Alexander McArthur
Alexander McArthur (10 March 1814 – 1 August 1909) was an Irish-born Australian and British businessman. He was a politician in both countries.
Early life and career
Alexander McArthur was born on 10 March 1814 in
He began business with a consignment from his brother William before becoming partners with William Little and James H. Atkinson and returning to Ireland in 1848, where he founded the softgood merchants W. and A. McArthur & Co. in 1850. Returning to Sydney the following year, McArthur worked as a shipping agent and profited greatly from gold exports. W. and A. McArthur built a large warehouse in the city and opened branches in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.[1]
On 19 August 1853, McArthur married Maria Bowden, the daughter of William Binnington Boyce, in the Toxteth Park Chapel. Living together at Strathmore, Glebe Point, they had two daughters and six sons,[1][2] the eldest of which was the British politician William Alexander McArthur.[citation needed] After visiting England 1854–55, McArthur served on the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, as director of many building societies and insurance and mining companies, and as justice of the peace, and became a shareholder in the Australian Joint Stock Bank.[1]
He was a devout Methodist and in 1843 he was elected to the committee of the Wesleyan Auxiliary Missionary Society of New South Wales. He was also treasurer of the
Political career
In June 1859 McArthur was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Newtown. He was a free trader and opposed state aid to religion. After being re-elected for Newtown in December 1860, he resigned in June 1861 when he was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council.[3] In 1863 McArthur went to England to take over the London business and as a result vacated his seat through absence in October 1865.[4]
Return to Britain
McArthur was then a London merchant engaged in colonial trade and lived at Raleigh Hall,
McArthur died at Sydenham, London on 1 August 1909.[1] He is buried with his family in a large mausoleum in West Norwood Cemetery.[citation needed]
References
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538.
- ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 August 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 10 November 2019 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
- ^ "The Hon Alexander McArthur (1814-1909)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Legislative Council: vacated seats". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 October 1865. p. 2. Retrieved 15 September 2021 – via Trove.
- ^ British Census 1881
- ^ R. A. McKinley, ed. (1958). "The City of Leicester: Parliamentary history since 1835". A History of the County of Leicester: volume 4: The City of Leicester. Institute of Historical Research. pp. 201–250. Retrieved 9 March 2009.