Ellixia - recounting Cornwall's forgotten history

In 1872, Tangye and his youngest brother George, became sole proprietors of the engineering company and developed an international business with offices in Sydney and in Johannesburg.

Richard and George Tangye were the founding benefactors of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which opened in 1885, and contributed substantial funding to the Birmingham School of Art.

Fascinated by the Civil War, Tangye became a renowned collector of Oliver Cromwell’s papers and memorabilia including printed books, including Cromwell’s Bible, coffin plate and death mask and, on his death, he bequeathed them to the Museum of London.

Tangye married Caroline Jesper in Birmingham and had five children, Mabel, Harold, Arthur and Ellis. Although based in Birmingham and London, Tangye and his family spent as much time as possible at their Newquay country home.

He was the grandfather of the writer Derek Tangye (February 29^th) and, through his niece Helena Tangye (a daughter of Edward), he was the great-uncle of the renowned film director David Lean and of Edward Tangye Lean who was one of the founders of the Oxford academic literary society, ‘The Inklings’, which included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

	Sir Richard Trevithick Tangye (1833 – 1906) was an engineer, a manufacturer of engines and a philanthropist. Born in Illogan to a farmer and a shopkeeper, Tangye worked on the family farm as boy until, aged eight, he broke his arm. His father, determined that he receive the best possible education he could afford, sent him to the, Quaker, Sidcot School near Winscombe in Somerset, from where he progressed to an engineering company in Birmingham where he was joined by two of his brothers, James and Joseph. In 1857, he and three of his brothers started an engineering business, James Tangye and Bros., where the first customers for their hydraulic equipment and lifting jacks were Redruth mine owners but their reputation became established nationally when their jacks were used in the launching of the steamship SS Great Eastern. Tangye wrote that ‘We launched the Great Eastern and she launched us.’ Two more brothers, Edward and George joined and along with George Price and, the company becoming successful, they bought and demolished Smethwick Hall to establish the ‘Cornwall Works’. This enabled the company to begin the manufacture of their design of steam engine whilst continuing their hydraulics including those for the country’s first funicular railway in Scarborough (pictured below left) and the Saltburn Cliff Lift, the oldest water-powered cliff railway in Britain (pictured below right).

	In 1872, Tangye and his youngest brother George, became sole proprietors of the engineering company and developed an international business with offices in Sydney and in Johannesburg. Richard and George Tangye were the founding benefactors of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which opened in 1885, and contributed substantial funding to the Birmingham School of Art. Fascinated by the Civil War, Tangye became a renowned collector of Oliver Cromwell’s papers and memorabilia including printed books, including Cromwell’s Bible, coffin plate and death mask and, on his death, he bequeathed them to the Museum of London. Tangye married Caroline Jesper in Birmingham and had five children, Mabel, Harold, Arthur and Ellis. Although based in Birmingham and London, Tangye and his family spent as much time as possible at their Newquay country home. He was the grandfather of the writer Derek Tangye (February 29^th) and, through his niece Helena Tangye (a daughter of Edward), he was the great-uncle of the renowned film director David Lean and of Edward Tangye Lean who was one of the founders of the Oxford academic literary society, ‘The Inklings’, which included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.