Walter Willson
Sir Walter Stuart James Willson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | April 16, 1952 (aged 75) Tonbridge, Kent, England |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, banker, politician |
| Years active | 1921–1935 |
| Known for | Member of the Legislative Assembly of India (1924–1928) |
Sir Walter Stuart James Willson (16 November 1876 – 16 April 1952) was a businessman and banker born in Dublin who operated in British India and held a position within the Legislative Assembly of India.
Although he retired to England, he preserved close connections with India until his passing in 1952.
Life
Willson was the eldest surviving child of Albert Willson (1843–1922) of Waldegrave Park, Twickenham, and Mary Elizabeth (1852–1919), daughter of William Latimer CE from Drogheda, Ireland. His education was completed at St Paul's School.
By the year 1921, Willson had become a director at Turner Morrison & Co., Ltd. and served as a member of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. In 1924, he was nominated to the Legislative Assembly of India as a Non-Official representative for Commerce, a role he fulfilled until 1928.
His knighthood was announced on 3 July 1926 and was officially bestowed by Lord Irwin, Viceroy of India, at the Viceregal Lodge in Delhi on 18 January 1927.
In 1928, Willson contributed a portrait painted by Tilly Kettle depicting Elijah Impey, the inaugural Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at Fort William, to the Victoria Memorial Hall in Calcutta.
Subsequently, Willson held a directorship at the Imperial Bank of India. He maintained homes at 2 Hastings Park Road in Alipore, Calcutta, as well as Kenward in Tonbridge, Kent. His memberships included elite organizations such as the Oriental Club, Ranelagh Club, Royal Bombay Yacht Club, and Royal Calcutta Turf Club.
In October 1921, he was granted a coat of arms featuring an albatross alongside a sun emblem.
Following his retirement to Kent, Willson engaged in local public service as part of the Tunbridge Wells Corporation between 1932 and 1935.
Personal life
Willson married Ethel Winifred (1894–1961), daughter of John James Morris and Eliza Ann Boyes, in 1919. Together they had five children: sons Walter James Latimer (1921–1994) and Cornelius William Latimer (1936–2020), along with daughters Winifred Latimer (1920–2007), Rachel Mary Latimer (1923–2011), and Margaret Naomi Latimer (1925–2020). Their son Major W. J. L. Willson of the Grenadier Guards wed Anne Mildred Curzon, daughter of Richard Curzon, 2nd Viscount Scarsdale, in 1942; they had three offspring. The following year, their daughter Rachel Mary married Mervyn Christopher Thursby-Pelham, who later became a brigadier in the Welsh Guards, and they had two children.
Willson passed away on 16 April 1952 in Tonbridge, leaving behind an estate valued at £140,035 (£in 1952 terms).