Benjamin Whitworth

Benjamin Whitworth (24 May 1816 – 24 September 1893) was an Irish politician, who represented constituencies in Ireland at the United Kingdom Parliament in Westminster, London.

Early life

Benjamin Whitworth was born in Manchester in 1816. He came to Drogheda as a child; his father was a corn merchant.

Benjamin was educated in England, and he later went into business himself in Manchester. However he returned to Drogheda, and founded the Greenmount and Boyne Mills in 1865. This factory once employed 1,200 people and exported linen throughout the world.[1]

Parliamentary career

He was returned for Drogheda, as a Liberal, in the 1865 general election. However his 1868 re-election was declared void and he was replaced by his son Thomas Whitworth, in an unopposed by-election on 15 March 1869.[2]

Benjamin Whitworth was elected Member of Parliament for Kilkenny City, in a by-election in 1875. He resigned in 1880 to contest the Drogheda constituency in a by-election as a Home Rule candidate.[3] Elected unopposed in the 1880 general election, he sat as MP until the constituency was abolished in 1885.[4]

Service to Drogheda

He was a major benefactor to the town of Drogheda, overseeing the construction of the public water supply system in the town. In 1865 he built the Whitworth Hall, located on St. Laurence's Street, which he later donated to the people of the town.[5] He helped to build the Christian Brothers monastery, formerly at Sundays Gate. He was awarded the freedom of the Borough in 1877.[6]

Whitworth died in London in 1893.

gollark: I'm not convinced that they would actually care much about war-criming people.
gollark: I mean, it's a nice color.
gollark: What sort of stuff *can* you do with just laser pointers other than just, well, setting things on fire and shining them at things?
gollark: Spirit is very knowledgeable, but will also ruthlessly correct any mistake anyone makes.
gollark: OH NOYOU PINGED HIM

References
  • Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
  1. http://homepage.eircom.net/~thewhitworth/benjamin.html
  2. 'Ireland', The Times, 15 March 1869.
  3. The Times, 4 March 1880.
  4. Debrett's Illustrated House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1882 (Dean and Son, 1882), page 227.
  5. http://homepage.eircom.net/~thewhitworth/index.html
  6. http://homepage.eircom.net/~thewhitworth/benjamin.html
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James McCann		 Member of Parliament for Drogheda
1865–1869		 Succeeded by
Thomas Whitworth
Preceded by
John Gray		 Member of Parliament for Kilkenny City
1875–1880		 Succeeded by
John Francis Smithwick
Preceded by
William Hagarty O'Leary		 Member of Parliament for Drogheda
1880–1885		 constituency abolished


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