Sir James Watts (6 March 1804 – 7 April 1878) was

Mayor of Manchester This is a list of the Lord Mayors of the City of Manchester in the North West of England. Not to be confused with the Directly elected Greater Manchester Mayor. The Current and 124th Lord Mayor is Cllr Donna Ludford, Labour who has served Sin ...

(1855–1857),

High Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...

and owner of

Abney Hall Abney Hall is a Victorian house surrounded by a park in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England, () built in 1847. It is a Grade II* listed building. History Early history The foundations of the hall were laid in 1842 on the site of Cheadle Grov ...

. He was the owner of ''S & J Watts Limited'', who built the

Watts Warehouse Watts Warehouse is a large, ornate Victorian Grade II* listed building standing on Portland Street in the centre of Manchester, England. It opened in 1856 as a textile warehouse for the wholesale drapery business of S & J Watts, and was the la ...

Portland Street Portland Street is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is known for its business and retailing skyscraper complex Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district. Geography Running north-south and parallel to (an ...

. Watts was born March 1804, and baptised on 15 April 1804 at St Thomas Ardwick. He started his life as a weaver in

Didsbury Didsbury is a suburban area of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there are ...

. He became partners with his brothers Samuel and John and became an important figure among British industrialists, socialising with politicians and churchmen at his home,

, in Cheadle. He was elected a councillor for St James's Ward, became mayor in 1855, was re-elected in 1856, and at the same time an alderman.Chronology of Salford Hundred
citing The Annals of Manchester A chronological record from the earliest times to the end of 1885. Edited by William E. A. Axon. 1886. Manchester Central Library, Salford Local History Library After Prince Albert chose to stay with him when he visited Manchester to open the

Art Treasures Exhibition The Art Treasures of Great Britain was an exhibition of fine art held in Manchester, England, from 5 May to 17 October 1857.queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

awarded him a knighthood. Watts married Margaret Ann Buckley. They had one son, James Watts. Watt's descendants include

Conservative party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician James Watts, air commandant Dame Felicity Peake and her son, Andrew.

References

Mayors of Manchester 1804 births 1878 deaths High Sheriffs of Lancashire Knights Bachelor {{England-mayor-stub