John Anderson (Scottish businessman)
Encyclopedia
John Anderson was a Scottish
businessman and entrepreneur
.
in 1784. He later settled in Cork City, at that time the major provisioning centre on the Atlantic Coast. During the American wars he made considerable sums as a commercial agent in New York. He made extensive land purchases in the Cork area.
His Cork business was based at Lapp's Island
and his skills were recognised as he grew rapidly in fortune and was appointed to the City's Committee of Merchants. He was made a Freeman of the City in 1787. Among the business interests was a malting and warehouse complex at Ballinacurra
on Cork Harbour in partnership with John Lapp, in the 1780s. In common with many Cork Merchants he was in favour of Union with Great Britain in 1800. Anderson's Quay in Cork is called after him. He married Miss Semple and had two daughters and two sons, one of whom, James Caleb Anderson (1782-1861), was a noted experimenter with steam-driven road vehicles.
His fortunes suffered a series of reversals with the fall in the value of land after the Napoleonic Wars
. He lost over £30,000 in a Welsh Mining venture. He had conduced Banking business and with the economic downturn the Bank collapsed in 1816.
area in 1791 and responded to a British
government demand for Military Barracks by offering to build to their order in Fermoy. The first Barracks was for 1400 troop and 100 horses and this was later increased to total 3300 men. Soon a vast military complex with workshops and ancillary services together with coach workshops were functioning.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
businessman and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
Overview
Anderson was born into a poor family at Portland near Dumfries, Scotland and moved to GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1784. He later settled in Cork City, at that time the major provisioning centre on the Atlantic Coast. During the American wars he made considerable sums as a commercial agent in New York. He made extensive land purchases in the Cork area.
His Cork business was based at Lapp's Island
Lapp's Island
Lapp's Island was one of the islands in the River Lee that now form part of the center of Cork City. Lapp's Island now forms the eastern tip of the island at the center of Cork City...
and his skills were recognised as he grew rapidly in fortune and was appointed to the City's Committee of Merchants. He was made a Freeman of the City in 1787. Among the business interests was a malting and warehouse complex at Ballinacurra
Ballinacurra, County Cork
Ballinacurra is a small harbour village on the outskirts of Midleton, County Cork. It is about 20 miles east of Cork city.The village grew up around the where the Owenacurra River meets the east channel of Cork Harbour...
on Cork Harbour in partnership with John Lapp, in the 1780s. In common with many Cork Merchants he was in favour of Union with Great Britain in 1800. Anderson's Quay in Cork is called after him. He married Miss Semple and had two daughters and two sons, one of whom, James Caleb Anderson (1782-1861), was a noted experimenter with steam-driven road vehicles.
His fortunes suffered a series of reversals with the fall in the value of land after the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He lost over £30,000 in a Welsh Mining venture. He had conduced Banking business and with the economic downturn the Bank collapsed in 1816.
Development of roads and coaching
He secured the equivalent of a Government franchise to provide a mail service from Dublin to Cork. This involved the building of an extensive infrastructure of roads bridges inns and staging coaches. By 1789 he was the dominant partner in the Dublin/Cork turnpike and mail and this was to extend to Limerick in 1793. The paramount achievement was getting from Dublin to Cork within 24 hours, the first Royal Mail arriving in Cork 8 July 1789.Founding of Fermoy
He purchased lands in the FermoyFermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
area in 1791 and responded to a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government demand for Military Barracks by offering to build to their order in Fermoy. The first Barracks was for 1400 troop and 100 horses and this was later increased to total 3300 men. Soon a vast military complex with workshops and ancillary services together with coach workshops were functioning.