CORY (John Cory and Sons, Ltd.)

Two distinct families of industrialists in South Wales have borne this surname. This family, John Cory and Sons, Ltd. is to be differentiated from the family of Richard Cory I and his sons who founded the business Cory Brothers Ltd.

JOHN CORY I (died 1891),

of S. Julian's, near Newport, Monmouth, head of the firm of 'John Cory, Sons and Co.', was born at Padstow, Cornwall. After being master of coasting and foreign-going ships he came to Cardiff as a shipbroker and shipowner in 1872, i.e. some years after Richard Cory (founder of the firm of ' Cory Brothers') had arrived from Bideford, Devon. With his two sons, John and James Herbert, he established the firm of ' John Cory, Sons and Co. ', which owned at the time of his death twenty-one steamers with another three large steamers being built on the Clyde.

JOHN CORY II (1855 - 1931), shipowner and dry-dock owner.

Born at Padstow, he came to Cardiff when a youth of 17 from London, where he had been training as a merchant and ship-broker. He joined his father (John Cory I) and his brother (Herbert) in their firm; married Emma Grigg, daughter of George Hosking Wills, Cardiff, and lived at Sea View House, Penarth, and Kingsland, Peterston-super-Ely. He was the chairman of directors of the ' Cardiff Channel Dry Docks and Pontoon Co., Ltd. ', and of the ' Mount Stuart Dry Docks Ltd. ', on their amalgamation in February 1931; a director of some thirty-six shipping and ship-repairing and trading companies, including ' John Cory and Sons, Ltd. '; a staunch Conservative but not an active politician; and a Wesleyan Methodist. He died 26 December 1931 and was buried at the Cardiff cemetery. He left two sons, JOHN HERBERT CORY (died 17 May 1939, aged 50), and CHARLES KINGSLEY CORY.

Sir JAMES HERBERT CORY (1857 - 1933), 1st baronet,

was the younger son of John Cory I, and was born at Padstow 7 February 1857. He was a shipowner, director of thirty-five companies, including John Cory and Sons, Ltd., Cory's Trading Co., Engineering and Dry Docks Cos., M.P. for Cardiff, 1915, and for Cardiff South 1918-23; sheriff of Glamorgan 1913; Conservative and Churchman. With his brother he founded a scholarship at the Cardiff Technical College; he devoted his salary as M.P. to the funds of the King Edward VII Hospital and the Hamadryad Seamen's Hospital, Cardiff. He lived at Coryton, Whitchurch; was twice married; and died on his birthday, 2 February 1933, aged 76, leaving an estate of £507,000. He left four sons and one daughter by his first marriage, and two daughters by his second marriage. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir HERBERT GEORGE DONALD CORY, 2nd baronet, Silverton, Llandaff, who died 7 May 1935, and the latter was succeeded by his son, Sir VYVYAN DONALD CORY, 3rd baronet, who died 17 March 1941.

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Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

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