William Bower Forwood
Encyclopedia
Sir William Bower Forwood (21 January 1840 – 23 March 1928) was an English merchant, shipowner and politician. He was a wealthy businessman and a local politician in Liverpool
who raised money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway
and Liverpool Cathedral
.
and at a Pestalozzian
school in Worksop
. He joined the family business in 1859 and, when his father retired from it on 22 November 1862, ran it with his elder brother, Arthur
. This was when the cotton trade was being disrupted by the American Civil War
. The brothers made a fortune "first from wartime speculation and blockade
running, and then from exploiting telegraph and cotton futures
".
The brothers set up offices in New York
, New Orleans and Bombay
and ran a small fleet of ships that traded in the West Indies, Costa Rica
and New York. William entered politics in 1868 when he was elected to Liverpool City Council
, serving on it for over 40 years, and was a JP
for Lancashire from 1882. He was president of the American chamber of commerce
in 1872 and of its Liverpool equivalent in 1871 and 1878–81, became president of the Liverpool Cotton Association.
to give £50,000 towards building new libraries. He was knighted
on 19 July 1883 for his work as the city's Lord Mayor
in opposing the Fenian
s. In 1888 he played an important part in raising money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway
, and in 1893 became its first chairman. He was a director of the Cunard Line
from 1888 to 1923 and its deputy chairman from 1906 to 1909. From 1887 to 1928 he was a director of the Bank of Liverpool
and its chairman from 1898 to 1901. As part of his charitable work, he was President of the Seaman's Orphanage. Forwood was treasurer of the executive committee responsible for raising money towards the building of Liverpool Cathedral
at the beginning of the 20th century. He took six weeks away from his other affairs and raised a total of £168,000 (£ as of ). He served as mayor of Liverpool for a second period between 10 January and 4 February 1903. and as High Sheriff of Lancashire
for 1909.
, was commodore of the Mersey and the Windermere
yacht club
s, and was co-founder of the Yacht Racing Association
. Forwood died in Funchal
, Madeira
, and was buried in the war memorial chapel in Bowness-on-Windermere
, which he had constructed. His estate
amounted to a little more than £356,000 (£ as of ).
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
who raised money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway
Liverpool Overhead Railway
The Liverpool Overhead Railway was the world's first electrically operated overhead railway. The railway was carried mainly on iron viaducts, with a corrugated iron decking, onto which the tracks were laid. It ran close to the River Mersey in Liverpool, England, following the line of Liverpool Docks...
and Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
.
Early life and business
Forwood was born in Edge Hill, Liverpool, the second son of Thomas Brittain Forwood, a Liverpool merchant, and Charlotte née Bower. He was educated at Liverpool CollegiateLiverpool Collegiate Institution
The Liverpool Collegiate Institution is a former school in Liverpool, England.It opened its doors to pupils on 6 January 1843. The Institution was a day school for boys, sons of middle class Liverpudlians, and aimed to provide them with a suitable education encompassing instruction in the...
and at a Pestalozzian
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
school in Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
. He joined the family business in 1859 and, when his father retired from it on 22 November 1862, ran it with his elder brother, Arthur
Sir Arthur Forwood, 1st Baronet
Sir Arthur Bower Forwood, 1st Baronet PC MP was an English merchant, shipowner, and politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1885 until his death, and in 1895 he was created a baronet....
. This was when the cotton trade was being disrupted by the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The brothers made a fortune "first from wartime speculation and blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
running, and then from exploiting telegraph and cotton futures
Futures exchange
A futures exchange or futures market is a central financial exchange where people can trade standardized futures contracts; that is, a contract to buy specific quantities of a commodity or financial instrument at a specified price with delivery set at a specified time in the future. These types of...
".
The brothers set up offices in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New Orleans and Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and ran a small fleet of ships that traded in the West Indies, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and New York. William entered politics in 1868 when he was elected to Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
, serving on it for over 40 years, and was a JP
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 from 1882. He was president of the American 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...
in 1872 and of its Liverpool equivalent in 1871 and 1878–81, became president of the Liverpool Cotton Association.
Civic and charitable work
William Forwood was chairman of Liverpool's Libraries Museum and Art committee from 1890 to 1909, and persuaded Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
to give £50,000 towards building new libraries. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
on 19 July 1883 for his work as the city's Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor of Liverpool
The office of Mayor of Liverpool has existed since the foundation of Liverpool as a borough by the Royal Charter of King John in 1207. This changed, however, some time after Liverpool was granted city status in 1880 when it was deemed necessary for the "second city of the Empire" to have a Lord Mayor...
in opposing the Fenian
Fenian
The Fenians , both the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood , were fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic in the 19th and early 20th century. The name "Fenians" was first applied by John O'Mahony to the members of the Irish republican...
s. In 1888 he played an important part in raising money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway
Liverpool Overhead Railway
The Liverpool Overhead Railway was the world's first electrically operated overhead railway. The railway was carried mainly on iron viaducts, with a corrugated iron decking, onto which the tracks were laid. It ran close to the River Mersey in Liverpool, England, following the line of Liverpool Docks...
, and in 1893 became its first chairman. He was a director of the Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
from 1888 to 1923 and its deputy chairman from 1906 to 1909. From 1887 to 1928 he was a director of the Bank of Liverpool
Bank of Liverpool
The Bank of Liverpool was a financial institution founded in 1831 in Liverpool, England.In 1918, it acquired Martins Bank, and the name of the merged bank became the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd...
and its chairman from 1898 to 1901. As part of his charitable work, he was President of the Seaman's Orphanage. Forwood was treasurer of the executive committee responsible for raising money towards the building of Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
at the beginning of the 20th century. He took six weeks away from his other affairs and raised a total of £168,000 (£ as of ). He served as mayor of Liverpool for a second period between 10 January and 4 February 1903. and as 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...
for 1909.
Personal life
Forwood's first marriage was in 1862 to Mary Miles Morris, daughter of a Liverpool shipowner. With her he had three sons and seven daughters. Mary died in the mid 1880s and in 1898 he married Elizabeth le Fleming of Rydal Hall, Cumbria. He developed an interest in yachtingYachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
, was commodore of the Mersey and the Windermere
Royal Windermere Yacht Club (RWYC)
The Royal Windermere Yacht Club is a sailing club, situated at Fallbarrow Road, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, England.The first recorded yacht race was to be held on Windermere in 1818, using, as its land base, the inn at Ferry Nab. However, the race was not to be, the wind was then, as it is...
yacht club
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
s, and was co-founder of the Yacht Racing Association
Royal Yachting Association
The Royal Yachting Association is the national governing body for certain watersports in the United Kingdom. Activities it covers include:* Sailing* Windsurfing* Motor cruising* Sportsboats* Personal watercraft* Powerboat racing...
. Forwood died in Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and was buried in the war memorial chapel in Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere
Bowness-on-Windermere is a town in South Lakeland, Cumbria, England. Due its position on the banks of Windermere the town has become a tourist honeypot. Although their mutual growth has caused them to become one large settlement, the town is distinct from the town of Windermere as the two still...
, which he had constructed. His estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
amounted to a little more than £356,000 (£ as of ).