Descendants of Joseph HOULDSWORTH
Notes
ref; MacLeod: THE BEGINNINGS OF THE HOULDSWORTHS (1938)]
William was of Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire and of Coltness, Lanarkshire, Scotland. According to Burke's Peerage William and Sarah had no children.
In the year 1836 Thomas Houldsworth of Farnsfield, M.P. for Nottingham, Henry's brother, bought Coltness from General Sir James Stewart Denham, Bart., and in 1837 the great Coltness Iron Works was started. These works were built under the direction of Mr. James Hunter, to whose skill and energy a great part of their success was due. At first the new works suffered under various drawbacks, the chief of which was the difficulty of transport. That was soon overcome by the construction of railways, and the "Coltness" brand early acquired the high character which it has ever since retained. There were then twelve blast furnaces at Coltness. Later the Dalmellington Iron Works, with eight furnaces, were built and worked. The cotton mills were given up some years ago, and the Houldsworths were then interested solely in iron. For nearly ninety years the Houldsworths were princes among Glasgow merchants. They always kept their minds open. If a branch of trade seemed to languish, they dropped it; if it promised to become a success, they dashed at it. And their sagacity and enterprise had their reward. They floated on the top of the tide when cotton was the great Glasgow trade. They took up iron founding just when it was beginning to be a good thing, and their foundry grew into one of the greatest in the kingdom. They became ironmasters when the hot blast and improved railway communication were combining to make it really profitable, and their brand was second to none in the market. They succeeded because they put brains and pluck into every enterprise they undertook; because they deserved to succeed.
Thomas was of Manchester, England and of Coltness, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was Lord of the Manor of Epperston, Nottinghamshire, England and was M.P. for more than 30 years, first for Pontefract, and afterwards for N. Notts.
According to Burke's Peerage Thomas did not marry.
Houldsworth Thomas will proved 02/02/1853 of Manchester in Lancashire, Member of Parliament for the county of Nottingham Inventory
