William Thomas Mulvany facts for kids
William Thomas Mulvany was an Irish businessman who became very important in Germany. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, on March 11, 1806. He passed away in Düsseldorf, Germany, on October 30, 1885.
Life Story
William Thomas Mulvany grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He was one of seven children. His father, Thomas James Mulvany, was a painter. In those days, people who were Catholic faced many challenges in getting government jobs. To help his career, William changed his religion.
In 1826, he started working for the Irish government's survey office. Ten years later, he moved to the Office of Public Works. In 1832, he married Alicia Winslow. She was the daughter of a wealthy landowner. They had five children together.
From 1855 until he died, Mulvany lived in Düsseldorf. In 1875, he built a large house called "Mulvany Villa" in Herne. We don't know if he ever lived there. He died in 1885 and was buried in Düsseldorf. The city of Gelsenkirchen made him an honorary citizen in 1880. Several cities, including Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Recklinghausen, and Düsseldorf, have streets named after him.
Career in Ireland
Mulvany learned to be an engineer through hands-on experience. He studied technical drawing with an architect. At just 20 years old, he joined the Irish Survey Office as a surveyor. In 1836, he started working for the Board of Public Works in Ireland.
Mulvany was in charge of many projects. He planned waterways and helped modernize the fishing industry. His main focus was draining large areas of land for farming. During the terrible Great Irish Famine from 1845 to 1849, his projects also created jobs. These jobs helped the people suffering in rural areas. In 1853, the work stopped because it was too expensive. Mulvany then left his government job.
In 1851, he wrote an important paper. It introduced a new way to plan drainage systems. Even today, his method is seen as a big step forward in managing water flow.
Becoming an Entrepreneur
In 1855, Mulvany came to Germany. He was part of a group of Irish investors. They wanted to invest in coal mining in the Ruhr area. To open the Hibernia Mine in Gelsenkirchen and the Shamrock Mine in Herne, he hired British experts. These experts brought new mining methods to Germany.
Mulvany later wrote about his first visit:
I quickly saw the amazing riches hidden underground. I also noticed that the railways and canals were not used enough. I thought to myself: these people don't understand what they have here.
Mulvany focused on moving, selling, and finding new markets for the coal. People respected him for this. However, it did not always make the mines more profitable. In 1864, the owners of Hibernia and Shamrock fired him. But in 1873, the Hibernia mining company was sold. The new owners hired Mulvany back as their CEO.
While working for others, Mulvany also planned new mines for himself. In 1866, he started his own company with other businessmen. It was called the Prussian Mining and Metallurgical Corporation (PBHAG). This company owned the Zeche Hansa and Zollern mines. It also included the new Erin colliery, some ore mines, and the Vulcan ironworks.
The PBHAG faced many problems. Developing the mines had high costs. Also, railway connections were slow to develop. Because of these issues, the company lost money. It had to declare bankruptcy in 1877 during a financial crisis.
