William James Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, KP, PC, PC (Ire) (31 May 1847 – 7 June 1924)[1] was a leading British shipbuilder and businessman. He was chairman of Harland and Wolff, shipbuilders, between 1895 and 1924, and also served as Lord Mayor of Belfast between 1896 and 1898. He was ennobled as Baron Pirrie in 1906, appointed a Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1908 and made Viscount Pirrie in 1921. In the months leading up to the 1912 Titanic disaster, Lord Pirrie was questioned about the number of life boats aboard the Olympic-class ships. He responded that the great ships were unsinkable and the rafts were to save others. This would haunt him forever. In Belfast he was, on other grounds, already a controversial figure: a Protestant employer associated as a leading Liberal with a policy of Home Rule for Ireland.
Chairman Pirrie's office at the headquarters of Harland & Wolff.
Pirrie was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution before entering Harland and Wolff shipyard as a gentleman apprentice in 1862. Twelve years later he was made a partner in the firm, and on the death of Sir Edward Harland in 1895 he became its chairman, a position he was to hold until his death. As well as overseeing the world's largest shipyard, Pirrie was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1896, and was re-elected to the office as well as made an Irish Privy Counsellor the following year. He became Belfast's first honorary freeman in 1898, and served in the same year as High Sheriff of Antrim[4] and subsequently of County Down. In February 1900 he was elected President of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, where he had been vice-president the previous year.[5] He helped finance the Liberals in Ulster in the 1906 general election, and that same year, at the height of Harland and Wolff's success, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Pirrie, of the City of Belfast.[6]
In February 1912, after chairing a famous meeting of the Ulster Liberal Association at which Winston Churchill defended the government's policy of Home Rule for Ireland, Pirrie was jeered on the streets of Belfast, and assaulted as he boarded a steamer in Larne: pelted with rotten eggs, herrings, and bags of flour.[7] In 1910, the Ulster Liberal Association, an overwhelmingly Protestant body, with a weekly newspaper, and branch network throughout Ulster, had adopted (in opposition to the Ulster Liberal Unionist Association) an explicitly pro-home rule position.[7]
Two months later, April 1912, he was to travel aboard the Titanic, but illness prevented him from joining the ill-fated passage.
During the war he was a member of the War Office Supply Board, and in 1918 became Comptroller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding, organising British production of merchant ships.
In 1921 Pirrie was elected to the Northern Ireland Senate, and that same year was created Viscount Pirrie, of the City of Belfast, in the honours for the opening of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in July 1921, for his war work and charity work.[8][9]
Personal lifeEdit
Lord Pirrie married Margaret Montgomery Carlisle, daughter of John Carlisle, M.A., of Belfast, on 17 April 1879. In 1909, Lord Pirrie bought Witley Park, formerly the residence of Whitaker Wright. The letter P with a coronet above can be seen on metal gates and fence posts in the estate and previously owned lands.
Pirrie crown emblem
Pirrie built the Temple of the Four Winds near the Devil's Punchbowl, Hindhead. The octagonal plinth still remains.[10][11] Lord Pirrie's nephew, Thomas Andrews, died on the Titanic. Pirrie himself died on 7 June 1924, at the age of 77 of bronchial pneumonia, at sea off Cuba, whilst on a business trip to South America.[2][12] His body was brought from New York on the White Star Line's RMS Olympic,[13] and was buried in Belfast City Cemetery.[14] The barony and viscountcy died with him. Lady Pirrie died on 19 June 1935.[2] A memorial to Pirrie was unveiled in the grounds of Belfast City Hall in 2006.
ArmsEdit
Coat of arms of William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie
Crest
A falcon's head erased per saltire Argent and Gules.
Escutcheon
Argent a saltire Gules between in chief and in base a bugle horn stringed Sable and in fess two sea horses respecting one another Proper.
Supporters
On either side a falcon each resting its exterior claw on an anchor Proper beaked membered and collared Sable belled Or.
^ abMorrissey, Conor (2017). "Rotten Protestants: Protestant Home Rules and the Ulster Liberal Association, 1906–1918". The Historical Journal. 61 (3): 743–765. doi:10.1017/S0018246X1700005X. S2CID 148801140. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
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For the Scottish surgeon and medical author see William Pirrie surgeon This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources William Pirrie 1st Viscount Pirrie news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2011 Learn how and when to remove this template message William James Pirrie 1st Viscount Pirrie KP PC PC Ire 31 May 1847 7 June 1924 1 was a leading British shipbuilder and businessman He was chairman of Harland and Wolff shipbuilders between 1895 and 1924 and also served as Lord Mayor of Belfast between 1896 and 1898 He was ennobled as Baron Pirrie in 1906 appointed a Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1908 and made Viscount Pirrie in 1921 In the months leading up to the 1912 Titanic disaster Lord Pirrie was questioned about the number of life boats aboard the Olympic class ships He responded that the great ships were unsinkable and the rafts were to save others This would haunt him forever In Belfast he was on other grounds already a controversial figure a Protestant employer associated as a leading Liberal with a policy of Home Rule for Ireland The Right HonourableThe Viscount PirrieKP PC PC Ire Lord Lieutenant of BelfastIn office 1911 1924Preceded byThe Earl of ShaftesburySucceeded bySir Thomas DixonPersonal detailsBornMay 31 1847Quebec City Canada EastDiedJune 7 1924 1924 06 07 aged 77 At sea off CubaNationalityBritishSpouseMargaret Montgomery Pirrie m 1879 1924 OccupationShipbuilder businessman Bust of Lord Pirrie in the grounds of Belfast City Hall Harland and Wolff Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1903 Contents 1 Background 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Arms 5 References 6 External linksBackground EditPirrie was born in Quebec City Canada East the son of James Alexander Pirrie and Eliza Swan Montgomery Pirrie who were both Irish 2 He was taken back to Ireland when he was two years old and spent his childhood at Conlig County Down citation needed Belonging to a prominent family his nephews included J M Andrews who would later become Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Thomas Andrews builder of the RMS Titanic and Sir James Andrews 1st Baronet the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland 2 3 Career Edit nbsp Chairman Pirrie s office at the headquarters of Harland amp Wolff Pirrie was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution before entering Harland and Wolff shipyard as a gentleman apprentice in 1862 Twelve years later he was made a partner in the firm and on the death of Sir Edward Harland in 1895 he became its chairman a position he was to hold until his death As well as overseeing the world s largest shipyard Pirrie was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1896 and was re elected to the office as well as made an Irish Privy Counsellor the following year He became Belfast s first honorary freeman in 1898 and served in the same year as High Sheriff of Antrim 4 and subsequently of County Down In February 1900 he was elected President of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom where he had been vice president the previous year 5 He helped finance the Liberals in Ulster in the 1906 general election and that same year at the height of Harland and Wolff s success he was raised to the peerage as Baron Pirrie of the City of Belfast 6 In 1907 Pirrie was appointed Comptroller of the Household to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and in 1908 he was appointed Knight of St Patrick KP Pro Chancellor of The Queen s University of Belfast from 1908 to 1914 Pirrie was also in the years before the First World War a member of the Committee on Irish Finance as well as Lieutenant for the City of Belfast both 1911 In February 1912 after chairing a famous meeting of the Ulster Liberal Association at which Winston Churchill defended the government s policy of Home Rule for Ireland Pirrie was jeered on the streets of Belfast and assaulted as he boarded a steamer in Larne pelted with rotten eggs herrings and bags of flour 7 In 1910 the Ulster Liberal Association an overwhelmingly Protestant body with a weekly newspaper and branch network throughout Ulster had adopted in opposition to the Ulster Liberal Unionist Association an explicitly pro home rule position 7 Two months later April 1912 he was to travel aboard the Titanic but illness prevented him from joining the ill fated passage During the war he was a member of the War Office Supply Board and in 1918 became Comptroller General of Merchant Shipbuilding organising British production of merchant ships In 1921 Pirrie was elected to the Northern Ireland Senate and that same year was created Viscount Pirrie of the City of Belfast in the honours for the opening of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in July 1921 for his war work and charity work 8 9 Personal life EditLord Pirrie married Margaret Montgomery Carlisle daughter of John Carlisle M A of Belfast on 17 April 1879 In 1909 Lord Pirrie bought Witley Park formerly the residence of Whitaker Wright The letter P with a coronet above can be seen on metal gates and fence posts in the estate and previously owned lands nbsp Pirrie crown emblemPirrie built the Temple of the Four Winds near the Devil s Punchbowl Hindhead The octagonal plinth still remains 10 11 Lord Pirrie s nephew Thomas Andrews died on the Titanic Pirrie himself died on 7 June 1924 at the age of 77 of bronchial pneumonia at sea off Cuba whilst on a business trip to South America 2 12 His body was brought from New York on the White Star Line s RMS Olympic 13 and was buried in Belfast City Cemetery 14 The barony and viscountcy died with him Lady Pirrie died on 19 June 1935 2 A memorial to Pirrie was unveiled in the grounds of Belfast City Hall in 2006 Arms EditCoat of arms of William Pirrie 1st Viscount Pirrie nbsp nbsp Crest A falcon s head erased per saltire Argent and Gules Escutcheon Argent a saltire Gules between in chief and in base a bugle horn stringed Sable and in fess two sea horses respecting one another Proper Supporters On either side a falcon each resting its exterior claw on an anchor Proper beaked membered and collared Sable belled Or Motto Deeds Not Words 15 References Edit William James Pirrie Viscount Pirrie Encyclopaedia Britannica Edinburgh Retrieved 14 April 2021 a b c d thepeerage com William James Pirrie 1st and last Viscount Pirrie Lord William James Pirrie Whitaker s Peerage Baronetage Knightage and Companioage J Whitaker amp Sons 1923 p 460 The Chamber of Shipping The Times No 36066 London 15 February 1900 p 8 No 27933 The London Gazette 20 July 1906 p 4973 a b Morrissey Conor 2017 Rotten Protestants Protestant Home Rules and the Ulster Liberal Association 1906 1918 The Historical Journal 61 3 743 765 doi 10 1017 S0018246X1700005X S2CID 148801140 Retrieved 23 May 2021 No 32387 The London Gazette 12 July 1921 p 5553 No 32391 The London Gazette 15 July 1921 p 5637 Heather Hills amp Wooded Vales Walk Underwater billiards and burning The Irish Times DEATH OF LORD PIRRIE GREAT CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY GROWTH OF SHIPBUILDING CONCERNS SERVICES TO BELFAST 9 June 1924 p 5 The Irish Times THE LATE LORD PIRRIE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN BELFAST 21 June 1924 p 7 The Irish Times THE LATE LORD PIRRIE FUNERAL IN BELFAST TO DAY LONDON TRIBUTES 24 June 1924 p 4 Debrett s Peerage 1921 External links EditBiography of William Pirrie at Encyclopedia Titanica Pirrie Viscount Thom s Irish Who s Who Dublin Alexander Thom and Son Ltd 1923 p 206 via Wikisource Civic officesPreceded byWilliam McCammond Lord Mayor of Belfast1896 1898 Succeeded byJames HendersonHonorary titlesPreceded byThe Earl of Shaftesbury Lord Lieutenant of Belfast1911 1924 Succeeded bySir Thomas Dixon BtPeerage of the United KingdomNew creation Viscount Pirrie1921 1924 ExtinctBaron Pirrie1906 1924 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Pirrie 1st Viscount Pirrie amp oldid 1178713766, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
