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Joseph Cowen
Warning: This is not intended to be an exhaustive history of this individual, but an indication of the changes of positions and the links between companies, directors and managers in those companies. Only collieries, pits etc. in the North of England are shown - the individual may be involved with other companies or collieries outside this area and there may have been other positions for which we currently do not have details.
Joseph Cowen
Source: Miners of Northumberland and Durham (1873)
Links to other pages on this site
| 06 Oct 1880 | — | Newspaper article (Seaham Colliery Explosion) |
| 19 Feb 1900 | — | Newspaper article (Obituary) |
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| 1864 | |
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Membership
1864-1865, North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. Position: Member; Address: Blaydon Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
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| 1870 | |
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Membership
1870-1871, North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. Position: Member; Address: Blaydon Burn, Newcastle-on-Tyne; Elected: 05 Oct 1854
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| 1873 | |
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Biographical Notes
Mr. Joseph Cowen, whose name is a household word in Northumberland and Durham, is the eldest son of Sir Joseph Cowen, one of the Liberal representatives of the Borough of Newcastle in the House of Commons; and was born at Blaydon Burn, where his father had lived for many years, and carried on a very successful business as a firebrick maker. While yet a very young man, he associated himself with all the more prominent leaders of public opinion in this district, and by his genius, intelligence, and intrepidity, soon became recognised as the leader of the leaders. Ever in favour of reform of all abuses and obsolete usages, he spared neither time nor labour in advocating these changes; and visited most of the colliery villages in the neighbourhood in agitating in favour of reforms. Here he stirred the miners into action by his homely and effective eloquence, and succeeded in leading them into serious reflection on political matters. He was mainly instrumental in calling into existence the Northern Reform League, an association of earnest reformers, which did considerable work some fifteen years ago, and which instituted a prosecution for bribery at Berwick in the year 1859. Mr. R. B. Reed was the secretary of this union, and played a very active part in this prosecution ; and many miners who now lead the van of political thought in their own villages, first derived their inspiration from Messrs. Cowen and Reed. In the year 1859, Mr. Cowen purchased the Newcastle Daily Chronicle and the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle from Mr. Mark William Lambert, for the purpose of using the columns of those journals in the advocacy of reforms, and with what success he has done this is known to all. As soon as the Chronicle passed into the hands of Mr. Cowen, its columns were opened for the publication of the grievances of the working classes, and especially those of miners. By degrees their meetings came to be reported, and a lively public interest in their welfare was thus created. In the year 1859, Mr. Cowen was elected a member of the Newcastle Town Council for Westgate Ward, in the place of Mr. Dunn. In 1865, he was mainly instrumental in securing the return of his father as the representative of Newcastle in the House of Commons, beating on that occasion Mr. Somerset A. Beaumont, who, five years previously had been elected, on the retirement of Mr. George Ridley from the representation. When his father came before the constituents again at the general election in 1868, he was opposed by Mr. Charles Frederic Hammond, a political charlatan, who sought the suifrages of the electors as a Conservative; but the united influence of Mr. Joseph Cowen and his popular journal proved too much for Mr. Hammond, and he was left in a minority of nearly 5,000 of the man he had come forward to oust. Previous to this last contest, when the Tory government were muddling the "Representation of the People Bill," a large demonstration in favour of reform was promoted principally by Mr. Cowen, and many thousands of the miners of the two counties took part in it. During the agitation, antecedent and subsequent to the passing of the Education Act, Mr. Cowen united himself with several other gentlemen in Newcastle, as an Education League, in connection with the National League, and was appointed as its chairman. This league initiated several very important meetings in Newcastle and district, and no doubt assisted much towards getting the Education Act passed. In 1871, he was elected a member of the Newcastle School Board, then newly formed, and in company with Mr. R. S. Watson, and Dr. Rutherford, fought with great vigour against the sectarian tendencies of the majority. His connection with the co-operative movement in the north is known to all, and his ardent sympathies with the welfare of the miners is also a matter of notoriety. He has held the office of president of the Northern Union Mechanics' Institutes, and is at present a vice-president of that useful institution. He has ever advocated the establishment of Mechanics' Institutes, Reading Rooms, and Free Schools in all small towns and villages, and Free Libraries in all large towns. From Mr. Joseph Cowen came first the suggestion which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the Newcastle Physical Science, for though Dean Lake was as active as any man could be in its promotion, it was probably that but for Mr. Cowen, no such institution would at present be in existence. In 1872, he had the extreme satisfaction of seeing a well-deserved compliment paid to his father, who was knighted in that year by the Queen, not for tuft-hunting, as too many get such honours bestowed upon them, but as a recognition of a long life spent in the service of his country, and in the assertion of manly independence. Mr. Cowen is ever ready with his eloquence or pen to advocate any cause that has right and justice upon its side, and there is scarce a public meeting held in Newcastle, or neighbourhood, in favour of any reform, in which he does not take part, either as president or speaker.
Source: Miners of Northumberland and Durham (1873)
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| 1880 | |
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Membership
1880-1881, North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. Position: Member; Address: M.P., Blaydon Burn, Newcastle-on-Tyne; Elected: 05 Oct 1854
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- The Miners of Northumberland and Durham by Richard Fynes, first published in 1873
- Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, Volume XIV published in 1865
- Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, Volume XX published in 1871
- Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, Volume XXX published in 1881
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