''For other people named John Platt, see John Platt.'' John Platt mp

John Platt (16 September 1817 – 18 May 1872) ) was an English manufacturer of textile machinery and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician. Platt was born at

Dobcross Dobcross is a village in the civil parish of the Saddleworth in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It is in a valley in the South Pennines, along the course of the River Tame and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, ...

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

, the son of Henry Platt who founded

Platt Brothers Platt Brothers, also known as Platt Bros & Co Ltd, was a British company based at Werneth in Oldham, North West England. The company manufactured textile machinery and were iron founders and colliery proprietors. By the end of the 19th century ...

textile machinery manufacturers in 1770. which by 1820 was based at Werneth area of Oldham. Platt was elected as the first Liberal Mayor of

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...

in 1854 and held office again in 1855–56. By the mid-1850s his company had established itself as the world's largest textile machinery manufacturer. Platt acquired property in

Llanfairfechan Llanfairfechan ("Little St Mary's Parish") is a town and community in the Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is known as a seaside resort and had a population at the 2001 Census of 3,755, reducing to 3,637 at the 2011 Census. The history of the ...

North Wales in 1857 and rebuild Bryn Y Neuadd as a magnificent mansion. He was mayor of Oldham again in 1861–62. In 1865 he was elected

Member 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 o ...

for

. He held the seat until his death in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

on 18 May 1872, at the age of 55. Platt married Alice Radcliffe in 1842. She died at Oakleigh, Leamington, on 19 December 1902, aged 79. *Their second son Samuel Radcliffe Platt (1844–1902) became head of the firm Platt Brothers, and was

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 Lanc ...

in 1897. *Their daughter Mary married Thomas Hardcastle Sykes of the Sykes Bleaching Company. Platt's younger brother James Platt (1824–1857) was also elected MP for Oldham in 1857, but was killed that same year in Greenfield at Ashway Gap on Saddleworth Moor by an accidental discharge of the gun of Josiah Radcliffe, the Mayor of Oldham.The Oldham Chronicle, August 29 1857 - Melancholy and Untimely death of James Platt, Esq, M.P.
/ref> A statue was erected of John Platt in Oldham by David Watson Stevenson in 1878.

References

External links

*
John Platt monument Oldham
{{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, John 1817 births 1872 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1865–1868 UK MPs 1868–1874 19th-century English businesspeople