A Thomas Annan photograph of a portrait of John Houldsworth (1807-1859). The painting was by Sir Daniel Macnee.
Houldsworth was born in Cranstonhill the son of Henry (1770-1853), the Nottinghamshire cotton spinner who established a thriving steam-powered cotton spinning mill in Anderston at the beginning of the 19th century. John was a partner in Henry Houldsworth & Sons, which established in 1823 the Anderston Foundry and Machine Works (under the management of their firm, the Anderston Foundry Co) in Cheapside Street.
Henry Houldsworth was a long-serving Provost of Anderston and John was the burgh's last Provost, before it was annexed by Glasgow in 1846. John became a Glasgow councillor 1856-1859 and died holding the position of a Senior Bailie. He was a keen yachtsman (a Vice-Commodore of the Royal Northern Yacht Club) and an accomplished pianist.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 920.041435 COR
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Anderston Foundry and Machine Works, Anderston Foundry Co, cotton manufacturers
, cotton merchants/manufacturers, councillors, foundries, Henry Houldsworth & Sons, ironfounders, musicians, pianists, portraits, Provost, Royal Northern Yacht Club, steam-powered cotton spinning mills, yachting, yachtsmen