William Carr (1862 - 1925)

Born 14 Jun 1862 in Gomersal, Yorkshire, England

Husband of Margaret Franck (Bright) Carr — married 11 Nov 1886 in St. Peter in the East, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Descendants

Died 28 Jan 1925 at age 62 in Norfolk, England

Biography

Obituary:

"MR. WILLIAM CARR Mr. William Carr died yesterday at Ditchingham Hall, his Norfolk house, at the age of 62. His death is probably the consequence of his services as a volunteer during the war. He will be much missed in Norfolk, where most of his life was spent, and for which he had been "pricked" as the Next High Sheriff. He was also the owner of estates in Yorkshire and Northumberland.

The only son of Mr. William Carr of Gomersal House, Yorkshire, who was a qualified medical man as well as squire, he was born on June 14, 1862, and was sent to Marlborough. At Oxford, where he went up to University College as a commoner in 1882, he continued the academic tradition of his family, many members of which from the 17th century have obtained fellowships and other distinctions. In the schools he took a third in classical moderations and a second in modern history, but he also achieved the remarkable feat of winning all the three historical essay prizes — the Stanhope in 1884 for an essay on "Montenegro"; the Lothian in 1888 for one on "The Place of Fénelon in French History"; and the Arnold in 1890 for one on "What Features in the Social Life of France before 1789 contributed to bring about the Revolution?"

In 1886 he married Margaret, eldest daughter of the Rev. Dr James Franck Bright, Master of University College, and read for the Bar, and having read with Mr. (afterwards) Lord Robson he joined the North-Eastern Circuit. He was a strong Conservative, and contested the Morley Division of Yorkshire in 1892 and 1895. To the "Dictionary of National Biography" he was a large contributor, and later in life became a connoisseur especially of silver, furniture, pictures and Greek coins. During the war he was indefatigable in supporting the Volunteer force in the rank of Major. He was a Magistrate of many years standing, for Norfolk, Suffolk, and the West Riding, chairman of the Norfolk Quarter Sessions, vice-chairman of the Norfolk County Council, and a Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk. But his real interest was primarily in the land. Besides managing his own estates, he was a practical farmer of great experience and exact knowledge, both of Yorkshire and of Norfolk. He was also a keen sportsman and a capital shot. Owing to ill-health he had been recently advised to give up his heavy county work, but the end came unexpectedly. He is survived by his wide and five children, his only son being Mr. W. G. Carr, of the 12th Lancers. Three daughters are married, respectively, to Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond, Colonel Newman and Major Athill."

Source: The Times, Thursday, Jan 29, 1925; pg. 7; Issue 43872; col F

Sources

• Transcribed Obituary
• Wikipedia