Joseph Wilkes

Joseph Wilkes' business enterprises were many and varied, and during his lifetime he transformed Measham from a tiny mining village to a model settlement of the Industrial Revolution.

Wilkes sunk many new pits, employing Newcomen engines to pump water from their works which allowed coal to be mined at much greater depths.

He also went on to employ steam winding gear at his Oakthorpe colliery which allowed men to be transported down, and coal to be brought up from the coalface more efficiently.

In the area of textiles Wilkes collaborated with at one time, Sir Robert Peel in building cotton mills in Tamworth and Fazeley.

In an effort to improve the transport links and open up the area to distant markets, he was active in building a coaching inn and turnpike roads in and around Measham, These he built along his own design, using a 'concave surface' which was more durable and easier to maintain.

Obviously well aware of the economic benefits the canal would bring to the district, Wilkes pushed local landowners such as the Earl of Moira to expedite its completion[3] and was also to supply bricks for its construction.

Before the advent of the steam locomotive, horse-drawn carts on iron rails were the most efficient means of moving heavy loads overland.

Wilkes also constructed a series of irrigation canals in the area around Measham and was a firm believer in using new farming machinery, such as Cooke's Horse-hoe.