Briggs Priestley MP

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Briggs Priestley MP

Watercolour portrait by John Sowden of Briggs Priestley, M.P.

from John Sowden's notebooks:

"Mr Priestley was born in 1831 at Thornton, where he began business under Craven & Harrop, with whom he rose successively to be “taker in”, market man and partner. He married at the age of 21 Miss Crabtree of Lincolnshire but who had resided in Bradford for four years previously; and there were born of the marriage four sons and two daughters. Mr Priestley removed to Bradford in 1861 and was for some years in partnership with his elder brother Mr H(?) Priestley and subsequently with Mr Thomas Priestley son of the latter. In 1863 the firm had extended to Laisteryke and Idle. Lastly in 1901 came an amalgamation with the Bradford branch of Messrs Rule, Greenless & McEwans under the title of Priestley Ltd.

Upon Mr Briggss entering into Parliament in 1865 for the Pudsey Division of the West Riding the care of the business was left to the two sons whom he had taken into partnership. Mr Thomas Priestley had withdrawn in 1871 and commenced business on his own account. The eldest son Mr Charles Henry Priestley died in 1850 and thenceforward Mr Briggs Priestley and his second son Mr William Edward Priestley (now Sir) were the sole partners until the concern was made into a limited company in 1901.

Mr Priestley was a Baptist and in politics and ardent Liberal. He established in 1863 and maintained at his own expense until the operation of the Education Act took the work out of hand, and orphan school on a large scale at New(?) Leeds; furnishing it with, among other things, a library of 1400 volumes, which was in fact, the first free library in Bradford. Later he provided a similar institution in Clayton Lane, Manchester Road and another in Bolton Road. He was a generous supporter of the Nutter Orphanage. He was elected Chief Magistrate in 1877. He retired in 1878 and left the Council soon after being made an Alderman on account of business affairs. He died in 1906."

Creator

John Sowden

Image filename

sowden-84