William Houldsworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir William Henry Houldsworth
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| Born | 20 August 1834 Ardwick, Manchester, England
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| Died | 18 April 1917 (aged 82) Kilmarnock, Scotland
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| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Elisabeth Graham Crum |
| Children | 5 |
Sir William Henry Houldsworth (born August 20, 1834, died April 18, 1917) was an important businessman in Britain. He owned a large cotton mill in Reddish, England. He was also a Conservative MP for Manchester North West from 1883 to 1906. He was given the special title of baronet in 1887.
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Sir William Houldsworth's Life
William Henry Houldsworth was born on August 20, 1834. He was the youngest of four sons. His father was Henry Houldworth. William's mother passed away when he was very young.
Building a Cotton Empire
In the 1860s, Houldsworth bought land in Reddish. He built a huge factory called Reddish Mill. This mill became the largest cotton-spinning factory in the world. It started being built in 1863 and was finished in 1865.
Later, other family members helped build two more mills nearby. These were called the North Mill and the Middle Mill. An important building called the Houldsworth Institute was also finished in 1874. This building is now a working men's club. All these buildings were designed by a famous architect named Abraham Stott.
Houldsworth also asked another architect, Alfred Waterhouse, to design a church, a rectory (a house for a priest), and a school. These buildings are still standing today.
Creating a Model Village
Sir William Houldsworth also started building a special neighborhood for his workers. This was called the Houldsworth Model Village. It had different types of houses built near the mill. Some of these houses are still there on Houldsworth Street and Liverpool Street.
Special Honors and Later Life
In 1887, he was made a baronet. This is a special title given by the King or Queen. He was known as Sir William Henry Houldsworth.
The city of Manchester gave him a special honor in 1905. He was made a "freeman" of the city. The Victoria University of Manchester also gave him an honorary law degree. Later in his life, Houldsworth moved to Scotland. He focused on his estate there, called Coodham. He even built a small chapel on his estate.
Houldsworth's Legacy
Many things in Reddish are still named after Sir William Houldsworth. A special drinking fountain and a clock were put up in Houldsworth Square in 1920. People paid for it to remember him.
A building at the University of Manchester is also named after him. It is called Hulme Hall. Sir William Houldsworth helped pay for this hall when it was first built in the 1870s.
Family Life
Sir William Houldsworth married Elisabeth Graham Crum. She was the daughter of Walter Crum.
