being an entirely new town — sadly too new!”

Fred settles in quickly and he clearly relishes his new responsibilities “I am beginning to like it better now which was very necessary, for last Wednesday + Thursday I was very down hearted, in fact I wished I had never left B.B + D — This is not because Mr Cooper is hard to please, we get on very well together + he seems to like me very much, tis very considerate — which makes it a pleasure to work for him —I have plenty of work, almost too much, but that I am not afraid of. But my duties are so multifarious being. Correspondence, Cashier, bookkeeper + several other jobs too numerous to mention. […] Mr Cooper went to Sheffield yesterday + on Monday goes to Manchester I am to open the Company’s letters tomorrow + reply to them: Fancy that! — If position were anything I have got it here, there being nobody to interfere with me, + I am introduced by Marston as “our chief clerk” !!!”

The end of Fred’s letter talks about his lodging and is a bit of an eye opening about what one might expect to eat for breakfast, “I am very comfortable here, my landlady is a widower, who belongs the house + has has some other houses belong to her so that she is not grasping. In fact she feeds us too well. We have puddings + pastry everyday + very often sorts of meat. For breakfast we have kippers or eggs, brown bread, white bread, cake etc , tea the same, Supper milk + fruit pies or tarts, cheese etc.

Today we had a rabbit for dinner with pork + apple sauce etc On the whole, we feed well

I am going to S. Paul’s church to night to hear the Archbishop again.

I shall want you to send me a letter every Saturday if not oftener so that I can read it on Sundays, it will brighten my lot a little. If you go down to Darnall this week, call at our house + see if my mother has sen the Saturday papers, if not, will you kindly sent them to me to the above address.

I don’t thing I can last out till Xmas my darling I so yearn for you. Your photo is not quite sufficient.

They have a very good harmonium here + plenty of music so that I have something to cheer me up. I will give you some more particulars in my next + remain
my darling Janie
Your loving
Fred!

P.S. If you think me prosy say so, + I’ll cut it short.”

Picture credits:
Blast furnaces, Port Clarence Works, Middlesbrough, circa 1900
By Borvan53 – California Digital Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17076475
The Royal Exchange, Middlesbrough, Cleveland and Teesside Media Archive http://www.theoldhometown.com/cleveland/picture/number1322.asp
Breakfast by Joséphine Berthault by AgathaNi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_of_breakfasts#/media/File:Nature_morte_petit_dejeuner_josephine_berthault.jpg