Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1930 & 39

William Johnson Galloway MP (1868 - 1931)


W.J.Galloway was a Director of the Manchester boilermaking firm W & J Galloway Ltd and became MP for Manchester South West in 1895.

 

He was born in Sale, Cheshire in 1868, the son of John Galloway JP and the grandson of William Galloway, the co-founder of W & J Galloway Ltd, the famous boiler-making company. He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire (which was created as a national monument to the Duke of Wellington and boasts former pupils as George Orwell, James Hunt and Rory Bremner), followed by Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He lived at The Cottage in Old Trafford, Manchester and became a senior partner in the family business.

 

William was an active Conservative in Manchester and was selected for the seat of Rugby in the 1892 General Election, but was defeated. However three years later he stood for Manchester South West and was successful, joining Lord Salisbury's Conservation Government. He held the seat until 1906 when he was defeated by George Davy Kelley, Labour.

William J. Galloway was a Lieutenant in the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry and later became honorary Colonel of the East Lancashire Engineers, a unit of the Territorial Force. During the First World War he was on the staff of the Quartermaster General and also held positions with the Ministry of Information and the Foreign Office.

 

His business interests were numerous. He was chairman of the Claremont Park Building Company, Blackpool and director of the Carnforth Iron and Haematite Works and the Hoyland Silkstone Coal Company. In 1903 he was elected a Director of the Great Eastern Railway Company, becoming chairman of the Locomotive Committee. When the GER was merged into the LNER, he became a director and also chairman of the Steamships and Continental Committee.

 

William was a co-worker with his mother in a large mission and philanthropic work in Hulme, Manchester. He was also a member of the Board of Hulme Dispensary. He travelled around the world visiting many countries and in 1899 wrote the book Advance Australia - a short account of Australia on the eve of Federation. He died of 28th January 1931 and is buried in the Galloway family grave at Weaste Cemetery.