William Wright (1812-1884)

Sir William Wright (1812-1884)

Chairman of the Hull Dock Co

1873 Sir William Wright was elected an Associate of the Inst Civil Engineers

1875 Read a paper on "The Hull Docks"

1884 Died. 'The decease of Sir William Wright, Kt,, J.P., DL., occurred on Tuesday evening, at his residence at Sigglesthorne. He was born in 1812, at Bradford, and was consequently in his 72nd year. He came of a mercantile stock, and for many years carried on a successful business in Hull, to which port he came in 1833, under the style of Wright, Bros., and Co. From that business he retired in 1868. He became a director in the Hull Dock Company in 1850, and deputy chairman in 1859, succeeding the late Mr Firbank as chairman of the company in 1866. Very extensive dock works were undertaken during his chairmanship, one of the most notable of which was the Albert Dock, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1864, their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales honouring the port with a visit then for the first time. In August, 1866, on the recommendation of Mr Gladstone, Her Majesty conferred the honour of knighthood on Sir William at Osborne, in recognition of the services which he had rendered to Hull. He laid the foundation stone of the new and splendid Dock Offices in 1868, and afterwards that of the dock which goes by his name, and which is situated westward of the Albert Dock. On February 2nd, the Directors resolved that a portrait of Sir Wm. Wright should be painted for the Company by W. W. Ouless, A.R.A. and in 1876 the proprietors, in presenting him with a vote of thanks for his services, asked his acceptance of a honorarium of two thousand guineas. He became one of the Humber Conservancy Commissioners in 1859, and chairman in 1876, on the passing of the new Act enlarging very considerably the powers of the Commissioners. He was a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant of the East Riding, and elected an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1874, on which occasion he read a paper on the "Hull Docks." He was a practical agriculturist, and was one of the first to adopt the system of deep drainage. He wrote an essay on the "Rearing and Breeding of Cattle," in 1858, when he received a silver cup. His next essay was on the "Farming of Yorkshire." During his residence in Algeria he contributed interesting letters to the local press. He was a Liberal in politics, but kept aloof as much as possible from party. Hull owes to Sir William Wright a deep debt of gratitude for the assiduous manner in which he strove to develop the trading facilities of the port. His loss will be much regretted by men of all parties, but most of all by the mercantile community, whose welfare he had so much at heart.'

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