Byles, Sir William Pollard MP

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Portrait of Sir William Pollard Byles MP, aged 50, proprietor of the Bradford Observer. Born in Bradford in 1839, he married in 1865 and worked on the Bradford Observer which was founded by his father. He married in 1865, was knighted in 1911 and died in 1917.

Note in Sowden's notebook:
Sir Wm. Pollard Byles in the eldest son of the late Mr William Byles, the founder of the "Bradford Observer". Born in Bradford in 1839 he became associated in business with his father at an early age, and was taken into partnership in 1865, the year that he married. From that time until December 1909, he maintained an unbroken connection with the "Observer". An advanced Radical in politics, he did not confine his energies to newspaper work and he soon became influenticial on the political platform, although he was not able to carry his party with him. He championed the Sunday opening of the Free Library and was beaten in a municipal election when that was the chief issue, but the cause won if its advocate lost. he also espoused the Irish cause when sympathy withe the sister isle was not as widespread as it is to-day; and his readiness to take up the cause of the Manningham strikers on asserting their right of public meeting in another instance of his fearless advocacy of whatever he believed to be right. In 1882 he successfully fought the Shipley Parliamentary Division, but was defeated in 1895. In 1906 he was ? as a Liberal member for North Salford. He is a powerful public speaker, and one who has never been afraid to champion a cause he believes in, whether popular or not. He married the only daughter of the late Mr Stephen Unwin of Colchester in 1865. He was knighted in 1911. Died 1917.

Year

1890

Creator

John Sowden

Image filename

Sowden-22