Moses Ironmonger
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c. 1809
Moses Ironmonger | |
|---|---|
| Born | Moses Ironmonger c. 1809 London, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 25 November 1887 (aged 78) Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England |
| Occupation | Rope manufacturer |
| Known for | Twice Mayor of Wolverhampton, provincial telephone pioneer |
Moses Ironmonger (c. 1809 – 25 November 1887) was a successful rope manufacturer who, although an orphan from humble beginnings, twice became Mayor of Wolverhampton (1857–58 and 1868–69).
Provincial telephone pioneer
Ironmonger built up a very successful business manufacturing rope, first at Cock Street then a larger site at Gt Brickkiln Street, now the Baynell Building. Ironmonger & Co Ltd. carried on for two further generations until it finally went into liquidation in 1902.[1]
He was a friend of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, and in 1880 the first telephone line in Wolverhampton was laid between Ironmonger's factory and the company's offices, a mile away,[2] barely four years after Bell's demonstration of clear speech on a telephone transmission.
Politics
A Liberal supporter, Ironmonger was appointed Chief Magistrate in 1857, served as a governor for the Wolverhampton Grammar School and president of the Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce. He twice served as Mayor of Wolverhampton, 1857–1858 and 1868–1869.[3]