Sir Titus Salt

Titus Salt was born near Leeds, a few miles from Bradford in Yorkshire, the eldest of 6 children. His father leased a 100 acre farm in the area where he worked hard and prospered.

In 1822, his father Daniel could afford to leave the farm and start his own business in Bradford as a wool-stapler. Titus - then aged 18 joined his father and learnt all aspects of the wool trade.

When he was about 28, he bought some Donskoi wool from Russia, but because it was difficult to process the tangled fibres, he could not sell it. So he bought a mill of his own and began to spin the wool himself. His mill prospered and he could soon afford to buy four more mills in Bradford town centre. In 1830 he married Caroline and they had 11 children.

Titus Salt chose to build a new mill at a site adjoining the Leeds Liverpool canal, the River Aire and the newly made railway station. It was a massive mill, he chose innovative architects, and agreed to their suggestion of Italianate style. The Mill opened in 1853 on Titus Salts 50th birthday.
He then created an entire village of houses, park, school, library, recreation and learning institute and outdoor sport facilities. The streets were named after his children and family. He called this village 'Saltaire'.

In 1869 he was created a baronet by Queen Victoria, thus becoming Sir Titus Salt. In 1876 the last building in Saltaire was completed, and later that year Sir Titus Salt died at his home. Bradford gave him a civic funeral, watched by 100,000 people. He is buried in the mausoleum at Saltaire Congregational Church.