Sir William Coates, 1st Baronet
Sir William Frederick Coates, 1st Baronet (1866 – 19 January 1932) was an Irish stockbroker and politician in Belfast.
Coates was born in Belfast and studied at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.[1] He 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, both ex officio as Lord Mayor and as an elected member 1924-1929[2]) in July 1921. For hosting the monarchs, and guiding Belfast past the sectarian conflict that marked the creation of Northern Ireland in the early 1920s, Coates was created a Baronet.[3] He served as Lord Mayor again from 1929 to 1931.
He served as High Sheriff of Belfast (1906–1907) and as High Sheriff of Antrim (1931–1932).[4]
Footnotes
- ↑ John F. Harbinson, The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882-1973, p.208
- ↑ http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/hnisen.htm
- ↑ "No. 32387". The London Gazette. 12 July 1921. p. 5553.
- ↑ "No. 497". The Belfast Gazette. 2 January 1931. p. 2.
Sources
- Obituary, The Times, 20 January 1932
| Civic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry O'Neill |
High Sheriff of Belfast 1906 – 1907 |
Succeeded by Peter O'Connell |
| Preceded by John C. White |
Lord Mayor of Belfast 1920 – 1923 |
Succeeded by William George Turner |
| Preceded by William George Turner |
Lord Mayor of Belfast 1929 – 1931 |
Succeeded by Crawford McCullagh |