William Romaine Callender facts for kids

William Romaine Callender Jr. (born 1825, died 22 January 1876) was a British businessman. He also became a politician for the Conservative Party.

William Callender: Businessman and Politician

William Romaine Callender Jr. was born in 1825. His father, William Romaine Callender Sr., was a successful businessman. The family lived near Manchester at Mauldeth Hall. His father was a Whig and a non-conformist. This meant he was a Protestant who was not part of the Church of England. He worked to make Manchester a municipal borough, which is a town with its own local government. He also served on Manchester's first town council.

However, William Jr. chose a different path. He became a leading member of the Conservative Party. He also became an Anglican, which means he was part of the Church of England. In 1849, he married Hannah Mayson.

Business Career

William Jr. joined his father's business. They were cotton spinners and merchants in Manchester. A cotton spinner makes cotton thread, and a merchant sells goods. William Jr. eventually took charge of the family business. He made the company bigger in 1861. He did this by buying the business of Sir Thomas Bazley in Bolton.

Public Service and Interests

Besides his business, William Callender had many other interests. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. This is a group for people who study history and old objects. He strongly supported the Manchester Athenaeum. This was a place founded by wealthy business people. Its goal was to provide education and fun for working-class people. In 1858, he became the honorary secretary of the Athenaeum. He held this important role until he died.

He also helped start a group of rifle volunteers in 1859. These were citizens who trained to defend their country. William Callender was also a freemason. This is a member of a social and charitable organization. He rose to be a high-ranking member in the freemason groups in East Lancashire and England.

Political Career

In 1870, William Callender was elected to the first Manchester School Board. This board helped manage schools in the area. In the 1874 general election, he became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the national government. He represented the Parliamentary Borough of Manchester. He won against the Liberal MP, Jacob Bright.

Later Life and Legacy

In November 1875, William Callender became ill. This happened after he attended a public event called an Orange Order demonstration. He was told to travel to the south coast of England to get better. Sadly, he died in January 1876. He was 51 years old. He passed away from an illness called "rheumatic neuralgia" in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex.

After his death, a special statue of his head, called a bust, was made. It was placed at Manchester Town Hall in 1880. This honored his work as an MP.