William Rathbone VI (11 February 1819 – 6 March 1902) was an English merchant and businessman noted for his philanthropic and public work. He was an English
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 who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
variously between 1868 and 1895.
Background and early life
Rathbone was the eldest son of
William Rathbone of Greenbank, Liverpool and his wife Elizabeth Greg, daughter of Samuel Greg of Quarry Bank, Cheshire.
[ Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1886]
/ref> He was a member of the noted Rathbone family
The Rathbone family of Liverpool, England, were a family of nonconformist merchants and ship-owners who were known to engage in philanthropy and public service.
The family origins trace back to Gawsworth, near Macclesfield, where the first Will ...
and spent some time with various companies in Liverpool and London before in 1842, becoming a partner in the family company Rathbone Brothers and Co., general merchants of Liverpool. He remained a partner until 1885 and is said to have regarded wealth and business success chiefly as a means to the achievement of public and philanthropic work. He was a Deputy Lieutenant and JP for Lancashire.[
]
Political and philanthropic work
When Rathbone's first wife Lucretia was dying in 1859 she was cared for at home by a private nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
, Mrs Mary Robinson, who had received training at St. Thomas' Hospital London, Seeing the difference a trained nurse could make for a patient in a wealthy household prompted him to pursue bringing such benefits for poor people. Following a three month experiment with Nurse Robinson providing nursing care in the homes of poor people in one district of Liverpool, he set about creating a philanthropic system of district nursing
District Nurses work manage care within the community and lead teams of community nurses and support workers. The role requires registered nurses to take a NMC approved specialist practitioner course. Duties generally include visiting house-bound ...
for poor people in their homes. The involvement of Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...
led to a close friendship. In 1862, the Liverpool Training School and Home for Nurses was established, from which basis a district nursing
District Nurses work manage care within the community and lead teams of community nurses and support workers. The role requires registered nurses to take a NMC approved specialist practitioner course. Duties generally include visiting house-bound ...
system was implemented in Liverpool through the 1860s and spread throughout the country. His involvement with this scheme also made him aware of the poor state of the workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...
hospitals, and he did much to assist in the reform of nursing in workhouses.
Rathbone was also instrumental in establishing Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses in 1887, which later became The Queen's Nursing Institute
The Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) is a charity that works to improve the nursing care of people in their own homes in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It does not operate in Scotland, where the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland performs ...
. The Institute was founded using money donated by the women of England for Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's Golden Jubilee. Its mission was to organise the training and supply of district nurses throughout the British Isles, with the help of regional bodies. District nurses trained under its auspices were given the title Queen's Nurse. Members of the Rathbone family have served as trustees of the charity continuously ever since.
Rathbone was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in 1868, and sat for the city until 1880. In 1881 he was elected MP for Carnarvonshire and held the seat until 1885. He was then elected MP for Arfon and held the seat until 1895.
Rathbone was closely involved in the formation of University College Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
(1882), which later became the University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
, founding a Professorship in English with his two brothers, and serving as president of the college in 1892. He also played an important part in the establishment of the University College of North Wales
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
in 1884, and served as president from 1891. He was made Freeman
Freeman, free men, or variant, may refer to:
* a member of the Third Estate in medieval society (commoners), see estates of the realm
* Freeman, an apprentice who has been granted freedom of the company, was a rank within Livery companies
* Free ...
of the City of Liverpool on 21 October 1891.
Works
*
*
Personal life
Rathbone married firstly Lucretia Wainwright Gair (c.1823 – 27 May 1859), daughter of Samuel Stillman Gair of Liverpool in 1847.[ They had five children, but Lucretia died shortly after the birth of the fifth, Ted, who was drowned in a sailing accident on Derwent water in 1886.][''The Times'', Saturday, 11 September 1886; pg. 8; Issue 31862; col C: "Drowned". Sailing accident on Derwent Water.]
Rathbone remarried on 6 February 1862 to Esther Emily Acheson Lyle (c.1832 – 19 March 1918), daughter of Acheson Lyle of Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
.[ They had six children, including the campaigner and politician, Eleanor Rathbone and Emily Evelyn (Evie) (1865–1954) who married Hugh Reynolds Rathbone.
Rathbone died on 6 March 1902 at his home, ]Greenbank House
Greenbank House, is a Grade II*-listed building in Liverpool, England. It stands within the University of Liverpool's Greenbank Halls of Residence site, between Greenbank Road and Greenbank Lane.
History Original house
The original house was bu ...
in Liverpool.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rathbone, William VI
1819 births
1902 deaths
British philanthropists
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Liverpool
Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies
UK MPs 1868–1874
UK MPs 1874–1880
UK MPs 1880–1885
UK MPs 1885–1886
UK MPs 1886–1892
UK MPs 1892–1895
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
Deputy Lieutenants of Lancashire