Anna Cotton facts for kids

Anna Cotton or Anna Welby (died 1721) was an English woman who ran a large iron business. She was also a nonconformist, meaning she was a Christian who did not follow the official Church of England.

Anna became the second wife of William Cotton, who was a successful ironmaster. An ironmaster was someone who owned and managed ironworks, which were factories that made iron products. After William died, Anna bravely took charge of his business and became the leader of their family.

Anna Cotton's Life

Anna Cotton was born in the 1600s. On March 7, 1683, she married William Cotton in South Yorkshire. William already had eleven children from his first marriage.

Both William and Anna were followers of Reverend Oliver Heywood. He was a nonconformist minister, which meant he was a religious leader who chose not to follow the rules of the official Church of England. Anna and William had a son named William Westby Cotton, who was born in 1689.

Taking Over the Business

William Cotton died on May 6, 1703. After his death, Anna and her brother-in-law, Daniel Cotton, had to care for the four children who were still alive.

William's business was very important to the family. However, his former business partner, John Spencer, was trying to take over parts of their iron empire. John Spencer was known for taking advantage of partners who had passed away.

It was up to Anna to protect their family's property and business rights. She worked hard to make sure their iron business stayed strong.

Family and Business Success

Anna's children made smart marriages that helped the family's business grow even stronger.

• Her oldest daughter, Frances, married William Vernon. He helped manage their Warmingham forge, which was a type of ironworks.
• Her second daughter, Anna, married Edward Kendall. He helped run the family's ironworks in Staffordshire.
• Her son, William (William Westby Cotton), married his first cousin, Anna Cotton. Her father was Daniel Cotton, Anna's brother-in-law.

In 1716, Anna began to step back from some of her business duties. She handed over control of the Colne Bridge forge to her son, William. She informed John Spencer about this change. However, Spencer didn't seem to pay much attention. Anna and her family had to remind him that he owed them £600. They also had to ask him for the business accounts from May 1717, which he had not provided.

Later Life and Legacy

Reverend Thomas Dickinson, who took over from Reverend Oliver Heywood, wrote about Anna Cotton's death. She died on July 8, 1721, in Stourbridge. She was buried in Darton on July 13.

After Anna Cotton passed away, the Cotton family continued to run their successful iron business. Anna's efforts helped secure their family's future and their important place in the iron industry.