Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Sir William George Coxen, 1st Baronet (23 March 1867 – 7 April 1946) was a British merchant and politician. Coxen was born in

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, the eldest child of George Nickels Coxen and Fanny Luxton, of

Newington, London Newington is a district of South London, just south of the River Thames, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It was an ancient parish and the site of the early administration of the county of Surrey. It was the location of the County ...

. He was educated at Ongar Grammar School in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

and at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

. During the

First World War 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 served as Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion of the London Volunteer Rifles. After the war he was Mayor of

Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part ( St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. The area has its roots ...

between 1919 and 1920, Chairman of the Joint Industrial Council for the London District between 1920 and 1922, an

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

of London, Sheriff of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

between 1928 and 1929 and

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

between 1939 and 1940. He was also the Treasurer of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and a Trustee for the Metropolitan Nursing Association He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1929 and created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of Seal in the County of Kent, in 1941. Coxen married Kathleen Alice Doncaster in 1912. They had no children. He died in Seal, Kent, aged 69, when the baronetcy became extinct.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coxen, William 1867 births 1946 deaths People from Southwark Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom 20th-century lord mayors of London 20th-century English politicians Alumni of King's College London Members of Holborn Metropolitan Borough Council Mayors of places in Greater London Sheriffs of the City of London Knights Bachelor People from Seal, Kent