William Bower Forwood

Sir William Bower Forwood (21 January 1840 – 23 March 1928) was an English merchant, shipowner and politician. He was a wealthy businessman and a local politician in Liverpool who raised money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway and Liverpool Cathedral.

Early life and business

Forwood was born in Edge Hill, Liverpool, the second son of Thomas Brittain Forwood, a Liverpool merchant, and Charlotte née Bower. He was educated at Liverpool Collegiate and at a Pestalozzian school in Worksop. He joined the family business in 1859 and, when his father retired from it on 22 November 1862, ran it with his elder brother, Arthur. This was when the cotton trade was being disrupted by the American Civil War. The brothers made a fortune "first from wartime speculation and blockade running, and then from exploiting telegraph and cotton futures".

The brothers set up offices in New York City, New Orleans and Bombay and ran a small fleet of ships that traded in the West Indies, Costa Rica and New York. William entered politics in 1868 when he was elected to Liverpool Town Council, serving on it for over 40 years, and was a JP for Lancashire from 1882. He was president of the American chamber of commerce in 1872 and of its Liverpool equivalent in 1871 and 1878–81, became president of the Liverpool Cotton Association.

Civic and charitable work

William Forwood was chairman of Liverpool's Libraries Museum and Art committee from 1890 to 1909, and persuaded Andrew Carnegie to give £50,000 towards building new libraries. He was knighted on 19 July 1883 for his work as the city's Lord Mayor in opposing the Fenians. In 1888 he played an important part in raising money for the building of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, and in 1893 became its first chairman. He was a director of the Cunard Line from 1888 to 1923 and its deputy chairman from 1906 to 1909. From 1887 to 1928 he was a director of the Bank of Liverpool and its chairman from 1898 to 1901. As part of his charitable work, he was President of the Seaman's Orphanage. Forwood was treasurer of the executive committee responsible for raising money towards the building of Liverpool Cathedral at the beginning of the 20th century. He took six weeks away from his other affairs and raised a total of £168,000 (£17.9 million as of 2025). Forwood was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Lancashire in April 1902, and was High Sheriff of Lancashire for 1909.