Charles Frederick Beyer, mentioned eighth in the Founders’ Prayer, is our only benefactor to have been born outside the UK. Beyer was born in Plauen, Saxony in 1813. His original German name was Carl Friedrich Beyer, which he later anglicised. He was the son of a weaver, and had the luck to be taught to draw by a student architect who spent time convalescing in Plauen. His pinned up drawings were spotted by a local doctor who managed to procure a place for the young Charles to study at Dresden Polytechnic. He received a state scholarship but had to work part-time to support his studies. A local wealthy lady gave a free meal to the student who got top marks each week, and it is said that this spurred Beyer to work hard as he relied on the weekly meal to get by. Perhaps this early experience influenced his decision in later life to support educational institutions including MGS.
After four years at Dresden Polytechnic he obtained a state grant to visit the UK to report on the advances in cotton spinning machinery. This naturally took him to Manchester. He was so impressed by what he saw that once he had filed his report he moved to Manchester. Despite a limited knowledge of English, the tenacious Beyer managed to get a job with a local textile machinery company. He started as a draughtsman but soon impressed the company and was eventually promoted to chief engineer. When the company branched out into manufacturing railway locomotives, Beyer was tasked with this part of the business.He was very successful, even managing to convince the visiting King of Saxony in 1844 to purchase locomotives for use back in Germany. He eventually set up his own company, Beyer, Peacock and co, with Richard Peacock, making railway locomotives. He designed a locomotive that became the standard for British locomotives.The company would go on to produce over 8000 locomotives at its foundry in Gorton before it closed in 1966. Beyer also went on to found the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Beyer never married and by the 1870s, the wealthy engineer wanted to find something to do with his vast fortune. He gave a large amount of money to Owens College (later to become Manchester University) and he is still remembered as the University’s biggest donor, giving approximately £10 million in today’s money. This money was used to expand the buildings and to create a chair in Applied Mathematics which is still in existence. He also gave substantial amounts of money to Manchester Infirmary, Ardwick Industrial and Ragged School and Manchester City Mission.

The Beyer Chemistry Laboratory

The Beyer Chemistry Laboratory
Around this time High Master F. W. Walker was in the process of bringing about reform at MGS – widening the curriculum to include Sciences and Modern Languages and introducing fees to ensure financial stability. To offset the introduction of fees, Walker was keen to raise money for scholarships and bursaries. He was also aware that the existing school buildings were not fit for purpose and that the teaching of the Sciences in particular required new accommodation. He approached a number of Manchester businessman directly, including Beyer. Beyer must have been impressed, as he bequeathed £10,000 to the School, which in today’s money approximates to around £600,000. Shortly before his death in 1876, he also became a Governor of the School. The money from his will was used to modernise the School buildings which were completed in 1881. The Chemistry laboratories were named the “Beyer Laboratories” in his honour.
Rachel Kneale
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