Sir William Henderson was a Scottish

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 merchant

Merchant

A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...

 and philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

.

He was born in Aberdour

New Aberdour

A small 19th century planned village, New Aberdour lies just south of the Moray Firth Coast, west of Fraserburgh.One of the earliest churches in Scotland, is said to have been founded here in 580 AD by Saint Drostan and Saint Columba.-External links:**...

, Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

, the son of a farmer, and his first job was a junior position in the Fraserburgh

Fraserburgh

Fraserburgh is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the 2001 Census at 12,454 and estimated at 12,630 in 2006. It lies at the extreme northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, around north of Aberdeen, and north of Peterhead...

 branch of the North of Scotland Bank. However, he soon moved to Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

 to work for the Aberdeen White Star Line, founded in 1825 by George Thompson

George Thompson (MP)

George Thompson was the founder of a shipping line called the Aberdeen Line and a Liberal politician.- Background :His father, Andrew Thomson , served in the Royal Regiment of Artillery before joining the East India Company in 1805....

, a ship-owning company whose fleet of Aberdeen clippers included the Thermopylae

Thermopylae (clipper)

Thermopylae was an extreme composite clipper ship built in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co of Aberdeen, to the design of Bernard Weymouth of London.-Construction:...

. He travelled widely on the firm's business, and in 1886 he became senior partner of the firm, on the retirement of George Thompson. This was a time of great change as sailing ships were replaced by steamships.

Mr Henderson entered Aberdeen Town Council in 1885, and in November 1886 was elected Lord Provost

Lord Provost

A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...

, serving until 1889. While on the council, he was instrumental in causing the rebuilding of the Royal Infirmary

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary or ARI is a teaching hospital on the Foresterhill site in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is run by NHS Grampian and has around 900 beds. ARI is a tertiary referral hospital serving a population of over 600,000 across the North of Scotland...

 to commemorate Queen Victoria's

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 jubilee

Golden Jubilee

A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...

 in 1887, and the erection of the Public Library buildings on Rosemount Viaduct. Politically, he was a 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...

. On his retirement as Lord Provost, he was appointed 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....

 of Aberdeen.

He was an active member of the Free Church of Scotland, and involved in many philanthropical endeavours. He was knighted in June 1893, and in 1895 awarded an honorary degree

Honorary degree

An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...

 of LL.D. by Aberdeen University.

In 1852 he married a daughter of George Thompson, and they had 5 sons and 5 daughters. From 1857 they resided at Devanha House.