Hugh Birley (21 October 1817 – 7 September 1883) was a British businessman and
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
politician.
Life
Birley was born in
Blackburn
Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
, the third son of Joseph Birley of Ford Bank, Manchester.
Following education at
Winchester School, he went to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, where he was the head of Birley, Corrie and Company, East India merchants. On his return to England he became a partner in Birley and Company,
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
spinners and also in
Charles Macintosh
Charles Macintosh FRS (29 December 1766 – 25 July 1843) was a Scottish chemist and the inventor of the modern waterproof raincoat. The Mackintosh raincoat (the variant spelling is now standard) is named after him.
Biography
Macintosh was ...
and Company, manufacturers of
India rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
goods.
[''Obituary'', The Times, Monday, 10 September 1883, p. 4][''Walford's County Families of the United Kingdom or Royal Manual of the Titled and Untitled Aristocrats of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland'', London, 1899.]
He was appointed a
justice of the peace and
Deputy Lieutenant for the County Palatine of Lancaster.
[Sir ]Bernard Burke
Sir John Bernard Burke, (5 January 1814 – 12 December 1892) was a British genealogist and Ulster King of Arms, who helped publish ''Burke's Peerage''.
Personal life
Burke, of Irish descent, was born at London and was educated in London an ...
, ''A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland'', London, 1855 He was an active supporter of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
, and assisted in the building of a number of Anglican churches and schools in the Manchester area.
Birley was granted
armorial bearings
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
by the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...
, the
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...
of which was as follows:
''Sable on a fesse engrailed between three boars' heads couped argent, a mascle between three cross crosslets of the field, and for the Crest upon a wreath of the colours a demi-boar rampant sable collared argent the chain reflexed over the back or supporting a branch of wild teazle proper, charged on the shoulder with a millrind argent.''
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (28 February 1871 – 19 May 1928) was a British expert on heraldry. His ''Complete Guide to Heraldry'', published in 1909, has become a standard work on heraldry in England. A barrister by profession, Fox-Davies worke ...
, ''Armorial Families – A Dictionary of Some Gentlemen of Coat-Armour'', London, 1899.
At the
1868 general election the representation of the
Parliamentary Borough of Manchester was increased to three
members of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
. Birley was elected as the first Conservative MP for the town, alongside the two sitting
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
members,
Thomas Bazley and
Jacob Bright
The Rt Hon. Jacob Bright (26 May 1821 – 7 November 1899) was a British Liberal politician serving as Mayor of Rochdale and later Member of Parliament for Manchester.
Background
Bright was born at Green Bank near Rochdale, Lancashire. He wa ...
. He retained his seat at the ensuing elections of
1874 and
1880
Events
January–March
* January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia.
* January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy.
* February †...
.
For the final years of his life, Birley was in poor health, and travelled to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
in the south of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in an attempt to recuperate. However, after May 1883 he was too ill to attend parliament. He died at his
Didsbury home in September 1883, aged 66.
[
]
Family
He married Mabella Baxendale in 1842, and they had two sons and two daughters.[ They made their home at "Moorland", Didsbury, near ]Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
.[ He was the great-uncle of Robert Birley, who was Head Master of Eton College from 1949 to 1963.][ – features references to primary sources]
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birley, Hugh
1817 births
1883 deaths
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Manchester
People from Didsbury
UK MPs 1868–1874
UK MPs 1874–1880
UK MPs 1880–1885
People from Blackburn
People educated at Winchester College
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Hugh Birley
English justices of the peace