Frederick Savage - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

Frederick Savage was born on the 3rd of March 1828 in a village called Hevingham, Norfolk. Attending Sunday School and the local free school he acquired a very basic early education. His first employment was preparing wood for a local hurdle manufacturer at age 10. His parents were handloom weavers, and were suffering from a national depression. His father William, having had to sell his farm to the squire, was caught poaching. This was considered to be an awful crime. The only crime worse than poaching was murder. William received a 14 year sentence in Tasmania. He was released after 7 and requested his wife join him. She declined and they spent the rest of their lives apart. Spending some time as a poorly paid farm labourer, Frederick decided that he had had enough and decided to try and better himself.
He began a new career at sixteen working for Thomas Cooper who was a Whitesmith* and Machine Maker. When Mr. Cooper died the firm was taken over by John and James Gill who were Millwrights and Machine Makers. Frederick gained a considerable amount of experience and knowledge about the manufacture of farm implements with the firm. He then moved to Holmes and Sons for a short time.
Frederick married Susannah Bloyce on the 26th of August 1850 at St. James Church, Norwich. The couple set up home in Kings Lynn, a year later, which was a new Borough. Frederick took employment with Charles Willett who was described as a "Brazier, Whitesmith*, Iron Monger, Wholesale and Retail Dealer, Tinplate worker, and Bell Hanger". Mr. Willett retired in 1850.
Frederick decided to set himself up in business as a smithy, and Frederick Savage - Engineer, began around 1853. This was only a small smithy and foundry firm, based in the Mermaid and Fountain Yard" tower Street. Here he concentrated on making iron and wooden rakes.
Business at Savages was brisk and soon his foundry was too small he soon moved to larger premises off Railway Road and then on to part of the old workhouse, where he stayed for the next six years. It was here that the firm produced their first self propelled traction engine, called the "Juggernaut". The "Juggernaut" was built for James Walker. It is believed that the engine was a three-wheeler built on a wooden frame. The engine was used to move threshing equipment from field to field. Most of the equipment manufactured by the company at this time was still designed to be horse drawn. Portable machines were horse drawn between fields. Even threshing and elevator machines, which would be driven by steam engines, were moved around by horse.
Moving again in 1863 to bigger premises on St Nicholas Street, which he called "St. Nicholas Works". The company moved again in 1872 where it would remain. This move was to "new land" on the northern edge of the town. This site was called St. Nicholas Ironworks. By now Frederick was describing himself as "Engineer and Agricultural Machinist". This site was on "new" land and Frederick also built a house there for himself and his family to live in.
The works were very close to the Tuesday Market Place, where travelling showmen would set up their equipment. Savages were often called upon to repair their equipment. At one of these markets Frederick had spent some time watching a man winding the handle of an organ. He told the man that he could build a steam engine to do the work for him. This he did and it was probably the very beginning of the firms involvement with "showland equipment".

Frederick was appointed as "Justice of the Peace" (JP) and was Mayor in 1889-90. A monument to him was unveiled on the 27th of May 1892, the only monument to a public man in Kings Lynn. It was restored in 1992 aided by the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain.
Frederick Savage died on the 27th of April 1897, aged 69

URL of the statue: Not listed

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