Sir William Frederick Coates, 1st Baronet, DL, JP (1866 – 19 January 1932) was an Irish stockbroker and politician in Belfast.
Sir William Coates | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Photographed as Lord Mayor of Belfast, 7 January 1921 | |
| Lord Mayor of Belfast | |
| In office 1929–1931 | |
| Preceded by | William George Turner |
| Succeeded by | Crawford McCullagh |
| In office 1920–1923 | |
| Preceded by | John C. White |
| Succeeded by | William George Turner |
| High Sheriff of Belfast | |
| In office 1906–1907 | |
| Preceded by | Henry O'Neill |
| Succeeded by | Peter O'Connell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Frederick Coates 1866 Belfast, Ireland |
| Died | 19 January 1932 (aged 65–66) |
| Spouse | Elsie Millicent Gregory |
| Education | Royal Belfast Academical Institution |
| Occupation | Stockbroker |
Early life edit
Coates was born in Belfast in 1866. He studied at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.[1] He was the son of David Lindsay Coates and Sara (née Mulligan) Coates.[2]
Career edit
He initially entered the linen trade, but became a stockbroker in 1887, building up an extensive business known as William F. Coates & Co, stockbrokers. In 1902 he was elected to Belfast Corporation. He was chairman of the finance committee from 1917 and was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1920 and then re-elected twice, serving until 1923.
He hosted the King and Queen when they visited Belfast to open the Parliament of Northern Ireland (of which he was also a Senator, both ex officio as Lord Mayor and as an elected member 1924-1929[3]) in July 1921. For hosting the monarchs, and guiding Belfast past the sectarian conflict that marked the creation of Northern Ireland in the early 1920s, Coates was created a Baronet of Haypark.[4] He served as Lord Mayor again from 1929 to 1931.
He served as High Sheriff of Belfast (1906–1907) and as High Sheriff of Antrim (1931–1932).[5]
Personal life edit
On 27 November 1907, Coates married Elsie Millicent Gregory, daughter of Colonel Frederick William Gregory. Together, they were the parents of:[2]
- Jean Ann Dorothy Coates, who married Thomas Roland Lecky Sinclair in 1938.[2]
- Sir Frederick Gregory Lindsay Coates, 2nd Baronet (1916–1994), who was a Brigadier in the Royal Tank Regiment. He married Joan Nugent Spinks, daughter of Major-General Sir Charlton Watson Spinks.[2]
Coates died on 19 January 1932 and was succeeded by his son Frederick.[6] Upon his son's death in 1994, Sir William's grandson, David Frederick Charlton Coates (b. 1948), became the 3rd Baronet.[2]
Arms edit
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References edit
- ^ John F. Harbinson, The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882-1973, p.208
- ^ a b c d e Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. Kelly's Directories. 2000. pp. 241–242. ISBN 9780333545775. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ "Members of the Northern Ireland Senate, 1921-72". www.ark.ac.uk.
- ^ "No. 32387". The London Gazette. 12 July 1921. p. 5553.
- ^ "No. 497". The Belfast Gazette. 2 January 1931. p. 2.
- ^ Obituary, The Times, 20 January 1932
- ^ "Grants and Confirmations of Arms Volume M". National Library of Ireland. p. 94. Retrieved 23 August 2022.