William Imrie (1836 – 7 August 1906https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1906/08/08/101793427.pdf ) was a

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

shipowner A ship-owner is the owner of a merchant vessel (commercial ship) and is involved in the shipping industry. In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain f ...

who owned the

White Star Line The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between ...

. He was once known as "the Prince of Shipowners".

Early life

His father (also William) was partner in the firm of shipbrokers called Imrie & Tomlinson, based in Rumford Street, Liverpool. William Imrie went on to work for this firm which also took into its employment

Thomas Ismay Thomas Henry Ismay (7 January 1837 – 23 November 1899) was the founder of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, more commonly known as the White Star Line. His son Joseph Bruce Ismay was managing director of the ''White Star Line''; and, in ...

who was the son of Joseph Ismay, at this time a shipbuilder and timber merchant.

White Star Shipping Line

In 1869 Thomas Ismay was in business by himself running ships to Australia. At a dinner in Broughton Hall,

West Derby West Derby ( ) is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England. It is located East of the city and is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382. History West Derby Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', West ...

, Ismay and Imrie decided they would form a partnership. When Imrie's father died in 1870 the Imrie & Tomlinson business was transferred to TH Ismay and Company. This joint venture was to be called Ismay, Imrie and Company and was the parent company of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Ltd which was the White Star Line's official name. On 27 August 1870 the White Star Line was to launch the RMS Oceanic the first of four new steamships which were built by the Belfast Shipbuilding company,

Harland and Wolff Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It specialises in ship repair, shipbuilding and offshore construction. Harland & Wolff is famous for having built the majority of the ocean liners for the W ...

Family

In 1872 William Imrie and his wife Hannah adopted the daughter of William Pollard. Amy Elizabeth Rosalie Pollard (to become better known as Amy Elizabeth Imrie) was in 1910 to become responsible for funding of the building of St Mary of the Angel's Church in Fox Street, Liverpool. Amy went on to enter the Convent of Poor Clares at

Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...

, an order of nuns dedicated to the memory of St Francis. Amy also gave the family home in Mossley Hill to the Poor Clares to become their first

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

in Liverpool.

Properties

Imrie's family property was originally The Hermitage in Hayman's Green, West Derby Village. In later years as he excelled in business he moved into the even grander Holmstead in

Mossley Hill Mossley Hill is a suburb of Liverpool and a Liverpool City Council ward. Located to the south of the city, it is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, Childwall, and Wavertree. At the 2001 Census, the population was 12,650, increasing to 13,816 at t ...

, a house which contained many fine examples of art including paintings by Strudwick from whom Imrie was a patron.

Religion and philanthropy

Imrie was a deeply religious person. He financially backed St Margaret's Church on Princes Road and numerous charities around the city which he supported anonymously. He gave financial support to the Seaman's Orphanage in

Newsham Park Newsham Park in Liverpool, England is a Victorian. To the east of it is the Canada Dock branch railway line, and to the north is West Derby Road. The park is protected as a Grade II* listed site. History The park was opened in 1868. In 1877, ...

Death

Imrie died in 1906. A service was held at St Margaret's Church and his body was laid with that of his wife in the family plot in the graveyard of St Nicholas Church in

Halewood Halewood is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It lies near the city of Liverpool's southeastern boundary, bordered by the suburbs of Netherley, Hunt's Cross and Woolton. Historically a part of Lancashire, ...

References

Biography at Scottiepress.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imrie, William 1836 births 1906 deaths Businesspeople from Liverpool British businesspeople in shipping White Star Line 19th-century English businesspeople