William Mather (1838–1920)

Mechanical engineer, businessman, and politician. Apprenticed to the family machine works and iron foundry in Salford, 1850–2. Assistant manager, Mather and Platt, 1858; partner, 1863; manager, 1871; senior partner, 1877; chairman, 1892–1916. Designed machinery for the textile industry. Travelled extensively on business, in particular in Russia, which he first visited in 1860. Founded the Salford Iron Works evening science school, 1873. Special commissioner, royal commisson on technical education, 1881. Established the department of Russian language and literature at Owens College (later Manchester University). Liberal MP, Salford, 1885–6; Gorton, 1889–95; Rossendale, 1900–4. Knighted, 1902.