James Shipton facts for kids

James Shipton was an important businessman who lived a long time ago, from 1798 to 1865. He sold wood and ran a transport company. He also became the mayor of Wolverhampton, a town in England, from 1854 to 1855.

Shipton's Business Journey

In 1821, James Shipton and his brother Maurice started a transport business. They were located next to the new Birmingham Canal in Wolverhampton. Six years later, in 1827, they also opened a place to store and sell wood.

Growing the Timber Trade

The Shipton family already had a history in the wood business. James's father, Joseph Shipton, had a wood yard in Birmingham. James and Maurice created a new main office for their "Swift Packet boat" service. These boats were like early delivery services on the canals.

Later, Maurice Shipton left the business, and James continued on his own. The area where his business was located became a busy spot. It was a place where canals and railways met, making it perfect for moving goods.

Shipping Goods Across England

In 1833, Shipton & Co. built a large storage building at Gloucester Docks. Their "fly boats" were fast boats that delivered goods every day to many places. This shows how big their business was.

Here are some of the places they delivered to:

• Liverpool
• Manchester
• Chester
• Wrexham
• North Wales
• Derby
• Hull
• The Staffordshire iron works
• Bilston
• Dudley
• Worcester
• Gloucester
• Bristol
• London
• Birmingham
• Stourport
• Kidderminster

Shipton's company carried all sorts of things, but they were especially good at moving finished iron products. His business grew by taking over other companies. In 1847, a railway company called the North Staffordshire Railway took over Shipton's business. However, the business faced problems and was sold again in 1849 to the Bridgewater Trustees. James Shipton stayed on to manage things for them.

James Shipton as Mayor

James Shipton became the Mayor of Wolverhampton in November 1854. Being mayor means he was the main leader of the town council. His time as mayor was quite difficult. There was a big disagreement about the Wolverhampton Waterworks Company. The town council was criticized for not being able to agree on buying the water company. Many meetings were held, but no progress was made.

Because of this problem, James Shipton decided not to be mayor for another term. The next mayor, Edward Perry, had to serve for two terms to try and fix the waterworks situation.

About James Shipton's Family

James Shipton was born in Birmingham on August 19, 1798. His parents were Joseph Shipton and Caroline. In 1824, he married Anne Adcock. She was from a town called Penkridge in Staffordshire. James and Anne lived with their family in Wolverhampton, at a place called Dunstall Hill.

After his time as mayor ended in 1855, James Shipton started to slow down his work. He fully retired in 1858 and left Wolverhampton. He moved to Leamington Priors in Warwickshire, which is now known as Leamington Spa. He passed away there on February 1, 1865.