William George Ainslie (9 January 1832 – 10 February 1893) was a British Conservative politician, magistrate, ironmaster and stockbroker. Early life Born in 1832 in Bengal, India, and educated at Sedbergh School,Obituary of William George Ainslie in The Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute vol. 43 (1893), p. 172 Ainslie was a son of Montague Ainslie (1792–1884), a native of Kendal in Westmorland.The Law Reports, vol. XXVIII, ed. G. W. Hemming, William Clowes & Sons Ltd, 1885, p. 89

Ainslie's father, after attending the East India Company College, entered the East India Company's service and was Political Agent to Lord William Bentinck while he was Governor-General of India (1828–1835), and later returned to Grizedale Hall in Lancashire where he became a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant for the county.Montague Ainslie page at sirjohnbarrowmonument.co.uk

Ainslie's father built a house for him at Ulverston. Set in parkland, the house was named Ford Park in honour of Montague Ainslie's grandfather, the ironmaster William Ford.

Career Ainslie, like his father before him, entered the service of the East India Company, but spent only a short time in India. In 1849, he entered the family firm of Harrison Ainslie & Co, which traded as Ironmasters at Newland Furnace, Ulverston, Lancashire, and Lorn Furnace, Bonaw, Argyll, and as gunpowder manufacturers at Melfort, near Oban.The Annual Register (London: James Dodsley, 1894) p. 151London Gazette Gazette Issue 22831 published on the 11 March 1864, Page 1505 The firm, which also had shipping interests, had carried the name of Ainslie since 1785.Harrison Ainslie’s Shipping Interests page at lindal-in-furness.co.uk Ainslie was also a partner in the stockbroking firm of R. S. and C. J. Scrimgeour and Co., of Threadneedle Street in the City of London.London Gazette Gazette Issue 23095 published on the 3 April 1866, Page 2231

Ainslie became senior partner of Harrison, Ainslie & Co. in 1863, on the death of Benson Harrison. In 1861, he was living at Ford House, Ulverston, but by 1869 he had become permanently based in London to supervise the financial affairs of the firm.Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archeological Society vol. 96, 1996 (T. Wilson and sons, 1996) p. 206

In 1860, Ainslie was commissioned as a Captain of the North Lonsdale (or 37th) Lancashire Rifle Volunteers.London Gazette Gazette Issue 22388 published on the 22 May 1860, Page 1960 In June 1863 it was announced that "The 71st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps having been struck out of the records of the War Office, will henceforth cease to hold any number or designation in the Volunteer Force, and her Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of the services of Lieutenants Innes Macpherson and William James Audsley and Ensign John Milligan in that Corps being dispensed with. Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept the resignations of the following officers... Captain William George Ainslie in the 37th A Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps."London Gazette Gazette Issue 22748 published on the 26 June 1863, Page 3241

In October 1863, he withdrew from his partnership in the family firm of Harrison, Ainslie & Co., and retired from his partnership in the stockbroking firm of Scrimgeour and Co. on 30 December 1865.

In December 1868, the Office of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions gave Ainslie provisional protection "To William George Ainslie, of 3, East India-avenue, Leadenhall-street, in the city of London, for the invention of "improvements in means for drying peat, peat compounds, and other materials"."London Gazette Gazette Issue 23451 published on the 18 December 1868, Page 6271

Although Ainslie had withdrawn from his partnership in Harrison Ainslie, in 1879 he held 31% of the shares and drew a salary of £500 a year as manager.Harrison Ainslie deed of partnership, BRA1770/6/3 at Cumbria Records Office, Kendal

Ainslie became the first chairman of the North Lonsdale Iron and steel company when the company was established in 1873.North Lonsdale ironworks Co Directors' minutes, BDB47 box 16 at Cumbria Records Office, Barrow

In 1885, Ainslie was elected as member of parliament for North Lonsdale in LancashireLondon Gazette Gazette Issue 25541 published on the 18 December 1885, Page 6135Robert Henry Mair, ed., Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench (Dean and Son, 1889), p. 215 and held the seat until 1892. page at leighrayment.com

At the time of his death, aged 61, in February 1893, Ainslie was senior partner in Harrison, Ainslie & Co. Following his death, he was described in the London Gazette as "...formerly of Furness Lodge, East Sheen, in the county of Surrey, and late of 21 Ennismore-gardens, Kensington, in the county of Middlesex, and Grizedale, Hawkshead, in the county of Lancaster". Administration of his Will was granted to his son William Langstaff Ainslie.London Gazette Gazette Issue 23095 published on the 3 April 1866, Page 2250

Wife and children On 29 April 1858, Ainslie married Eliza Anne Sawer, daughter of Thomas Sawer of Ickham, Kent, and they had ten children; son Charles Bernard Ainslie was father of the Liberal politician Jack Ainslie"No. 260, December 24th, 1921: John Bernard born Aug: 2: 1921 / Parents Charles Bernard & Eileen AINSLIE, 39 Palace Court W2" in Register of Baptisms in the Parish of St Matthew, Bayswater, in the County of London (London: Shaw & Sons), p. 33 and of Constance Mangskau (1907–1990), who had a Thai mother, Kunkaew, and became a nurse."Myg Helen Case Study", ipl.org, accessed 27 November 2025

Ainslie's widow outlived him by six years, dying on 27 December 1899.Satterthwaite memorials page at satterthwaitepc.org.uk

See also Harrison Ainslie

References

External links