Josep Bonaplata i Corriol facts for kids

Josep Bonaplata i Corriol (1795 - Bunyol, 2 June 1843) was an important Catalan businessman. He is famous for bringing the steam engine to Catalonia and Spain. His parents, Ramon Bonaplata and Teresa Corriol, made fabrics like chintz. Josep had three brothers: Salvador, Ramon, and Narcís.

Early Life and a Trip to England

Josep Bonaplata worked in his family's factory. When his father retired, his older brother Salvador took over the business. In 1828, Josep and his friend Joan Vilaregut started a new cotton factory in Sallent. They used mechanical looms powered by water from the Llobregat River. This was the first time mechanical looms were used in Spain!

In 1829, Josep wanted to make his business even better. He got permission from the Spanish government to bring in an English steam engine. So, Bonaplata traveled to Lancashire, England, with Joan Rull and a man named Camps. They went to learn about the textile industry and buy new machines. In London, the Spanish ambassador, Francisco Cea Bermúdez, gave him permission to import the steam engine. Josep and Rull came back to Catalonia in July 1830. Camps stayed in Manchester to learn more about the machinery.

Starting a Modern Factory

On September 30, 1831, Bonaplata started a new company. It was called Bonaplata, Rull, Vilaregut and Company. He joined with his three brothers, his friend Joan Vilaregut, and his new partner Joan Rull. The company had a lot of money, about 1.6 million reales.

The Bonaplata Factory was also known as El Vapor, which means "The Steam". It did two main things:

• It had an iron foundry where they made metal parts. They also had a workshop to build mechanical looms.
• It was a factory for weaving and spinning cloth using machines.

This was the very first factory in Spain to use a steam engine to power its machines! People quickly saw how important this factory was. It helped inspire new ways of doing business and making things in Spain.

However, something terrible happened. On the night of August 5 and 6, 1835, groups of people called Luddites attacked the factory. These groups were known as Bullangues. They burned the factory down. The damage was huge, costing over 2.6 million reales.

Bonaplata sued the Spanish government. He said they didn't do enough to stop the riot. At first, the government didn't want to pay. But then they asked the Cortes Generales (which is like the Spanish parliament) for permission to pay him back. On April 1, 1837, Josep Bonaplata spoke to the Cortes. He agreed to build a new, even bigger factory with steam power. He wanted to help modernize Spanish industry. However, a special committee decided that if he wanted the government to invest in his new factory, he would have to give up his claim for money from the fire.

Before this problem was fully solved, Bonaplata moved to Madrid. There, he started a new company called Bonaplata, Sandford and Company. This was his way of continuing his dream. The business was set up in an old convent in the Hortaleza neighborhood. Josep was 42 years old and still unmarried. This new business included his second iron foundry, which he started with an English engineer named William Sanford.

Josep started having health problems around this time. This might be why his younger brothers, Ramon and Narcís, joined him in Madrid. In 1839, Sanford left the company, and it was renamed Bonaplata and Brothers. Sanford still worked there as the main engineer. Ramon took charge of the Madrid business. Narcís opened a new metal factory in Seville. Josep still made the big decisions for both businesses.

Two years later, Narcís took full control of the factory in Seville. Josep Bonaplata owned most of the Madrid business, but his brother Ramon was officially in charge. This was probably because Josep's health was not good. Still, Josep kept the right to make important decisions.

Other Businesses

A few months after his factory, El Vapor, was destroyed, Josep Bonaplata bought a large farm in December 1835. It was called the Espinar estate, in the village of Llíria in Valencia. He paid 187,000 reales for it. There, he built a mill to make olive oil and planted many almond trees.

He also invested a lot of money, over 1.1 million reales, in a big project. This project aimed to connect the Cinca and Segre rivers. The goal was to bring water to irrigate the Llitera area. His friend Antoni Gassó promoted this plan, but it never happened.

Illness and Death

Josep Bonaplata suffered from serious breathing problems. These health issues made it hard for him to work. Because he worried about a sudden attack, he wrote his will in May 1840.

Three years later, he decided to retire to his Espinar estate in Llíria. On May 30, 1843, Bonaplata gave his will to the person who would manage his affairs. He then started his journey to the Espinar estate. But on June 2, he had a fatal asthma attack near the village of Bunyol. He was 48 years old.

Josep Bonaplata had no children, so his brothers inherited his property. He did have a daughter named Sofia, but she sadly died at birth in 1840. It is possible that Josep married Sofia's mother, Jesusa Romero.

See also

In Spanish: José Bonaplata para niños