The Creative Entrepreneur - William Lever - 1st Viscount Leverhulme - March 2025
Mar, 1 2025
Discovering something that proved to be a lucrative business is what this month’s ‘Creative Entrepreneur’ invested some serious time in.
Please watch this 7 minute 44 second film as an introduction to William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme –
William clearly recognised the value of hard work and the establishment of positive business ventures in order to receive financial gain. He also had a keen eye on the development of buildings and the moral discipline to keep oneself grounded.
What was not mentioned in the film was his political involvement in the community. Prior to serving in cabinet, Lever unsuccessfully contested Birkenhead (UK Parliament constituency) in 1892, 1894, 1895, and also lost at Ormskirk (UK Parliament constituency) in 1910.
Lever was a lifelong supporter of William Ewart Gladstone and Liberalism. He was invited to contest elections for the Liberal Party. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wirral constituency between 1906 and 1909 and used his maiden speech in the House of Commons to urge Henry Campbell-Bannerman's government to introduce a national old age pension, such as the one he provided for his workers.
On the recommendation of the Liberal Party, he was created a baronet in 1911 and raised to the peerage as Baron Leverhulme on 21 June 1917, the "hulme" element of his title being in honour of his wife, Elizabeth Hulme.
His connections with politics was local to this part of the world too. As he served as justice for peace for Cheshire and High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1917. By November 1918 Lord Leverhulme was invited to become Mayor of Bolton though he was not a councillor because the council wanted to honour a "Notable son of the Town" as a mark of the high regard the citizens of Bolton had for him. He was elevated to the viscountcy on 27 November 1922. Also, Lever received the Order of Leopold II.
So you can imagine at the time of his death on 7th May 1925 at the age of 73 of pneumonia his loss was a real shock to the community of Bolton and the Lancashire region. Having made such a cultural and creative impact in his life both in the lucrative business of soaps to the development of buildings and the political movement he was involved in, his death for many was a huge void that couldn’t be filled.
After the birth of his only surviving child he first rented then bought Thornton Manor in Thornton Hough in the Wirral – Cheshire. You can visit Thornton Hough and explore the area where he brought up his first child. For further information simply visit the following website link –
Lever’s legacy remains intact – Bolton is the native town in which he was a made a Freeman of the County Borough in 1902. Subsequent years found him contributing to Bolton School and Bolton’s largest park – Leverhulme Park in 1914. Liverpool and London have also greatly benefitted from his legacy.
A man of many talents both in the industrial nature of his place of work and the creative swing that saw him thrive. Lever was able to achieve great accomplishments in his life and demonstrated that if you put your mind to it you can accomplish anything. With an ambitious outlook and a keen eye on investment he was able to put that principle into action with an incredible legacy to leave behind.
^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger
