Walter Henry Wilson JP FICE FRINA (4 November 1839 – 14 May 1904) was an Irish ship designer and one of the founding partners of the firm Harland and Wolff.

Early life

He was the eldest son and heir of Alexander George Wilson (1797-1856) of Maryville House, Belfast, and Emily Lawrence Boyd. He was a descendant of the Wilsons of Croglin in Dumfriesshire.Wilson of Croglin
/ref> Following his education in Belfast, he pursued a career in naval architecture and engineering.Walter Henry Wilson, theyard.info
/ref>

Career

Wilson became a gentleman apprentice in Robert Hickson's shipyard in 1857, which later became Harland and Wolff. In 1861, Wilson completed his apprenticeship and was given a position in the drawing office; he was appointed chief draughtsman in 1863.Walter Henry Wilson, the Dictionary of Ulster Biography
/ref>Walter Henry Wilson, Grace's Guide to British Industrial Theory
/ref> Wilson became a sub-manager of the shipyard in 1868 and then general manager of the works in 1870. In 1874 Wilson was made a partner of Harland and Wolff (the firm created out of Hickson's shipyard). Wilson served as partner of the firm alongside Sir

Edward Harland Sir Edward James Harland, 1st Baronet (15 May 1831 – 24 December 1895), was an Ulster-based English shipbuilder and politician. Born in Scarborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy. In 1846, aged 15, h ...

, William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie and Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. During his time with Harland and Wolff, Wilson made many notable contributions to the development of shipbuilding. Wilson's developments are still considered today to have been the most reliable contributions of the time. Wilson was appointed to the

Northern Counties Committee The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge () but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway that opened to ...

of Midland Railway and became President of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce in 1904 until his sudden death.

Personal life

Wilson lived at Stranmillis House before he bought a 20-year lease of Belvoir Park (which was ended in 1918) from

Robert de Yarburgh-Bateson, 3rd Baron Deramore Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Wilfrid de Yarburgh-Bateson, 3rd Baron Deramore (5 August 1865 – 1 April 1936) was a British peer and an officer in the Yorkshire Hussars. He served as Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire from 1924 until his ...

in 1900 and also bought Cranmore House, which was close to his original family property Maryville House. He married Sarah Elizabeth Wynne in 1875 and had one son and six daughters. His son, Alexander George Wilson (1876-1959), succeeded him in the ownership of his property in Belfast.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Walter Henry British businesspeople in shipping 1904 deaths 1839 births Irish people of Scottish descent 19th-century Irish businesspeople