Frank Hardcastle
Encyclopedia
Frank Hardcastle was a British
bleacher and businessman and Conservative
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892.
Hardcastle was born at Firwood Hall, Tonge
, near Bolton
, Lancashire
(demolished 1969), and was the fourth son of James Hardcastle of Firwood and Pen-y-lan, Ruabon
, Denbighshire
and Hannah Compton Jackson. Following education at Preston Grammar School and Repton School
where he excelled at cricket
, Hardcastle joined the family business of T Hardcastle and Sons, bleachers and dyers, of Firwood Works. The company had been formed by his grandfather Thomas Hardcastle in 1803. Hardcastle played cricket regularly from 1864 representing Manchester, Bolton and the Gentlemen of Lancashire. In 1869 he played two first-class
matches for Lancashire
.
Hardcastle rose to be head of the family bleaching firm and also became president of the United Bleachers Association of Lancashire and Cheshire. His cousin Thomas Hardcastle Sykes
was head of one of the other major bleachers. Hardcastle was also the proprietor of Breightmet
Colliery near Bolton.
Hardcastle was the first member of parliament
for Westhoughton
, a constituency created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
. He was re-elected unopposed in the ensuing general election of 1886
. While in parliament, Hardcastle represented the interests of the bleaching industry. He retired from parliament on health grounds in 1892. He was a justice of the peace
for Lancashire, and was High Sheriff of Lancashire
in 1895.
Hardcastle moved from Lancashire to Southsea
in Hampshire
, and finally to London
. He died suddenly from heart failure at his residence, 87 Lancaster Gate, Paddington
, in 1908, aged 64.
Hardcastle married Ida Ross in 1885, and they had five daughters before her death in 1894. In 1902 he married again. His second wife was Mary Elizabeth Armytage Moore (c1845-1932), previously Mary Elizabeth Lockwood, née Mary Elizabeth Metcalfe (she had been twice widowed, her previous marriages being to (1) Horace Day Lockwood, son of Henry Francis Lockwood
, and then to (2) William Armitage Moore), whom he married at St Margaret, Westminster on 10 June 1902. One of her daughters, Priscilla Armytage-Moore, became Priscilla, Countess of Annesley (see Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley
).
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...
bleacher and businessman and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892.
Hardcastle was born at Firwood Hall, Tonge
Tonge
-People:*Jenny Tonge, British politician*Israel Tonge, English devine*Roger Tonge, British actor*Michael Tonge, English footballer*Dale Tonge, English footballer*Gavin Tonge, West-Indian cricketer-Places:...
, near 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...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
(demolished 1969), and was the fourth son of James Hardcastle of Firwood and Pen-y-lan, Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
and Hannah Compton Jackson. Following education at Preston Grammar School and Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
where he excelled at cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Hardcastle joined the family business of T Hardcastle and Sons, bleachers and dyers, of Firwood Works. The company had been formed by his grandfather Thomas Hardcastle in 1803. Hardcastle played cricket regularly from 1864 representing Manchester, Bolton and the Gentlemen of Lancashire. In 1869 he played two first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
.
Hardcastle rose to be head of the family bleaching firm and also became president of the United Bleachers Association of Lancashire and Cheshire. His cousin Thomas Hardcastle Sykes
Thomas Hardcastle Sykes
Thomas Hardcastle Sykes was an English bleacher and businessman and was High Sheriff of Cheshire.Sykes was born at Edgeley House Stockport, the third son of Richard Sykes, owner of the Sykes Bleaching Company, and his wife Jane Hardcastle. He went to Rugby School and then joined the family...
was head of one of the other major bleachers. Hardcastle was also the proprietor of Breightmet
Breightmet
Breightmet is a neighbourhood of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a township of the civil and ecclesiastical parish of Bolton le Moors in the Salford hundred of Lancashire, it lies 2 miles north east of Bolton and 4 miles north-west of Bury...
Colliery near Bolton.
Hardcastle was the first 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 Westhoughton
Westhoughton (UK Parliament constituency)
Westhoughton was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, England. Centred on the former mining and cotton town of Westhoughton, it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, a constituency created by 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...
. He was re-elected unopposed in the ensuing general election of 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. While in parliament, Hardcastle represented the interests of the bleaching industry. He retired from parliament on health grounds in 1892. He 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 Lancashire, and was High Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
in 1895.
Hardcastle moved from Lancashire to Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and finally to 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...
. He died suddenly from heart failure at his residence, 87 Lancaster Gate, Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, in 1908, aged 64.
Hardcastle married Ida Ross in 1885, and they had five daughters before her death in 1894. In 1902 he married again. His second wife was Mary Elizabeth Armytage Moore (c1845-1932), previously Mary Elizabeth Lockwood, née Mary Elizabeth Metcalfe (she had been twice widowed, her previous marriages being to (1) Horace Day Lockwood, son of Henry Francis Lockwood
Henry Francis Lockwood
Henry Francis Lockwood was an influential architect, born at Doncaster on 18 September 1811. His father and grandfather were mayors of Doncaster. He married Emma Day whose great uncle, Charles Day , made a fortune through the Day and Martin company...
, and then to (2) William Armitage Moore), whom he married at St Margaret, Westminster on 10 June 1902. One of her daughters, Priscilla Armytage-Moore, became Priscilla, Countess of Annesley (see Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley
Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley
Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley was a British military officer and Member of Parliament for County Cavan from 1857 to 1874.-Biography:He was the second son of William Richard Annesley, 3rd Earl Annesley....
).