User:Vernon39/Arthur Albright

Arthur Albright (12 March 1811 - 3 July 1900) was a Quaker businessman and philanthropist. He founded the chemical manufacturing company, Albright and Wilson, in 1856. One of his particular philanthropic concerns was the wellbeing of freedmen, during the American Civil War.

Birth and education
He was the son of William and Rachel Albright of Charlbury, Oxfordshire.

After attending school in Rochester, when he was 16, he was apprenticed to an uncle, who was a chemist in Bristol. He worked and studied hard, including learning French and German.

Early business experience
After the apprenticeship, he was employed by T. & W. Southall, retail chemists, of Bull Street, Birmingham, another Quaker firm. Having served for a year, he returned to Charbury and set up a small pharmacy there. Thence he travelled in France and Germany, investigating the cultivation of beetroot. then he worked in Bristol for a period, as a partner in a printing office.

J. and E. Sturge and Co.
A sad opportunity arose in 1840, when his brother-in-law's brother, John Sturge died. The two brothers, John and Edmund Sturge, ran a chemical manufacturing business in Birmingham and John had the technical knowledge and training. Edmund asked Arthur Albright to join the firm.

After a few years, the partners became aware of a new and developing market for phosphorus, used in matches. Arthur Albright travelled widely through Europe to obtain waste animal bones, the raw material of white phosphorus. He arranged for these to be milled, prior to transportation at ??? He developed improved industrial processes for making white phosphorus, a very reactive, dangerous substance.

In the course of his travels, he met Professor Anton Schrötter, who had discovered "red" or "amorphous" phosphorus, a much safer material for matches than white phosphorus. Arthur Albright bought his patents and developed further industrial processes.

Albright and Wilson
<<>>

Marriage and family
In September 1848 Albright married Rachel, daughter of George Stacey of Tottenham. They had four sons and four daughters. Rachel Albright died in 1899. Birmingham City Archives hold a collection of Albright family papers.

Death and Funeral
AA died ... <<>>

Funeral
His funeral was described in the Birmingham Daily Post
 * Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries.