The Unexpected Investors
Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum, Bridge Road, Leigh Woods, Bristol, Bristol, BS8 3PA
The early history of the Clifton Suspension Bridge is fraught with failures – poor management, withheld subscriptions, money running out. Eventually the project was abandoned. In the early 1860s it was revived, and this time managed much more efficiently. The fundraisers approached ‘small investors’ as well as the more wealthy, and the people of Bristol, and Clifton in particular, responded with gusto – they wanted to be part of this grand project.
The people who bought single shares are representative of Victorian society of the time. There are bakers, butchers, candle makers, carpenters, dressmakers, baby linen sellers, builders, undertakers, grocers, confectioners, toy dealers, road surveyors, accountants, bank clerks, and wine merchants. Some of them sold alcohol, others were active in the temperance movement. There are women running businesses in their own right, and a widow who took over her husband’s business after his death from consumption, a disease that ravaged much of the population at this time.
Explore these individual biographies with the Archive Team and learn about the families, work and lives of the small investors. View original cash books from our Archive and explore the growing database of names involved with the building of the bridge as we ask ‘Is Yours a Suspension Bridge Family?’. Learn about the pitfalls of family history research with ‘Remembering Annie’ – a story about the importance of using multiple sources.
Timings
- Saturday 12 September:
- 1100-1400
- Sunday 13 September:
- 1100-1400
Location & directions
Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum, Bridge Road, Leigh Woods, Bristol, Bristol, BS8 3PA
- Directions:
- This event will be held in the Education Workshop, upstairs at the Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum, Bridge Road, Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 3PA. Information on travelling to the Museum can be found here: https://cliftonbridge.org.uk/visit-explore/how-to-find-us/ Please call 0117 974 4664 or email [email protected] if you need any further information.
- Contact on day:
- Laura Hilton
- Telephone number:
- +441179744664
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
An Access Guide can be found here: https://cliftonbridge.org.uk/visit-explore/accessibility/
Additional information
Free drop-in event.
