John Cockerill (company) 1.86

The John Cockerill Company was a Belgian iron, steel, and manufacturing company based in Seraing in the region of Liège. It was founded in 1825 by British industrialist William Cockerill and his family.John Cockerill, son of William Cockerill owned the company, and it was known as John Cockerill & Cie. John Cockerill died in Warsaw in 1840 after a business trip to Russia. He had made the trip to raise funds to save the company from bankruptcy. But after his death the company became state owned, and in 1842 it became known as Société anonyme pour l'Exploitation des Etablissements John Cockerill.The company was one of the major iron and steel producers in western Europe throughout its existence. It was a major producer of derived products, including rail and railway locomotives, iron production equipment, and other large-scale iron and steel constructions.In 1955 it merged with Ougrée-Marihaye to form SA Cockerill-Ougrée. And in 1981 it merged into Cockerill-Sambre.HistoryJohn Cockerill & Cie (-1842)In 1799 the British-born blacksmith and mechanical engineer William Cockerill set up a textile machinery factory in Verviers, Belgium. In 1807 he moved to Liège and created a factory that constructed machinery for the carding, spinning and weaving of wool, as well as steam engines. His family from England joined him, and his sons, John and Charles James, managed the factory in Liège. After purchasing the former palace of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège at Seraing, Charles James and John constructed an iron foundry and machine building factory. there. From its inception in 1817, the complex in the Liege region expanded under the control of the Cockerill, with a coke-fired blast furnace and manufacturing facilities for steam engines, railway locomotives, steam-powered blowers for blast furnaces, and traction engines. John Cockerill's business interests also expanded to include coal mining and collieries. The company rose to be the primary steel company of Europe, spurred on by its involvement in the construction of the Belgian railways.