William Russell (banker)

The Russell family has been traced back to Duddon Bridge, near Millom (now in Cumbria).^[2] William Russell was the second son of Robert Russell (died 1757) of Rowenlands (also Roanlands), near Haverigg in Cumberland.^[3][4] His uncle Matthew Russell moved to Sunderland in 1717 and was in business there as a timber merchant and shipbuilder. He became blind, and William Russell took over the business.^[5] Matthew Russell died childless in 1760. He and Robert each left William £10,000.^[6]

Russell took on a lease for New Washington colliery in 1775;^[7] the royalty holder in 1820, in the time of his son as owner, was Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet, of Brayton.^[8] He took on a further lease, of Wallsend Colliery, in 1787. The royalties were held by the dean and chapter of Durham Cathedral. The terms were such that he generated a large personal income. He became very wealthy; and left "personalty sworn under £160,000" at his death.^[7][9]

The Russells joined the Grand Allies. This was a group of coal-owning families, active in exploiting the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield. They developed pre-steam waggonways, and a system of wayleaves worked out with landowners, to extract coal. Others involved were the Brandlings, Liddells and the Bowes family. Wayleaves for the coalfield were strategic tools, and were used to support monopoly.^[10][11] Around 1825 William Russell the grandson was negotiating for a deal with the Marquess of Londonderry and John George Lambton for wayleave access to Penshaw on the River Wear, in return for blocking construction of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.^[12]

Joseph Maude, one of the founders of the bank in Kendal, recorded a bill on the Sunderland Bank in 1774; he had an account there.^[13] Russell, Allan & Wade, as it was termed in a 1790s directory entry, had Hankey & Co. as the London bank on which it drew.^[14] It was the first bank in Sunderland.^[5][15]

With a change of partner, the bank then traded as Russell, Allan & Maling. It closed before 1803.^[16] The three partners, William Russell, Robert Allan, and John Maling I, married three sisters, the daughters of Robert Harrison.^[5] Robert Allan (1740–1806) was a younger brother of George Allan, of the Blackwell Grange family, sons of the wealthy attorney James Allan (1712–1790) and his wife Elizabeth Pemberton.^[17][18]

John Maling and his elder brother Christopher Thompson Maling went into business with the support of their father William Maling.^[19] The family bought Wood House, near Hylton Ferry, in 1750, and with clay from North Hylton they started a pottery. They produced brown earthenware from 1762; and later pink lustreware. The business was moved from the North Hylton Works to the Ouseburn valley, Tyneside in 1815, by John's son Robert.^[19][20] At this point the North Hylton works was taken over by John Phillips.^[21]

John Maling married the widowed May née Harrison as his second wife.^[22]

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars Russell raised a body of County Durham infantry, the Usworth yeomanry cavalry, and the Wallsend Rifles commanded by John Buddle.^[3] He founded a hospital at Cornsay.^[1]