William Fane de Salis (businessman) facts for kids

William de Salis

William Andreas Salius Fane de Salis (born October 27, 1812 – died August 3, 1896) was an important British businessman and lawyer. He also played a role in developing new lands, which was called "colonialism" back then. He helped many companies grow, especially those connected to Australia.

William de Salis's Early Life

William de Salis was the third son of Jerome, the 4th Count de Salis-Soglio. His mother was Henrietta Foster. He had several brothers, including Peter, Rodolphus, and Henry.

William was born in St. Marylebone, London. He grew up in County Louth, Ireland. He went to famous schools like Eton College and Heidelberg University. He also studied at Oriel College, Oxford. In 1836, he became a lawyer, which is called being "called to the Bar." He worked in London and helped with voter registration in places like Northamptonshire and Nottingham.

William de Salis's Career

William de Salis traveled to Australia three times in the 1840s. He went there to find business chances in the wool industry. This industry was growing very fast at the time. His younger brother, Leopold Fabius Fane de Salis, had already moved to Australia in 1840.

William became a partner in a company called Thacker & Co. This company was linked to a bigger firm called Jardine Matheson. He later left Thacker & Co in 1847. By 1848, he owned a large ship called the Statesman with Robert Towns. They sold the ship in 1854 after it had an accident.

When he returned to England, William de Salis joined the Grand Junction Canal Company in 1850. He also held important positions in many other companies:

• He was a director of the Union Bank of Australia.
• He was a director of the Australian Agricultural Company (AAco). This company also had a branch called the Peel River Land and Mineral Co Ltd.
• He was a director of The Marine and General Mutual Life Assurance Society.
• He became a director and later the chairman of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. He worked there from 1851 to 1895, and was chairman from 1878 to 1881.
• He was also the deputy-chairman and then chairman of the London Chartered Bank of Australia from 1852 to 1874 or 1880.

William de Salis's Personal Life

In the early 1850s, William de Salis lived in several places in London. Later, from the late 1850s, he lived at Dawley Court near Hillingdon. He also had a home at Teffont Manor in Wiltshire.

On March 12, 1859, he married Emily Harriet. She was the oldest daughter of John Thomas Mayne. Emily passed away on July 24, 1896. William de Salis died just ten days later, on August 3, 1896. He left Dawley Court to his youngest brother's second son, Cecil Fane De Salis.

William de Salis was a member of important groups like the Geological Society and the Royal Geographical Society. He was also a Justice of the Peace (JP) for Middlesex and Wiltshire. In 1884, he helped start the Harlington, Harmondsworth and Cranford Cottage Hospital with J. D. Allcroft.

William de Salis's Writings

William de Salis also wrote some books and pamphlets:

• Reminiscences of Travel in China and India in 1848 (published in 1892 for private sharing)
• Introductory Remarks to a Residence in Australia, And To Travels in China And India (a short booklet)
• Original Poems with Translations from the German of Schiller (also for private sharing)

Images for kids

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  In 1861, aged about 48

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  With his wife

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  Pencil sketch

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  Tea at Teffont Evias

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  With shotgun

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  At Dawley Court