William Romaine Callender
Encyclopedia
William Romaine Callender (junior) (1825 – 22 January 1876) was a British
businessman and Conservative politician.
He was the son of William Romaine Callender of Mauldeth Hall near Manchester
and his wife, Hannah Pope of London
. W R Callender senior was a prominent Whig
and non-conformist in the area who campaigned for the incorporation of Manchester as a municipal borough
, and served on the first town council. His son, however, became a leading Conservative and Anglican. In 1849 he married Hannah Mayson.
He entered his father's business as a cotton
spinner and merchant in Manchester, eventually taking charge. He expanded the firm by the purchase of that of Sir Thomas Bazley
in Bolton
in 1861. Apart from his business activities he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
, and a strong supporter of the Manchester Athaneum, which was founded by wealthy businessmen for the education and recreation of the working classes. In 1858 he was appointed honorary secretary of the Athaneum, a position he held until his death. He also assisted in the formation of a company of rifle volunteers
in 1859. He was a freemason, and rose to be Deputy Grand Master of the Provincial Lodge of East Lancashire, and Grand Master of the Mark Masons of England.
He was elected as a member of the first Manchester School Board in 1870, and in 1874
as one of three members of parliament
for the Parliamentary Borough of Manchester
, defeating the Liberal
MP, Jacob Bright
.
In November 1875 Callender fell ill after attending an Orange Order demonstration, and was advised to travel to the south coast to aid his recovery. However, he died of "rheumatic neuralgia" at St Leonards-on-Sea
, Sussex
, in January 1876, aged 51. A bust of the late MP was unveiled at Manchester City Hall in 1880.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
businessman and Conservative politician.
He was the son of William Romaine Callender of Mauldeth Hall near Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and his wife, Hannah Pope of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. W R Callender senior was a prominent Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
and non-conformist in the area who campaigned for the incorporation of Manchester as a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
, and served on the first town council. His son, however, became a leading Conservative and Anglican. In 1849 he married Hannah Mayson.
He entered his father's business as a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
spinner and merchant in Manchester, eventually taking charge. He expanded the firm by the purchase of that of Sir Thomas Bazley
Sir Thomas Bazley, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Bazley, 1st Baronet was a British industrialist and Liberal politician.He was born at Gilnow, near Bolton, Lancashire. His father, also Thomas, was a cotton manufacturer, mathematician and journalist. Following education at Bolton Grammar School, Bazley was apprenticed to the...
in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
in 1861. Apart from his business activities he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, and a strong supporter of the Manchester Athaneum, which was founded by wealthy businessmen for the education and recreation of the working classes. In 1858 he was appointed honorary secretary of the Athaneum, a position he held until his death. He also assisted in the formation of a company of rifle volunteers
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
in 1859. He was a freemason, and rose to be Deputy Grand Master of the Provincial Lodge of East Lancashire, and Grand Master of the Mark Masons of England.
He was elected as a member of the first Manchester School Board in 1870, and 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 *...
as one of three 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,...
for the Parliamentary Borough of Manchester
Manchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester was a Parliamentary borough constituency in the county of Lancashire which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its territory consisted of the city of Manchester.- History :...
, defeating the 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...
MP, Jacob Bright
Jacob Bright
Jacob Bright was a British Liberal politician.Bright was born at Green Bank near Rochdale, Lancashire. He was the fourth of eleven children of Jacob Bright and Martha Wood. His father was a Quaker and had established a cotton-spinning business at Fieldhouse...
.
In November 1875 Callender fell ill after attending an Orange Order demonstration, and was advised to travel to the south coast to aid his recovery. However, he died of "rheumatic neuralgia" at St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea
St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, in January 1876, aged 51. A bust of the late MP was unveiled at Manchester City Hall in 1880.