A full house of members and guests, at the Preston Historical Society meeting of Monday 4th February, were treated to a very interesting and intriguing insight into the life of William Lever who eventually became Lord Leverhulme.
AdvertisementMalcolm Tranter delivered a very descriptive account of the life of the extraordinary gentleman, from his humble background as the son of a Bolton grocer, James Lever, and his rise to become the famous soap magnate, art collector and generous benefactor the world knows of today.
The society learned of how his passion for work progressing from the beginnings of his working life and his shrewd business acumen afforded him the necessary tools to rise to the successful business man that he was. Malcolm also described how he had quite a propensity for architecture and art and the fact that during his life he was in many ways a ‘frustrated architect’; always redesigning the many houses in which he lived during his lifetime.
Over the years Lord Leverhulme created a world empire and was a very generous benefactor to his hometown of Bolton being one of the most recognised philanthropists of his time. In 1930 the company of Lever Brothers, as it was known at that time, merged with Duch company Margarine Union Limited and became the world famous company which exists today as Unilever.
The society wishes to thank Malcolm for a wonderful and entertaining evening.
The Preston Historical Society, founded in 1948, meets on the first Monday of the month between October and May. The meetings, which start at 7.15 pm, are held at the Central Methodist Church, Lune Street, Preston.The annual membership subscription is £10, and admission for visitors to a meeting is only £2.
You can find out more about the Historical Society on their website and also on the Facebook page.
There is also information of all the latest news of meetings and events on Twitter @prestonhistsoc
Reviewed by Paul D. Swarbrick & Gillian A. Lawson