William Francis Gordon (1820–1901) was an English coal-master and railway director active in the West Midlands.
He was the son of the Rev. William Gordon (died 1857) of Christ Church, West Bromwich, and his wife Louisa Jervis, daughter of Thomas Jervis. His brother Robert Gordon (1830–1914) was a cleric, rector of Hammerwich. [1] [2] His sister Louisa married the ironmaster Henry Smith. [3]
Gordon's mining interests included (1874) Knutton Colliery and Old Oak Colliery. [4] He took a mining lease at Knutton, covering most of the Knutton estate, for 21 years at a minimum annual royalty of £1000. [5] With the Stanier and Sneyd families, he gave money towards a school and church buildings in Knutton. [6] The Rev. Otho Steele, brought in as vicar at the Knutton chapelry and involved in the fundraising, moved on to Wolstanton. [7] (Knutton chapel was not well endowed.) [8] There he raised funds for a new church built at Porthill, to which Gordon contributed a window. [7]
In 1864, Gordon owned mining rights at New Bucknall. [9] He put his Lawn Colliery at Bucknall on the market in 1870, anticipating the completion of the Longton, Adderley Green and Bucknall railway. [10]
In 1874 Gordon chaired a meeting to arrange a takeover of interests of C. & J. May in the Sneyd Colliery, Burslem. [11]
Gordon was a director of the North Staffordshire Railway for much of his later life. [12]
In the 1840s, Gordon and his wife lived at Spon House, outside West Bromwich, on a heath. Thomas Bache Salter of Salters lived there in the following decade. [13] [14]
Gordon was living in Oak Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, when he bought St Chad's House, Lichfield, after the death in 1876 of the physician Charles Holland FRS. He changed its name back to an earlier one, Stowe House. He lived there for the rest of his life. [15] [16]
Gordon was a Staffordshire Justice of the Peace from 1876, and sat on the Lichfield City Council. He was Mayor of Lichfield in 1880–1. [12]
William Francis Gordon died at home at Stowe House on 11 September 1901, at age 81. [12] He left an estate with personalty valued at £172,705. [17]
Gordon married in 1844 Anna Matilda May, daughter of Charles Hughes May of Whittington, Derbyshire and aunt of Phil May. Charles Hughes May was a coal-master, at Sneyd Colliery. [18] [19] Living at Spon House, West Bromwich, they lost their two infants, William Alexander and Matilda Louisa, in August 1847. [13]
Of their other children:
Anna Matilda Gordon died on 29 December 1903, at Bournemouth. [40]
William Francis Gordon (1820–1901) was an English coal-master and railway director active in the West Midlands.
He was the son of the Rev. William Gordon (died 1857) of Christ Church, West Bromwich, and his wife Louisa Jervis, daughter of Thomas Jervis. His brother Robert Gordon (1830–1914) was a cleric, rector of Hammerwich. [1] [2] His sister Louisa married the ironmaster Henry Smith. [3]
Gordon's mining interests included (1874) Knutton Colliery and Old Oak Colliery. [4] He took a mining lease at Knutton, covering most of the Knutton estate, for 21 years at a minimum annual royalty of £1000. [5] With the Stanier and Sneyd families, he gave money towards a school and church buildings in Knutton. [6] The Rev. Otho Steele, brought in as vicar at the Knutton chapelry and involved in the fundraising, moved on to Wolstanton. [7] (Knutton chapel was not well endowed.) [8] There he raised funds for a new church built at Porthill, to which Gordon contributed a window. [7]
In 1864, Gordon owned mining rights at New Bucknall. [9] He put his Lawn Colliery at Bucknall on the market in 1870, anticipating the completion of the Longton, Adderley Green and Bucknall railway. [10]
In 1874 Gordon chaired a meeting to arrange a takeover of interests of C. & J. May in the Sneyd Colliery, Burslem. [11]
Gordon was a director of the North Staffordshire Railway for much of his later life. [12]
In the 1840s, Gordon and his wife lived at Spon House, outside West Bromwich, on a heath. Thomas Bache Salter of Salters lived there in the following decade. [13] [14]
Gordon was living in Oak Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, when he bought St Chad's House, Lichfield, after the death in 1876 of the physician Charles Holland FRS. He changed its name back to an earlier one, Stowe House. He lived there for the rest of his life. [15] [16]
Gordon was a Staffordshire Justice of the Peace from 1876, and sat on the Lichfield City Council. He was Mayor of Lichfield in 1880–1. [12]
William Francis Gordon died at home at Stowe House on 11 September 1901, at age 81. [12] He left an estate with personalty valued at £172,705. [17]
Gordon married in 1844 Anna Matilda May, daughter of Charles Hughes May of Whittington, Derbyshire and aunt of Phil May. Charles Hughes May was a coal-master, at Sneyd Colliery. [18] [19] Living at Spon House, West Bromwich, they lost their two infants, William Alexander and Matilda Louisa, in August 1847. [13]
Of their other children:
Anna Matilda Gordon died on 29 December 1903, at Bournemouth. [40]