Alexander Balfour

Alexander Balfour (2 September 1824 – 16 April 1886) was a Scottish merchant and founder of the Liverpool shipping company Balfour Williamson.[1]

Alexander Balfour
Statue of Alexander Balfour in St John's Gardens Liverpool

Early life

Balfour was born in Leven, Fife, as the eldest of three sons of Henry Balfour (1796-1854), a foundry owner, and his wife, Agnes Bisset (1804-1881).

Biography

He was educated at the High School of Dundee and St Andrews University, and in 1844 moved to Liverpool, where in 1851 he founded Balfour Williamson with Stephen Williamson and David Duncan.

He was a committed philanthropist, and founded the Duke Street Home, to provide better conditions for sailors, and orphanages for seamen's children.

He co-founded Edge Hill University (then Edge Hill College) in 1885, the first non-denominational teacher training college for women in England. There is a Halls of Residence called Balfour in his honour.[2]

He bought a country estate at Mount Alyn, at Rossett, south of Chester. He died there in 1886.

There is a statue of him by Albert Bruce-Joy in St John's Gardens, Liverpool.[3]

Personal life

He was married to Janet Roxburgh (1844-1923), daughter of John Roxburgh. They had:

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.