▁Father ▁and ▁son ▁eventually ▁left ▁Has ling den ▁and ▁settled ▁in ▁Belg ium , ▁where ▁they ▁built ▁up ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁industrial ▁and ▁mach in ery ▁complex es ▁in ▁main land ▁Europe . ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁they ▁instit uted ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution ▁in ▁contin ental ▁Europe . ▁See ▁John ▁C ocker ill ▁( company ). ▁ ▁William ' s ▁beginning ▁are ▁obsc ure , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁that ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁black sm ith ▁in ▁Has ling den ▁before ▁trav elling ▁to ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁Sweden , ▁and ▁finally ▁to ▁Ver vi ers , ▁near ▁Lie ge ▁in ▁Belg ium . ▁Here ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁spin ning ▁and ▁card ing ▁machines ▁with ▁his ▁sons ▁Will am , ▁Charles ▁James , ▁and ▁John . ▁ ▁John ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁born ▁in ▁Has ling den ▁but ▁moved ▁to ▁Ver vier ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 . ▁He ▁was ▁eventually ▁offered ▁a ▁Ch ate au ▁in ▁S era ing ▁which ▁then ▁became ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁Belg ium ' s ▁iron , ▁steel ▁and ▁machine - building ▁indust ries . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁Belg ian ▁manufact uring ▁and ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁human itar ian ▁employ er . ▁ ▁Im m igration ▁and ▁community ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁when ▁the ▁cot ton ▁industry ▁was ▁th riv ing , ▁the ▁town ▁became ▁a ▁magnet ▁for ▁imm igr ants ▁to ▁Britain . ▁In ▁particular ▁the ▁port ▁of