![British (English) School - Robert Hyde Greg (1795–1875), of Norcliffe - 1452860 - National Trust](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/British_%28English%29_School_-_Robert_Hyde_Greg_%281795%E2%80%931875%29%2C_of_Norcliffe_-_1452860_-_National_Trust.jpg)
Robert Hyde Greg (24 September 1795 – 21 February 1875), was an English industrialist, economist,
antiquary
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
, and - briefly - a Member of Parliament.
Born in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, he was the son of
Samuel Greg
Samuel Greg (26 March 1758 – 4 June 1834) was an Irish-born industrialist and entrepreneur of the early Industrial Revolution and a pioneer of the factory system. He built Quarry Bank Mill, which at his retirement was the largest textile mil ...
and
Hannah Lightbody, the creators of
Quarry Bank Mill
Quarry Bank Mill (also known as Styal Mill) in Styal, Cheshire, England, is one of the best preserved textile factories of the Industrial Revolution. Built in 1784, the cotton mill is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a ...
, a pioneering factory of the early Industrial Revolution. His family were
Unitarians, part of the prosperous dissenting community that characterised the entrepreneurial class of factory owners. He was brother to
William Rathbone Greg
William Rathbone Greg (1809 – 15 November 1881) was an English essayist. Life
Born in Manchester, the son of Samuel Greg, the creator of Quarry Bank Mill, and Hannah Greg, he was brother to Robert Hyde Greg and the junior Samuel Greg.
...
and the junior
Samuel Greg
Samuel Greg (26 March 1758 – 4 June 1834) was an Irish-born industrialist and entrepreneur of the early Industrial Revolution and a pioneer of the factory system. He built Quarry Bank Mill, which at his retirement was the largest textile mil ...
. He attended the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
and, after the obligatory
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...
of the antiquities of
Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
, joined his father's textile manufacturing enterprise.
He was active in the city's intellectual life as a member of the
Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society
The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, popularly known as the Lit. & Phil., is one of the oldest learned societies in the United Kingdom and second oldest provincial learned society (after the Spalding Gentlemen's Society).
Promine ...
and was a founder of
its Mechanics' Institute. He was an active member of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
and the
Anti-Corn Law League
The Anti-Corn Law League was a successful political movement in Great Britain aimed at the abolition of the unpopular Corn Laws, which protected landowners’ interests by levying taxes on imported wheat, thus raising the price of bread at a time ...
. Though he was elected to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
in 1839, it was without his consent and he resigned in the following year. He was an opponent of
factory reform
The Factory Acts were a series of acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to regulate the conditions of industrial employment.
The early Acts concentrated on regulating the hours of work and moral welfare of young children employed ...
,
trades union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
s and
worker health and safety legislation.
He died at
Norcliffe Hall
Norcliffe Hall is a large house encompassing 20,254 square feet near the village of Styal, Cheshire, England. It stands to the west of the village and to the north of Styal Country Park. It was built in 1831 for Robert Hyde Greg, the owner of Q ...
,
Styal
Styal (, like ''style'') is a village and civil parish on the River Bollin near Wilmslow, Cheshire, England.
History
Styal village grew during the early years of the Industrial Revolution when industrialist Samuel Greg built a cotton mill and ...
,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
and is buried at the
Dean Row Unitarian Chapel,
Wilmslow
Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census.
History
Toponymy
Wilmslow derives its name from Old ...
.
Greg was also a slaveholder; tenant-in-common of Cane Garden,
St Vincent Island, with 82 enslaved people.
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Greg, Robert Hyde
1795 births
1875 deaths
Businesspeople from Manchester
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Manchester
UK MPs 1837–1841
Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
English industrialists
English Unitarians
19th-century English businesspeople