George Cruddas (1788-1879)

George Cruddas, born in County Durham in 1788, is best known for joining William Armstrong in establishing the famous Elswick Works, in which he continued to be a partner up to his death in 1879. Prior to that, Cruddas had been a draper and sail maker, with a shop in North Shields. He went on to become a ship owner and developed a strong interest in engineering. In the 1830s Cruddas became a director of the newly founded Newcastle and North Shields Railway. In 1845, along with several other local businessmen, Cruddas became a co-founder of the Whittle Dean Water Company, driven by hydraulic technologies developed by William Amstrong, to supply fresh water to Newcastle and Gateshead. The same group of partners formed what was to become Armstrong & Co. (and later Armstrong Whitworth & Co.), with works established at Elswick. Cuddas moved to Elswick in 1851 to be nearer the works, and lived in Elswick Dene House (now Verginia House), designed by John Dobson.