Sir Stephen Wilson Furness, 1st Baronet (26 May 1872 – 6 September 1914) was a British shipping magnate and a

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. A member of a prominent ship-owning family from

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed ...

, Furness was educated at

Ashville College Ashville College is a co-educational independent school for both day (exclusively so from September 2025) and boarding pupils aged 2–18 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1877 as a boarding school for boys by the Uni ...

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

. He was a member of West Hartlepool Town Council in 1897 and of

Durham County Council Durham County Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of County Durham (district), County Durham in North East England. The council is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, bein ...

in 1898. He was a Justice of the Peace, and a member of the Hartlepool Port and Harbour Commission. He was elected as member of parliament (MP) for

The Hartlepools The Hartlepools was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament. The constituency became Hartlepool (UK Parliament constituency), Har ...

at a by-election in June 1910, after the re-election in January 1910 of his uncle Sir Christopher was voided as a result of an electoral petition. When his uncle Christopher died in 1912, he succeeded him as Furness, Withy and Company, and also became chairman of over a dozen other companies and director of more. He was made 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 ...

on 18 June 1913, of Tunstall Grange, in the borough of

, in the

County of Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...

, and held his seat in the

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until his death in 1914, aged 42, in an accident while on holiday.

Personal life

In 1899 he married Eleanor Forster, with whom he had three sons and one daughter. They lived at Tunstall Grange, in West Hartlepool.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Furness, Stephen W 1872 births 1914 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Councillors in North East England British businesspeople in shipping People educated at Ashville College 19th-century British businesspeople