Sir William Coates, 1st Baronet

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Sir William Frederick Coates, 1st Baronet (1866–19 January 1932) was an Irish stockbroker and politician in Belfast.

Coates was born in Belfast and initially entered the linen trade, but became a stockbroker in 1887, building up an extensive business. In 1902 he was elected to Belfast Corporation. He was chairman of the finance committee from 1917 and was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1920 and then re-elected twice, serving until 1923. He hosted the King and Queen when they visited Belfast to open the Parliament of Northern Ireland (of which he was also a Senator) in July 1921 and was as a result created a Baronet.^[1] He served as Lord Mayor again from 1929 to 1931.