In 1801, however, the population in the area still numbered only twenty-five.

Joseph Pease, known as ‘the Father of Middlesbrough’, bought up the land occupied by these people in 1829, also developing what he called ‘Port Darlington’, a coal port on the banks of the Tees. The land he purchased became the town of Middlesbrough, supplying the work force to feed the new port. Pease was the son of Edward Pease, the man responsible for world renowned Stockton and Darlington Railway, which extended to Middlesbrough in 1830. Once this valuable means of transport was in place, the town’s growth was inevitable. Indeed, by the middle of the nineteenth century Middlesbrough’s population had increased to 7,600 and had replaced Stockton as the main port on the Tees.

 An old Teesside proverb had proven true;

"Yarm was, Stockton is, Middlesbrough will be”

Middlesbrough is best known, however, as an iron and steel town and in 1850 John Vaughan and Henry Bolckow discovered iron ore in the Cleveland Hills. A year later they had built the areas first blast furnace, which was soon followed by more. By the end of the century Teesside was producing approximately a third of the nations output of steel. The names of Bolckow and Vaughan are well known to any who grew up in Middlesbrough and they both enjoyed much fame. Bolckow went on to serve as Major and M.P. for the town.

The steel produced in the area has been used all over the world, possibly the most famous construction being the Sydney Harbour Bridge, built by the firm Dorman Long in 1932. The world famous Transporter Bridge, however, ranks favourite amongst locals. Built in 1911 and opened by Prince Arthur of Connaught, it still dominates the skyline and remains the only fully working bridge of its type in the country. The bridge ferry’s cars and pedestrians across the River Tees by way of a suspended, moving platform taking approximately two and a half minutes to complete the journey. The platform is capable of carrying 600 people or nine vehicles in any one crossing. Recently, the television programme ‘Auf Wiedersehen Pet’ featured the bridge being dismantled and transported to America, the special effects being so good that a number of locals rang the authorities to complain about the removal of such a notable landmark!

By the beginning of the twentieth century Middlesbrough’s population had grown to more than 90,000.