Mark Oldroyd
Encyclopedia
Sir Mark Oldroyd was a British woollen manufacturer and Liberal Party
politician from West Yorkshire
.
He was born the youngest of three sons and two daughters of Mark Oldroyd and his wife Rachel. He was educated initially at a small school in Dewsbury
, followed by a spell at Batley Grammar School
. He then trained as a minister at New College London
, but he did not pursue his vocation and returned to Dewsbury in 1862, getting a job at the family woollen firm. And in World War II
he made army and navy uniforms.
In 1871 he married Maria Mewburn, with whom he had no children however, he did have illegitimate children with a single mistress who was one of his mill girls and now has many descendents. In 1874 the family company was publicly floated
for £750,000 in £10 shares, with Mark and his brother John running the firm as life directors, presiding over a merger with Blakeley & Latta, a blanket company. In 1877 John got into financial difficulties and was forced to leave the company, putting Mark in charge of rebuilding and managing the business, which he did with great success. By the 1880s the business’s blanket works near Leeds
was manufacturing 1000 pairs of blankets a day, and four factories in Dewsbury were making between 7000 and 8000 yards (7,315.2 m) of broadcloth a day. By 1888 the company employed 2000 people on 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) of mill floor space, and had invested in a pair of collieries
at Castleford
, which supplied coal for the textile industry.
In 1888 he was also elected Member of Parliament
for Dewsbury
as a Liberal
, having been a card-carrying member since 1866. His parliamentary attendance was infrequent, but was actively involved in trade and industry-related committees. In 1902 he resigned from Parliament to concentrate on business interests, and he was knight
ed in 1909. Local and national commitments diverted Mark's attentions from the company, and he resigned his life directorship in 1913.
Sir Mark was also a philanthropist
who donated money for the building of local places of worship, schools and the first local hospital.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician from West Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
.
He was born the youngest of three sons and two daughters of Mark Oldroyd and his wife Rachel. He was educated initially at a small school in Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
, followed by a spell at Batley Grammar School
Batley Grammar School
Batley Grammar School is a co-educational school located at Carlinghow Hill in Upper Batley, West Yorkshire, England. The school was founded in 1612 by the Rev. William Lee...
. He then trained as a minister at New College London
New College London
New College London was founded as a Congregationalist college in 1850.-Predecessor institutions:...
, but he did not pursue his vocation and returned to Dewsbury in 1862, getting a job at the family woollen firm. And in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he made army and navy uniforms.
In 1871 he married Maria Mewburn, with whom he had no children however, he did have illegitimate children with a single mistress who was one of his mill girls and now has many descendents. In 1874 the family company was publicly floated
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
for £750,000 in £10 shares, with Mark and his brother John running the firm as life directors, presiding over a merger with Blakeley & Latta, a blanket company. In 1877 John got into financial difficulties and was forced to leave the company, putting Mark in charge of rebuilding and managing the business, which he did with great success. By the 1880s the business’s blanket works near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
was manufacturing 1000 pairs of blankets a day, and four factories in Dewsbury were making between 7000 and 8000 yards (7,315.2 m) of broadcloth a day. By 1888 the company employed 2000 people on 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) of mill floor space, and had invested in a pair of collieries
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
at Castleford
Castleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
, which supplied coal for the textile industry.
In 1888 he was also elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Dewsbury
Dewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Dewsbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, having been a card-carrying member since 1866. His parliamentary attendance was infrequent, but was actively involved in trade and industry-related committees. In 1902 he resigned from Parliament to concentrate on business interests, and he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1909. Local and national commitments diverted Mark's attentions from the company, and he resigned his life directorship in 1913.
Sir Mark was also a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who donated money for the building of local places of worship, schools and the first local hospital.