William Kenrick (8 June 1831 – 31 July 1919) was an English

iron founder An iron founder (also iron-founder or ironfounder) in its more general sense is a worker in molten ferrous metal, generally working within an iron foundry. However, the term 'iron founder' is usually reserved for the owner or manager of an iron foun ...

and hardware manufacturer. He was a Liberal Unionist Party politician who was active in local government in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

and 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. T ...

from 1885 to 1899.

Life

Kenrick was born at

West Bromwich West Bromwich ( ) is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is north-west of Birmingham. West Bromwich is part of the area known as the Black Country, in terms of geography, c ...

, Staffordshire, the son of Archibald Kenrick, JP (1798–1878), an iron founder, and his wife, Anne Paget (1798–1864). He became a director of the family firm, Archibald Kenrick & Sons. He also became active in local politics, becoming a town councillor in 1870, alderman in 1872 and mayor of Birmingham from 1877 to 1878. In the 1885 general election he became MP for Birmingham North. He held the seat until he resigned in 1899 when he became a Privy Councillor. In 1911 he was given

Honorary Freedom of the City of Birmingham Below is a list of Honorary Freemen of the City of Birmingham. List The City of Birmingham, England has granted Honorary Freedom to individuals and military organisations since 1888. Designation as a Freeman of the City is an honorary title ...

. Kenrick had educational and artistic interests. He was a Governor of

King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent day school for boys in the British public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by King Edward VI in 1552, it is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Bir ...

and was closely connected with the Arts and Crafts movement. He was Chairman of the Museum and School of Arts Committee and was visited by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

in 1880. In 1895 he became a director of the

Birmingham Guild of Handicraft Birmingham Guild of Handicraft was an Arts and Crafts movement, Arts and Crafts organisation operating in Birmingham, England, established at the end of the 19th century. History The Guild began as a loose part of the Birmingham Kyrle Society, t ...

when it became a limited company. Kenrick died at his home, The Grove, Park Lane,

Harborne Harborne is an area of south-west Birmingham, England. It is one of the most affluent areas of the Midlands, southwest from Birmingham city centre. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constitu ...

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family a ...

, Warwickshire. The panelling of a room of his house is in the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

in London.

Marriage and family connections

On 26 August 1862, Kenrick married Mary Chamberlain (1838–1918), Joseph's sister, at the

Union Chapel, Islington Union Chapel is a working church, live entertainment venue and charity drop-in centre for the homeless in Islington, London, England. Built in the late 19th century in the Gothic revival style, the church is Grade I-listed. It is at the north ...

. His sister Harriet had married

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...

in July 1861; they were the parents of statesman

Austen Chamberlain Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer (twice) and was briefly ...

. After Harriet's death in 1863, Chamberlain married Harriet and William's cousin, Florence Kenrick, in 1868. Joseph and Florence were the parents of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

Children

*Cicely Kenrick (1869–1950), married Ernest Debenham on 8 November 1892. *Millicent Mary Kenrick (1871–1932), married Claude Gerald Napier-Clavering on 30 July 1897; mother of the actor

Alan Napier Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in West End theatre, he had a long film career in Britain and later, in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for ...

Wilfred Byng Kenrick Alderman Wilfred Byng Kenrick (4 December 1872 – 7 August 1962) was an English industrialist, politician and educationalist, who served as Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Family Kenrick was born on 4 December 1872. He was the son of another Birm ...

(1872–1962), married his cousin, Norah Beale, on 24 July 1906; later

Lord Mayor of Birmingham This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of Birmingham in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham has had a mayor (and elected council) since 1838. The office was raised to the dignity of lord mayor when Queen Victoria issued letters pa ...

*Gerald William Kenrick (1876–1953), married his cousin, Ruth Chamberlain, on 26 April 1912

References

External links

* 1831 births 1919 deaths Liberal Unionist Party MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 Mayors of Birmingham, West Midlands Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies {{England-mayor-stub