Background
Born in Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, 1817 his father, Joseph Corbett, ran a successful canal transport business there.
Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
Born in Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, 1817 his father, Joseph Corbett, ran a successful canal transport business there.
He is particularly associated with salt mining in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. Locally he was nicknamed The Salt King. John joined the family business but by 1850 canals were facing increasing competition from the new and expanding railways.
John Corbett sold his share of the family canal business and, in 1853, purchased disused salt workings in Stoke Prior from the British Alkali Company.
Corbett brought all the innovations of the industrial revolution to mechanise and commercialise the business, soon making his salt workings the largest in Europe and built a great fortune. However he didn"t simply utilise this fortune just for his own ends, preferring to reinvest profits into the business processes, innovation and also into improving his workforce"s working conditions and even raising wages.
He was re-elected at three subsequent general elections, joining the breakway Liberal Unionists when the Liberal Party split in 1886 over Home Rule for Ireland. Corbett retired from the House of Commons at the 1892 general election.
In 1888, he sold the massive salt business to the Salt Union Limited for GBP £660,000 (equivalent to £50 million in 2007).
He spent much of the proceeds in philanthropic work in and around Droitwich Spa, buying Saint Andrew"s House and turning it into the Raven Hotel. At the end of the 19th century, he presented a veranda to the Aberdovey literary institute. He died on 22 April 1901 and was buried in the churchyard of Street Michaels, Stoke Prior, Worcestershire.
21st United Kingdom Parliament. 22nd United Kingdom Parliament. 23rd United Kingdom Parliament.
24th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was elected at the 1874 general election as Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for the Droitwich, having unsuccessfully contested the seat in 1868.