Sir William Pickles Hartley
| Sir William Hartley | |
|---|---|
| Born |
23 February 1846 Colne, Lancashire |
| Died | 25 October 1922 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Jam manufacturing |
Sir William Pickles Hartley (23 February 1846 – 25 October 1922), jam manufacturer and philanthropist, founded the Hartley's jam company. He was born in Colne, Lancashire and attended a local British and Foreign School Society school.
He was the only surviving child of John Hartley, a whitesmith, and his wife, Margaret Pickles. The family had lived near Pendle since c. 1620 and worked as grocers, building Wycoller Hall towards the end of the 16th century. He married Martha Horsfield.
The business started in 1871 as the result of a chance event. It is said that when a supplier failed to deliver a batch of jam, William made his own. His jam, marmalade and jelly sold well in his own distinctive earthenware pots and in 1874 the business transferred to Bootle. In 1880 Hartley moved to Southport, where he became as an influential local benefactor and entrepreneur, and an active member of the local Methodist Church. One of his daughters, Christiana (b. 1872), became Southport's first woman Mayor in 1921. Other children included Maggy, Polly, Sarah, John and Clara. Cephas Hartley was instrumental in reviving Elmfield College when it was in danger of collapse in 1906.
Hartley was a Primitive Methodist and applied his Christian principles to business. In 1888 he built a model village at Aintree; the following year he introduced a profit-sharing scheme, the results each year being announced at a special ceremony, with music and speeches. He claimed that the wages he paid to women and girls — four-fifths of the workforce — were appreciably higher than those of his competitors; he also provided free medical treatment. He personally chose his managers and trained them, sending them on advanced chemistry courses at his own expense nearly £300,000. He preferred to donate part of any sum requested, so as to encourage others to give. He endowed a number of hospitals in Colne, Liverpool, and London, and financed departments at Liverpool and Manchester universities. Equally generous to Primitive Methodism, he supported an organization for building chapels, acted as treasurer of its missionary society, and converted the old Holborn Town Hall into its national headquarters.
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