Sir David Dale, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir David Dale
Born	Murshidabad, Bengal
Died	North Eastern Hotel, York
Nationality	English
Occupation	businessman
Known for	industrial dispute arbitration

Sir David Dale (born December 11, 1829 – died April 28, 1906) was an important English businessman. He led big companies like the Consett Iron Company and Pease & Partners. He also helped run the North Eastern Railway Company. Sir David is most famous for being one of the first to use a fair method called arbitration to solve problems between workers and bosses.

Sir David Dale's Life Story

Early Years and Education

David Dale was born in a place called Murshidabad, in Bengal, India. His father, also named David Dale, worked for the East India Company. When David was very young, his father passed away during their trip back to England.

His mother, Ann Elizabeth, traveled with her children. On their journey, they had an accident near Darlington. While staying there, his mother met some members of the Quaker family, the Backhouses. She later became a Quaker in 1841.

David Dale went to private schools in Edinburgh, Durham, and Stockton. He grew up following the Quaker faith, which is a Christian group known for its peaceful beliefs. He remained a Quaker until the late 1880s.

Starting His Career

David Dale began his working life at the Stockton and Darlington Railway Company. This was a very important railway company at the time. When he was just 23 years old, in 1852, he became the secretary for a part of the railway line that went between Middlesbrough and Guisborough.

In 1853, he married Annie Backhouse Whitwell. She was a widow and already had two children. David and Annie later had a son and a daughter together.

Growing His Businesses

In 1858, David Dale started a business partnership with William Bouch. They managed the Shildon locomotive works, which made parts for trains. This partnership continued until the early 1870s.

After this, David Dale's business activities grew very quickly. He helped create the Consett Iron Company. He started as an inspector there in 1858. Later, he became the managing director in 1869 and then the chairman in 1884. This meant he was in charge of the whole company.

He also got involved in shipbuilding in 1866. He worked with several companies to build ships. Although a big plan to combine these companies didn't work out, David Dale kept an interest in some of them. He also managed Pease & Partners Ltd, a mining company. He even chaired companies that mined iron ore in Spain.

In 1881, he became a director of the North Eastern Railway Company. He had also been a director for the Stockton and Darlington Railway before that. In 1902, he became chairman of the Sunderland Iron Ore Company. He was also an active member of important groups for coal and mine owners.

Solving Problems with Arbitration

Sir David Dale is most famous for using arbitration to solve problems between workers and their employers. Arbitration is a way for two sides in a disagreement to agree to let a neutral person or group make a decision for them.

In March 1869, the first group for arbitration was set up for the iron industry in northern England. David Dale was its very first president. This new way of solving problems worked really well. It helped make things much more stable in an industry that used to have many arguments and strikes.

Because of his great work with the Iron Trades Conciliation Board, David Dale was honored in 1881. He received a special award and a painted portrait.

His important role in industry led him to be appointed to several royal commissions. These were special groups set up by the government to study important issues. He worked on commissions about trade problems (1885–86), mining rules (1889–93), and labor issues (1891–94).

In 1890, he was one of the people representing Great Britain at a big meeting in Berlin about labor. The German emperor and Otto von Bismarck paid special attention to him there. He also helped start the Iron and Steel Institute in 1869. He was its treasurer for many years and became president in 1895.

Later Life and Honors

In politics, David Dale was a Liberal. However, he was too busy with his businesses to become a member of parliament. In 1888, he became the High Sheriff of Durham, which is a ceremonial role. The University of Durham gave him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree in 1895. In the same year, he was given the title of baronet, which meant he became "Sir David Dale."

His first wife passed away in 1886. In 1888, he married Alice Frederica Milbank. Lady Dale died in 1902.

Sir David Dale remained active in his work until the end of his life. He passed away in York on April 28, 1906, and was buried in his hometown of Darlington. To honor him, a special professorship in economics was created in his name in 1909 at Armstrong College (now part of Newcastle University). A series of lectures about labor problems was also started in Darlington in his memory.

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