William Pare

William Pare (1805–1873)

William Pare was the son of John Pare, cabinet-maker and upholsterer, of Birmingham. He was apprenticed to his father, but became a reporter. He subsequently established a business as a tobacco and cigar retailer in the town. In 1826 he helped to found the Birmingham Mechanics' Institute and became active in the movement for parliamentary reform. He also took part in the movement for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, and for Roman Catholic emancipation. He became a disciple of Robert Owen. From 1846 to 1865 Pare lived near Dublin, and was engaged in the management of ironworks at Clontarf, Liverpool, and Chepstow. In 1868 he helped to establish a co-operative ironworks in Norway. He was a strong advocate of the co-operative movement

In 1861 Pare wrote: 'In 1847 I joined the members of an engineering firm in Liverpool, largely engaged in the construction of railway plant for home and foreign use. We together established extensive works of this character in Dublin, under the style of The Irish Engineering Company, of which I became the managing partner, and which I now retain as sole owner - the conduct, however devolving on others. My firm was well known to many of the chief railway engineers, among whom was the late Mr Brunel, under whom we constructed - partly in Liverpool, and partly in Dublin - the iron tubular bridge for the passage of the South Wales Railway over the Wye at Chepstow.....'

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