Nathaniel Eckersley

Nathaniel Eckersley
Born	1815 Standish Hall near Wigan, Lancashire, England
Died	15 February 1892
Occupation(s)	Industrialist, financier, politician
Years active	19th century
Known for	Member of Parliament for Wigan, Mayor of Wigan, Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire, High Sheriff of Lancashire

Nathaniel Eckersley (1815 – 15 February 1892) was an English industrialist, financier, and Conservative Party politician based at Standish Hall near Wigan, Lancashire. He represented Wigan as a Member of Parliament during the 1860s and again in the 1880s.

Career

Eckersley’s uncle, Colonel Nathaniel Eckersley of Laurel House in Hindley, served alongside the Duke of Wellington and was stationed in Manchester following the Peterloo Massacre.

In addition to owning cotton mills, Eckersley held a partnership in the Wigan Old Bank, previously known as Thomas Woodock's, Sons and Eckersley. This bank merged with Parr's Banking Company of Warrington in 1874. He was twice Mayor of Wigan, first in 1853 and again in 1873, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 1863.

He also held the position of chairman for the Wigan Junction Railways Company.

In 1860, Eckersley established the 21st (Wigan) Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps, primarily composed of local craftsmen. He initially commanded it as captain before being promoted to major within the 4th Administrative Battalion of the Lancashire Rifle Volunteers.

In June 1873, he presided over Wigan's reception for the Prince and Princess of Wales during their visit to inaugurate the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, a key healthcare facility in the area.

Parliament

Eckersley was elected as one of Wigan’s two Members of Parliament in a March 1866 by-election triggered by the resignation of Conservative MP Hon. James Lindsay. The nomination took place at Wigan’s moot hall under Mayor Thomas Knowles. Running as a "free and independent candidate," Eckersley secured 411 votes compared to Liberal John Lancaster’s 349.

He lost his parliamentary seat to Lancaster in the 1868 general election when both Wigan seats were won by Liberals, and he refrained from standing again for fifteen years. Eckersley served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1878 and played a significant role in coordinating aid following the Wood Pit Colliery disaster that claimed over 200 miners' lives.

After Conservative MP Lord Lindsay succeeded to a peerage in 1880, Eckersley chose not to contest the ensuing by-election. Nonetheless, following the death of Conservative MP Thomas Knowles in 1883, Eckersley was returned unopposed at the December by-election. He maintained this seat until Wigan's representation was reduced from two MPs to one under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, after which he did not seek election in the 1885 general election.