William Alfred Pickwoad (1886–1975) was a British businessman who was a prominent figure in South America's railway industry and also held directorships in the major business concerns of

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

during the 1930s and 1940s.SUPPLEMENT TO ''

THE LONDON GAZETTE ''The London Gazette'' is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are ...

'', 1 FEBRUARY, 1937, Issue 34365, p. 697 He was variously general manager of the Antofagasta & Bolivia Railway, general manager of the

Central Argentine Railway The Central Argentine Railway, referred to as CA below, (in Spanish: Ferrocarril Central Argentino) was one of the ''Big Four'' broad gauge, British companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina. The company had been establish ...

, general manager of the General Mitre Railway, special adviser to the Argentine Ministry of Transport, President of the

Bolivian Railway The Bolivian rail network has had a peculiar development throughout its history. History Gauges All railways in Bolivia are now Metre gauge. The Antofagasta to Uyuni line was originally gauge. Maps File:Railway map of Bolivia 1942 ...

, a founding director of the

Central Bank of Bolivia The Central Bank of Bolivia ( es, Banco Central de Bolivia) is the central bank of Bolivia, responsible for monetary policy and the issuance of banknotes. The current president of the BCB is . History The bank was established by Law 632, pas ...

, President of Banco Mercantil, still one of the largest banks in

, and President of the National Cement Company of

. Pickwoad was invested as an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in 1937, a Grand Officer of the

Order of the Condor of the Andes The Order of the Condor of the Andes ( es, links=no, La Orden del Cóndor de los Andes) is a state decoration of the Plurinational State of Bolivia instituted on 12 April 1925. The Order is awarded for exceptional merit, either civil or military, ...

in Bolivia, a Commander of the Mérito Militar in

and as an Officer of the Cruzeiro do Sol in Brazil.

Early life

William Alfred Pickwoad was born in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

Certificate of Marriage, American Consular Service, Antofagasta, Chile, 27 August 1929 as a British subject on 24 May 1886, the son of Robert Williams Pickwoad and Helen Marian Pickwoad. He was educated at

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in Bedford Charity, The Harpur Trust, born from the financial endowment, endowments le ...

and St John's School, Hurstpierpoint. His brother, Howell Pickwoad, was the father of the actor

William Mervyn William Mervyn Pickwoad (3 January 1912 – 6 August 1976) was an English actor best known for his portrayal of the bishop in the clerical comedy ''All Gas and Gaiters'', the old gentleman in ''The Railway Children'' and Inspector Charles Rose i ...

Pickwoad.

Career

Pickwoad started his career in 1904 with the

Great Western Railway of Brazil Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

. At the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he volunteered for active service and attained the rank of captain in the Royal Engineers. After the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

Pickwoad became general manager of the Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway and President of the

. In 1944 he was appointed general manager of the

, a position he held until 1948 when he was made special adviser to the Argentine Ministry of Transport. In 1949 he was made President of a significant import and export business in São Paulo, Brazil. In addition to his work on South American railways, Pickwoad was a founding director of the

, President of Banco Mercantil, still one of the largest banks in

, and President of the National Cement Company of

. Pickwoad was invested as an Officer of the

in 1937, a Grand Officer of the

in Bolivia, a Commander of the Mérito Militar of

and an Officer of the Cruzeiro do Sol in Brazil.

Personal life

On 17 August 1929, Pickwoad married Mary Frances Watkins of Alhambra, California, USA. They had one daughter, Pamela Elizabeth Pickwoad, who married (secondly) Lieutenant-Colonel James Dighton Butler with whom she had two children. A prominent freemason, Pickwoad was Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of

and Worshipful Master of the Anglo Bolivian Lodge No 7. He was a founder of the Rotary Club of

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

in Bolivia and one of its early presidents.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickwoad, William Alfred 1886 births 1975 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Bedford Modern School People educated at Hurstpierpoint College British expatriates in British Honduras British expatriates in Bolivia