Sir Charles Hanson, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir Charles Augustin Hanson, 1st Baronet (born 1846 – died January 17, 1922) was an important British politician. He came from Fowey, a town in Cornwall, England. Sir Charles was also the 590th person to hold the special job of Lord Mayor of London.

Who Was Sir Charles Hanson?

His Early Life and Family

Charles Augustin Hanson was born in Cornwall. His father, Joseph Hanson, was a skilled sailor who captained ships. His mother was Mary Ann Hicks. Charles went to school in Fowey.

Later, he moved to Canada. There, he became very successful in the business of selling wood (lumber). Around 1890, he returned to Cornwall. While in Canada, he married Martha Sabine Applebe. She was a rich woman from Canada. They had a son and a daughter together.

When he came back to England, Sir Charles bought a large piece of land in Cornwall. In 1899, he built a grand house called Fowey Hall there. Even though he had a home in Cornwall, he spent a lot of his time in London. In London, he worked as a stockbroker, helping people buy and sell shares in companies.

His Important Roles and Awards

Sir Charles Hanson held many important positions during his life.

• In 1907, he was chosen to be the High Sheriff of Cornwall. This was a very old and respected role in the county.
• In 1908, he received a special award from the Emperor of Austria. It was called the Cross of Knight of the Order of Francis Joseph. He got this award for his helpful work.

A Career in London Politics

Sir Charles became a key figure in the City of London's government.

• In 1909, he became an alderman of the City of London. An alderman is a senior member of the city council.
• He served as the Sheriff of the City of London from 1911 to 1912. The Sheriffs help the Lord Mayor and have special duties.
• His most important role was becoming the Lord Mayor of London from 1917 to 1918. The Lord Mayor is the head of the City of London's government.
• On July 6, 1918, he was given the title of baronet. This is a special honor from the King, making him "Sir Charles Hanson, 1st Baronet."
• In 1920, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Cornwall. This meant he helped the Lord-Lieutenant, who represents the King or Queen in the county.
• He also received awards from other countries. In 1920, the King of Greece made him a Commander of the Order of the Redeemer. The Emperor of Japan gave him the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

Member of Parliament

Sir Charles Hanson was also a Member of Parliament (MP). This means he was elected to represent people in the British Parliament. He was a member of the Coalition Conservative party. He represented the area of Bodmin in Cornwall. He was an MP from 1916 until he passed away in 1922. His son, Sir Charles Hanson, 2nd Baronet, later became a Lieutenant of London.

Fun Facts

• The famous house, Fowey Hall, which Sir Charles built, inspired a very well-known children's book. It was the idea behind Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows. This book was written by Kenneth Grahame in 1908.
• Sir Charles was not the only Lord Mayor of London named Hanson. There have been three Lord Mayors with the last name Hanson.
• Another Lord Mayor of London who also came from Cornwall was Sir William Purdie Treloar.
• Sir Charles Hanson owned the very first boat of a special kind, called a Troy class boat.