William George Ainslie
Encyclopedia
William George Ainslie MP
JP
(9 January 1832 – 10 February 1893) was a British
Conservative
politician
, magistrate
, ironmaster
and stockbroker.
, India
, and educated at Sedbergh School
, Ainslie was one of the five children of Montague Ainslie
(1792–1884), a native of Kendal
in Cumberland
.
Ainslie's father, after attending the East India Company College
, entered the East India Company
's service and was Political Agent to Lord William Bentinck
while he was Governor-General of India
(1828–1835), and later returned to Grizedale
in Lancashire
where he became a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant
for the county.
Ainslie's father built a house for him at Ulverston. Set in parkland, the house was named Ford Park in honour of Montague Ainslie's grandfather, the ironmaster William Ford.
& Co, which traded as Ironmasters at Newland Furnace, Ulverston
, Lancashire, and Lorn Furnace, Bonaw, Argyll
, and as gunpowder
manufacturers at Melfort, near Oban
. The firm, which also had shipping interests, had carried the name of Ainslie since 1785. Ainslie was also a partner in the stockbroking firm of R. S. and C. J. Scrimgeour and Co., of Threadneedle Street
in the City of London
.
Ainslie became senior partner of Harrison, Ainslie & Co. in 1863, on the death of Benson Harrison. In 1861, he was living at Ford House, Ulverston, but by 1869 he had become permanently based in London to supervise the financial affairs of the firm.
In 1860, Ainslie was commissioned as a Captain of the North Lonsdale (or 37th) Lancashire Rifle Volunteers. In June 1863 it was announced that "The 71st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps having been struck out of the records of the War Office, will henceforth cease to hold any number or designation in the Volunteer Force, and her Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of the services of Lieutenants Innes Macpherson and William James Audsley and Ensign John Milligan in that Corps being dispensed with. Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept the resignations of the following officers... Captain William George Ainslie in the 37th A Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps."
In October 1863, he withdrew from his partnership in the family firm of Harrison, Ainslie & Co., and retired from his partnership in the stockbroking firm of Scrimgeour and Co. on 30 December 1865. The withdrawal from Harrison Ainslie was temporary, as in 1879 he held 31% of the shares and drew a salary of £500pa as manager.. He became the first chairman of the North Lonsdale Iron and steel company when the company was established in 1873.
In December 1868, the Office of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions gave Ainslie provisional protection "To William George Ainslie, of 3, East India-avenue, Leadenhall-street, in the city of London
, for the invention of "improvements in means for drying peat
, peat compounds, and other materials"."
In 1885, Ainslie was elected as member of parliament for North Lonsdale
in Lancashire and held the seat until 1892.
At the time of his death in February 1893, Ainslie was senior partner in Harrison, Ainslie & Co. Following his death, he was described in the London Gazette as "...formerly of Furness Lodge, East Sheen
, in the county of Surrey
, and late of 21 Ennismore-gardens, Kensington
, in the county of Middlesex
, and Grizedale, Hawkshead
, in the county of Lancaster". Administration of his Will was granted to his son William Langstaff Ainslie.
, Kent
, and they had ten children, William Langstaff, Lylie Sophia, Francis Sawer, Mary Isobel, Montague, Rose, Beatrice, George Robert, Thomas Oswald, and Charles Bernard, the last of whom became the father of the Liberal
politician Jack Ainslie
.
Ainslie's widow outlived him by six years, dying on 27 December 1899.
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,...
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...
(9 January 1832 – 10 February 1893) was a British
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...
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
, ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
and stockbroker.
Early life
Born in 1832 in BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and educated at Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School is a boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria, for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Nestled in the Howgill Fells, it is known for sporting sides, such as its Rugby Union 1st XV.-Background:...
, Ainslie was one of the five children of Montague Ainslie
Montague Ainslie
Montague Ainslie was an English forester and businessman whose interests included the iron ore company Harrison Ainslie....
(1792–1884), a native of Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
.
Ainslie's father, after attending the East India Company College
East India Company College
The East India College was a college in Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in February 1806 as the training establishment for the British East India Company . At that time, the BEIC provided general and vocational education for young gentlemen of sixteen to eighteen years old,...
, entered the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's service and was Political Agent to Lord William Bentinck
Lord William Bentinck
Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck GCB, GCH, PC , known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman...
while he was Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
(1828–1835), and later returned to Grizedale
Grizedale
Grizedale is a hamlet in the Lake District of England, in the middle of the Grizedale Forest, located north of Satterthwaite and south of Hawkshead...
in 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...
where he became a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the county.
Ainslie's father built a house for him at Ulverston. Set in parkland, the house was named Ford Park in honour of Montague Ainslie's grandfather, the ironmaster William Ford.
Career
Ainslie, like his father before him, entered the service of the East India Company, but spent only a short time in India. In 1849, he entered the family firm of Harrison AinslieHarrison Ainslie
The firm of Harrison Ainslie & Co. was a British firm of ironmasters and iron ore merchants, selling high quality haematite from their mines on Lindal Moor to smelters in Glasgow, Scotland, South Wales and the Midlands. From a 21st century perspective, they are more interesting as the last...
& Co, which traded as Ironmasters at Newland Furnace, Ulverston
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
, Lancashire, and Lorn Furnace, Bonaw, Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, and as gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
manufacturers at Melfort, near Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
. The firm, which also had shipping interests, had carried the name of Ainslie since 1785. Ainslie was also a partner in the stockbroking firm of R. S. and C. J. Scrimgeour and Co., of Threadneedle Street
Threadneedle Street
Threadneedle Street is a street in the City of London, leading from a junction with Poultry, Cornhill, King William Street and Lombard Street, to Bishopsgate....
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
.
Ainslie became senior partner of Harrison, Ainslie & Co. in 1863, on the death of Benson Harrison. In 1861, he was living at Ford House, Ulverston, but by 1869 he had become permanently based in London to supervise the financial affairs of the firm.
In 1860, Ainslie was commissioned as a Captain of the North Lonsdale (or 37th) Lancashire Rifle Volunteers. In June 1863 it was announced that "The 71st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps having been struck out of the records of the War Office, will henceforth cease to hold any number or designation in the Volunteer Force, and her Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of the services of Lieutenants Innes Macpherson and William James Audsley and Ensign John Milligan in that Corps being dispensed with. Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept the resignations of the following officers... Captain William George Ainslie in the 37th A Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps."
In October 1863, he withdrew from his partnership in the family firm of Harrison, Ainslie & Co., and retired from his partnership in the stockbroking firm of Scrimgeour and Co. on 30 December 1865. The withdrawal from Harrison Ainslie was temporary, as in 1879 he held 31% of the shares and drew a salary of £500pa as manager.. He became the first chairman of the North Lonsdale Iron and steel company when the company was established in 1873.
In December 1868, the Office of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions gave Ainslie provisional protection "To William George Ainslie, of 3, East India-avenue, Leadenhall-street, in the city of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, for the invention of "improvements in means for drying peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
, peat compounds, and other materials"."
In 1885, Ainslie was elected as member of parliament for North Lonsdale
North Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)
North Lonsdale was a parliamentary constituency in north Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in Lancashire and held the seat until 1892.
At the time of his death in February 1893, Ainslie was senior partner in Harrison, Ainslie & Co. Following his death, he was described in the London Gazette as "...formerly of Furness Lodge, East Sheen
East Sheen
East Sheen, also known as 'Sheen', is an affluent suburb of London, England in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It forms part of the London post town in the SW postcode area....
, in the county of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and late of 21 Ennismore-gardens, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, in the county of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and Grizedale, Hawkshead
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in the Cumbria, England. It is one of the main tourist honeypots in the South Lakeland area, and is dependent on the local tourist trade...
, in the county of Lancaster". Administration of his Will was granted to his son William Langstaff Ainslie.
Wife and children
On 29 April 1858, Ainslie married Eliza Anne Sawer, daughter of Thomas Sawer of IckhamIckham
Ickham is a village within the civil parish of Ickham and Well, five miles east of Canterbury in Kent, South East England.The village is centred around a single road with many old and well preserved houses, with the 13th-century Parish Church of St John the Evangelist in the midst...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and they had ten children, William Langstaff, Lylie Sophia, Francis Sawer, Mary Isobel, Montague, Rose, Beatrice, George Robert, Thomas Oswald, and Charles Bernard, the last of whom became the father of 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...
politician Jack Ainslie
Jack Ainslie
John Bernard Ainslie OBE , known as Jack Ainslie, was a Wiltshire farmer and Liberal politician, Chairman of Wiltshire County Council from 1986 to 1990.-Early life:...
.
Ainslie's widow outlived him by six years, dying on 27 December 1899.