Nathaniel Eckersley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nathaniel Eckersley
1869 painting of Eckersley by Charles Mercier
Member of Parliament for Wigan
In office 27 March 1866 – 7 December 1868
Preceded by	Hon. James Lindsay Henry Woods
Succeeded by	John Lancaster Henry Woods
In office 21 December 1883 – 18 December 1885
Preceded by	Thomas Knowles Algernon Egerton
Succeeded by	Francis Powell
Personal details
Born	1815
Died	15 February 1892
Nationality	English
Political party	Conservative
Residence	Standish Hall

Nathaniel Eckersley (born 1815 – died 15 February 1892) was an English businessman and politician. He owned cotton mills and worked as a banker. He was a member of the Conservative Party. Eckersley lived at Standish Hall, which is near Wigan in Lancashire. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wigan for a few years in the 1860s and again in the 1880s.

Nathaniel Eckersley's Public Service

Nathaniel Eckersley came from a family involved in public life. His uncle, also named Nathaniel Eckersley, was a Colonel. He served with the famous Duke of Wellington.

Business and Community Roles

Besides owning cotton mills (factories that made cotton cloth), Eckersley was a partner in the Wigan Old Bank. This bank later joined with another large banking company.

He was chosen to be the Mayor of Wigan twice, first in 1853 and again in 1873. The Mayor is the leader of a town or city. In 1863, he was also made a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire. This was a special role helping the Queen's representative in the county.

In 1860, Eckersley helped create a local defense group called the 21st (Wigan) Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps. This group was mostly made up of workers from local mines and engineering companies. He led this group as a captain and was later promoted to major.

In 1873, Eckersley played a big part in welcoming the Prince and Princess of Wales to Wigan. They came to open a new hospital, which the Princess named the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.

Serving as a Member of Parliament

Eckersley became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wigan in March 1866. An MP is someone elected to represent their area in the country's government, the House of Commons. He was elected in a by-election, which is a special election held when an MP leaves their job before the next general election.

During this election, Eckersley said he was an "independent candidate." He won the election with 411 votes, beating his opponent, John Lancaster (MP), who got 349 votes.

He lost his seat in the 1868 general election. After this, he did not run for Parliament again for 15 years.

In 1878, he became the High Sheriff of Lancashire. This was another important role in the county. In this job, he helped raise money for the families of miners who died in a terrible explosion. More than 200 miners were killed in the Wood Pit Colliery in Haydock that year.

Eckersley returned to Parliament in December 1883. He was elected without anyone running against him in another by-election. He stayed an MP until 1885. At that time, the number of MPs for Wigan was reduced from two to one, and he did not run in the next election.