William Holland, 1st Baron Rotherham
Encyclopedia
William Henry Holland, 1st Baron Rotherham (15 December 1849 – 26 December 1927) was a British
industrialist and Liberal
politician.
He was the second son of William Holland, a cotton
spinner of Higher Broughton, near Manchester
. In 1872 he became a partner in the family business Messrs William Holland and Sons. He became prominent in the industry, becoming chairman or president of the Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association, the Textile Institute
, the Machinery Users' Association and the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
He became involved in liberal politics, and for ten years was an alderman
on Manchester City Council
. In the 1892 general election
he stood as member of parliament
for Salford North
, winning the seat from the Conservatives
by a narrow majority. In the 1895 general election
the situation was reversed, when he lost the seat by six votes to the Conservative candidate, Frederick Platt-Higgins
.
Holland returned to the Commons in 1899, when he won a by-election at Rotherham
caused by the resignation of Arthur Acland. He was knighted
in 1902 and made a Baronet, of Broughton, in the County of Lancaster in 1907. He was a member of a number of parliamentary and other governmental committees including the Indian Currency Committee
, the Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence and the Committee on Joint Stock Companies. From 1908 - 1910 was acting Chairman of Ways and Means
. He was also a commissioner for the international exhibitions held in Paris in 1900
, Milan
in 1906 and Brussels
in 1910.
He retained the Rotherham seat at successive general elections, up to and including that held in January 1910. However, he chose to step down from parliament in February 1910 to allow J A Pease, who had lost his seat at Saffron Walden
, to be return to parliament at a by-election
.
In July 1910 Holland was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom
as Baron Rotherham of Broughton, in the County of Lancaster. He also received the freedom of the Borough of Rotherham
.
He had disposed of William Holland and Sons in 1898, and with the moneys received had made a number of unwise investments in Chinese
mines and railways and Japanese
bonds. In 1917 Lord Rotherham became insolvent, and was forced to make a settlement with his creditors.
William Holland married Mary Lund in 1874, and they had one son; Stuart Lund Holland
, born in 1876. His wife converted to Roman Catholicism in 1905, and he followed suit in 1922.
Lord Rotherham died at his residence in Rottingdean
, Sussex
in December 1927, aged 78.
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...
industrialist and 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.
He was the second son of William Holland, 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 of Higher Broughton, 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...
. In 1872 he became a partner in the family business Messrs William Holland and Sons. He became prominent in the industry, becoming chairman or president of the Fine Cotton Spinners and Doublers Association, the Textile Institute
Textile Institute
The Textile Institute is a unique organisation in textiles, clothing and footwear. It was incorporated in England by a Royal Charter granted in 1925 and is a registered charity...
, the Machinery Users' Association and the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
He became involved in liberal politics, and for ten years was an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
on Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
. In the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
he stood as 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 Salford North
Salford North (UK Parliament constituency)
Salford North was a parliamentary constituency in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester from 1885 until 1950. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, winning the seat from the Conservatives
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...
by a narrow majority. In the 1895 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
the situation was reversed, when he lost the seat by six votes to the Conservative candidate, Frederick Platt-Higgins
Frederick Platt-Higgins
Frederick Platt-Higgins was a British businessman and Conservative politician.Born as Frederick Higgins, he was the son of James Higgins of Salford, Lancashire and Elizabeth Meban of Dumfries. He went into business as a cotton spinner and married Emilie Mottram of Manchester in 1864...
.
Holland returned to the Commons in 1899, when he won a by-election at Rotherham
Rotherham (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherham is a borough constituency covering the town of Rotherham in South Yorkshire. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
caused by the resignation of Arthur Acland. 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...
in 1902 and made a Baronet, of Broughton, in the County of Lancaster in 1907. He was a member of a number of parliamentary and other governmental committees including the Indian Currency Committee
Indian Currency Committee
The Indian Currency Committee or Fowler Committee was a government committee appointed by the British-run Government of India on 29 April 1898 to examine the currency situation in India. Until 1892, silver was the metal on which Indian currency and coinage had largely been based...
, the Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence and the Committee on Joint Stock Companies. From 1908 - 1910 was acting Chairman of Ways and Means
Chairman of Ways and Means
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of Ways and Means is a senior member of the House of Commons who acts as one of the Speaker's three deputies...
. He was also a commissioner for the international exhibitions held in Paris in 1900
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1906 and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1910.
He retained the Rotherham seat at successive general elections, up to and including that held in January 1910. However, he chose to step down from parliament in February 1910 to allow J A Pease, who had lost his seat at Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency)
Saffron Walden is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, to be return to parliament at a by-election
Rotherham by-election, 1910
The Rotherham by-election, 1910 was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Rotherham in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire on 1 March 1910.-Vacancy:...
.
In July 1910 Holland was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
as Baron Rotherham of Broughton, in the County of Lancaster. He also received the freedom of the Borough of Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
.
He had disposed of William Holland and Sons in 1898, and with the moneys received had made a number of unwise investments in Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
mines and railways and Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
bonds. In 1917 Lord Rotherham became insolvent, and was forced to make a settlement with his creditors.
William Holland married Mary Lund in 1874, and they had one son; Stuart Lund Holland
Stuart Holland, 2nd Baron Rotherham
Stuart Lund Holland, 2nd Baron Rotherham was born on 25 October 1876. He was the son of William Henry Holland, 1st Baron Rotherham and Mary Lund. He married Miriam Agnes Wright on 25 October 1909. He died on 24 January 1950 at age 73....
, born in 1876. His wife converted to Roman Catholicism in 1905, and he followed suit in 1922.
Lord Rotherham died at his residence in Rottingdean
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, 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 December 1927, aged 78.