Sir John William Ramsden, 5th Baronet (14 September 1831 – 15 April 1914) was a British

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 ...

politician.

Biography

Carved Stonework - Victoria Tower - geograph

Ramsden was born on 14 September 1831 to

John Charles Ramsden John Charles Ramsden (30 April 1788 – 29 December 1836) was a British Whig politician from Newby Park in Yorkshire. He sat in the House of Commons between 1812 and 1836. Early life He was the eldest son of Sir John Ramsden, 4th Baronet (17 ...

and his wife Isabella Dundas. He was elected as a

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(MP) for

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

from 1853 to 1857, and for

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in 1857, serving as

Under-Secretary of State for War The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for ...

from 1857 to 1858. He resigned through appointment as

Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds Appointment to the position of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds is a procedural device to allow Members of Parliament to resignation from the British House of Commons, resign from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. S ...

on 9 February 1859. for the

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 ...

from 1859 to 1865, for

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

from 1868 to 1874, for the Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire from 1880 to 1885, and finally for Osgoldcross from 1885 to 1886. He stood as Liberal Unionist candidate for Osgoldcross in 1886. He served as

High Sheriff of Yorkshire The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere ...

in 1868. He was Lord of the Manor of

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

, and owner of a large proportion of the town as well as a total of 11,248 acres of the West Riding. In addition he acquired in 1876 a 138,000 acre deer forest at Ardverikie, Laggan, Inverness-shire, and 800 acres of Lincolnshire. On 2 August 1865 he married Lady Helen Guendolen Seymour, daughter of Edward Adolphus Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset, thus acquiring the Bulstrode estate at

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in south Buckinghamshire, England, separated from the London Borough of Hillingdon at Harefield by Denham, south of Chalfont St Peter and north bordering villages of Fulmer, Hedgerley, Iver Heath and St ...

. They had four children: Guendolen Isabella Jane, Hermione Charlotte, Rosamund Isabel and Sir John Frescheville.

Links with the University of Huddersfield

In 1825 there was an attempt to set up a Scientific and Mechanics Institution in Huddersfield. Supported by a group of donors, Sir John William Ramsden later became the institution's Patron. Its aims were to instruct local mechanics and tradesmen in scientific principles relating to their work, through lectures and a circulation library. It later became part of the Huddersfield Philosophical Society. Subsequent educational initiatives in Huddersfield included the Young Men's Mental Improvement Society, the Huddersfield Mechanics' Institution, and the Technical School. The Technical School and Mechanic's Institute merged to become the Technical College, which subsequently became the College of Technology, then Huddersfield Polytechnic, before being granted University status as the

University of Huddersfield , mottoeng = Thus not for you alone , established = 1825 – Huddersfield Science and Mechanics' Institute1992 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £2.47 million (2015) , chancellor = George W. Buckley , vice_chancel ...

in 1992. The Ramsden Building, named after Sir John William Ramsden, was opened in 1883 by the Huddersfield Technical School and Mechanics' Institute and is situated on Queen Street South, between Milton Church and St Paul's Church. The Ramsden Building is now part of the

campus.

References

External links

*
History of Ardverikie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsden, John, 5th baronet 1831 births 1914 deaths Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 Baronets in the Baronetage of England High Sheriffs of Yorkshire Liberal Unionist Party MPs for English constituencies