Sir John William Ramsden, 5th Baronet (14 September 1831 – 15 April 1914) was a British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician.

Biography

Carved Stonework - Victoria Tower - geograph

Born on 14 September 1831 to John Charles Ramsden and his wife the Hon. Isabella Dundas, he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for

Hythe Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to: Places Australia * Hythe, Tasmania Canada *Hythe, Alberta, a hamlet in Canada England *The ...

in 1857 and served as

Under-Secretary of State for War Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is a ...

from 1857 to 1858. Ramsden resigned from Parliament by taking appointment as

Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds Appointment to the position of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds (or the Three Hundreds of Chiltern) is a procedural device to allow members of Parliament (MPs) to resign from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Since ...

on 9 February 1859. He also sat as MP for

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...

from 1853 to 1857, for the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...

from 1859 to 1865, for

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

from 1868 to 1874, for the Eastern West Riding of Yorkshire from 1880 to 1885, and finally for Osgoldcross from 1885 to 1886. He stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Unionist candidate for Osgoldcross in 1886. Ramsden served as

High Sheriff of Yorkshire The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere o ...

in 1868/69. He was

lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...

, and, through the Ramsden Estate, owner of a large proportion of the town as well as a total of 11,248 acres of the West Riding. In addition he acquired in 1876 a 138,000 acre deer forest at Ardverikie, Laggan, Inverness-shire, and 800 acres of Lincolnshire. On 2 August 1865 he married Lady Helen Guendolen Seymour, daughter and co-heiress of

Edward Adolphus Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset Edward Adolphus St. Maur, 12th Duke of Somerset, (20 December 180428 November 1885), styled Lord Seymour until 1855, was a British Whig aristocrat and politician, who served in various cabinet positions in the mid-19th century, including that ...

, thus acquiring the Bulstrode estate near

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of Chalfont St Peter and a short distance west of the London Borough of Hillingdon, from which it is separated by the parish of Denham, Buckinghams ...

in Buckinghamshire. They had four children: Guendolen Isabella Jane, Hermione Charlotte, Rosamund Isabel and Sir John Frecheville Ramsden, who succeeded to the baronetcy.

Links with the University of Huddersfield

In 1825 there was an attempt to set up a Scientific and Mechanics Institution in Huddersfield. Supported by a group of donors, Sir John William Ramsden later agreed to become its Patron. Its aims were to instruct local mechanics and tradesmen in scientific principles relating to their work, through lectures and a circulation library. It later became part of the Huddersfield Philosophical Society. Subsequent educational initiatives in Huddersfield included the Young Men's Mental Improvement Society, the Huddersfield Mechanics' Institution, and the Technical School. The Technical School and Mechanics' Institute merged to become the Technical College, which subsequently became the College of Technology, then Huddersfield Polytechnic, before being granted University status as the

University of Huddersfield The University of Huddersfield is a public research university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It has been a University since 1992, but has its origins in a series of institutions dating back to the 19th century. It has made te ...

in 1992. The Ramsden Building, named after Sir John William Ramsden, was opened in 1883 by the Huddersfield Technical School and Mechanics' Institute and is situated on Queen Street South, between Milton Church and St Paul's Church, and is now part of the

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

References

External links

*
History of Ardverikie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsden, John, 5th baronet 1831 births 1914 deaths Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 Baronets in the Baronetage of England High sheriffs of Yorkshire Liberal Unionist Party MPs for English constituencies