Joseph Pease
(1799-1872)

The railway pioneer Joseph Pease was an early supporter of the public railway system and the first Quaker to take his seat in Parliament. 

Together with his father Edward and other members of the family, in 1825 he established the Stockton to Darlington Railway Company. By 1829 he was managing the company on his own. In 1830 he bought a sufficient number of collieries in the area to become the largest owner of collieries in South Durham. That same year, along with his father-in-law Joseph Gurney of Norfolk, and other Quaker businessmen, he bought a large tract of land at Middlesbrough, on which to build a new port for exporting coal. 

In 1832 Pease was elected Member of Parliament for South Durham. As a Quaker, he was not immediately allowed to take his seat, because he refused to take the oath of office. However, a special committee considered the question and decided that Pease could affirm, rather than swear and thus he was allowed to take his seat in Parliament. 

Pease supported the Whig governments of Earl Grey and Lord Melbourne. He joined Thomas Fowell Buxton in the anti-slavery movement. He supported the removal of bishops from the House of Lords. He was also in favour of shorter Parliaments and the secret ballot. He retired from politics in 1841.

He married in 1826 Emma Gurney, youngest daughter of Joseph Gurney of Norwich. Their marriage produced twelve children. 

He died on 8 February 1872 and was buried at the Friends' Burial Ground, Skinnergate, Darlington, County Durham.