William Coare Brocklehurst
Encyclopedia
William Coare Brocklehurst (9 February 1818 – 3 June 1900) was an English
Liberal Party
politician and head of a family of silk
producers in Macclesfield
in the 19th century. He sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1880 and from 1885 to 1886.
William was the son of John Brocklehurst
and Mary Coare. He was elected at the 1868 general election
as one of the two Members of Parliament
(MPs) for the borough of Macclesfield
, where he was re-elected in 1874
and 1880
. However, the result of the 1880 general election in Macclesfield was declared void on 22 June 1880, after an election petition
. Brocklehurst and his fellow MP David Chadwick
were both unseated, and a Royal Commission
was appointed which found that there had been extensive bribery in the borough. The writ was suspended, and the borough lost its right to representation in Parliament.
Out of Parliament, Brocklehurst served as Mayor
of Macclesfield from 1883 to 1885.
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
abolished the parliamentary borough of Macclesfield, but created a new single-seat county division of Cheshire, which bore the same name but covered a wider area. Brocklehurst was elected at the 1885 general election
as the first MP for the new division, but did not stand again at the 1885 general election
.
The Brocklehurst family of Brocklehurst-Whiston mill acquired Butley Hall
in 1861, and the Bollingtonfield Estate in 1884, naming it Butley Cottage. It is currently a hotel known as White House Manor.
Brocklehurst was a Justice of the Peace
for Cheshire
, and in 1870 he was president of the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce
. He died in June 1900, the 18 August, 1900 edition of 'The Nursing Record & Hospital World' records that he left £1000 to the endowment fund of Macclesfield Infirmary.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Liberal Party
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 and head of a family of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
producers in Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
in the 19th century. He sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1880 and from 1885 to 1886.
William was the son of John Brocklehurst
John Brocklehurst
John Brocklehurst, DL, MP , known as John Brocklehurst the younger, was an English silk manufacturer, banker and Liberal Party politician from Macclesfield in Cheshire...
and Mary Coare. He was elected at the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
as one of the two Members 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,...
(MPs) for the borough of Macclesfield
Macclesfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Macclesfield is a county 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.- Boundaries :...
, where he was re-elected in 1874
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
and 1880
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
. However, the result of the 1880 general election in Macclesfield was declared void on 22 June 1880, after an election petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
. Brocklehurst and his fellow MP David Chadwick
David Chadwick (politician)
David Chadwick was an English accountant and Liberal Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1880.- Early life :...
were both unseated, and a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
was appointed which found that there had been extensive bribery in the borough. The writ was suspended, and the borough lost its right to representation in Parliament.
Out of Parliament, Brocklehurst served as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Macclesfield from 1883 to 1885.
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
abolished the parliamentary borough of Macclesfield, but created a new single-seat county division of Cheshire, which bore the same name but covered a wider area. Brocklehurst was elected at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
as the first MP for the new division, but did not stand again at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
.
The Brocklehurst family of Brocklehurst-Whiston mill acquired Butley Hall
Butley Hall
Butley Hall is a former large house, now converted in to flats, in the village of Prestbury, Cheshire. It was rebuilt in 1777 for Peter Downes. The house was extended by an addition to the north in the 19th century, and converted into flats during the 20th century...
in 1861, and the Bollingtonfield Estate in 1884, naming it Butley Cottage. It is currently a hotel known as White House Manor.
Brocklehurst was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, and in 1870 he was president of the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. He died in June 1900, the 18 August, 1900 edition of 'The Nursing Record & Hospital World' records that he left £1000 to the endowment fund of Macclesfield Infirmary.