Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, 1st Baronet

Who was Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, 1st Baronet?

Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, 1st Baronet was an English barrister, banker and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1869 and 1892.

Brooks was the son of Samuel Brooks, a banker of Manchester and his wife Margaret Hall daughter of Thomas Hall. After his education at Rugby and St John's College, Cambridge he was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1847. He went on northern circuit until death of his father in 1864 when he became sole partner of Cunliffe Brooks and Co, Manchester. He opened Brooks and Co., 81 Lombard Street, London. He was a J.P. for Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester, and Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire and Aberdeen.

In 1869 Brooks was elected at a by-election as a Conservative Member of Parliament for East Cheshire. He held the seat until it was divided under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and at the 1885 general election he unsuccessfully contested the new Macclesfield division. The baronetcy was conferred on him in 1886. At the 1886 election he was elected as MP for Altrincham, holding the seat until he stood down at the 1892 general election.

Brooks was a notable benefactor to Sale, Cheshire, Hale, Greater Manchester and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. He had a major influence on the estate of Glen Tanar, near Aboyne in Aberdeenshire. At first he leased the estate from Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly, who married his elder daughter. He then bought the estate in 1890. Brooks lavished money on Glen Tanar, building a large house, cottages for estate workers, a school, stables and kennels. He also installed numerous carved stones and memorials in the surrounding countryside, many of which make playful references to his name or celebrate the virtues of drinking water rather than alcohol.