Middlesbrough's steel magnates and the Guild of Help

It is the intention of this article to argue ‘withdrawal’ by Middlesbrough’s industrial elite has been overemphasised and that rather than representing a decline in engagement, the period saw a reconfiguration of involvement in the town that helped counter the decline in political Representation. By means of heightened involvement in philanthropic activities in the ‘Ironopolis’ during the early twentieth century, it will be argued the industrial elite maintained an active role despite other groups emerging in positions of power in the town. Under particular focus will be the Middlesbrough Guild of Help and the involvement of the Dorman and Bell families – the owners of the firm that evolved into one of the major steel manufacturers in the world, Dorman Long.