In the Diamond 100 years ago...

Born in Malin, the son of Methodist minister Rev John McArthur and his wife Sarah Finlay (both of Ardstraw), William’s childhood moved through in the areas served by his father: Newtownstewart, Moy, Enniskillen, Brookeborough, Stranorlar and Ardstraw.

At the age of 12 he became apprenticed to Hugh Copeland an Enniskillen woollen draper, friend and former member of his father’s congregation there. After his apprenticeship, rather than go into competition with Copeland, he took a post as chief clerk with a tobacco and spirits firm in Lurgan “Johnstone’s Tobaccoes”. He worked there for three years, also travelling as a commercial representative.

In 1830 he went back to his old trade of woollen draper - this time with Samuel Steele (son of an Ardstraw man) whose business was on Wellington Quay, Dublin.

It was at this stage that we get an insight into the strong religious and focussed outlook of William.

After his death, there was found among his papers a manuscript which he had written as a 21-year old in 1830:

“Manchester, Monday 9th Nov.-

“I find no situation so unfavourable to personal piety as that of commercial traveller. ...

I have determined, as far as possible, to abide by the following rules:

1.To rise every morning at half-past five, or six o’clock at farthest.

2.To devote at least one hour to reading in the morning.

3.To spend an hour in reading the Bible, Wesley’s Sermons, and in prayer before going to business.

4.To endeavour to secure twenty or thirty minutes for the same exercise during the day.

5.Not to walk about the streets when the business of the day is over, but to keep in the house, unless invited to spend the evening with a friend. And if so, to walk home the nearest possible way, and to be in bed at eleven o’clock at farthest.

6.To endeavour to keep a calm reflection of spirit when purchasing goods, remembering at all times, “Thou God seest me”.

7.I will read over these rules morning and night, and examine myself whether I have kept them or not.

8.Convinced of my own total and absolute helplessness, I will cast myself for support and strength upon that God who has desired me ‘in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, to make my requests known to him’ ”.

In 1831 he moved to Derry. With his new business partner Joseph Cather he travelled to Dublin and England to purchase opening stock for their new woollen drapery business which opened on 26 October 1831 in Derry’s Diamond - at the corner now occupied by Wetherspoons.

As well as business William was involved in building a new Methodist church at East Wall (where the Millennium Forum now stands). And he also made time to travel by pony and gig “more frequently than business could require” over the mountain to Coleraine - to meet the young Marianne McElwaine, whom he married on 5 September 1843 in Coleraine Methodist Church. He was 34 and she was about 25.

During this period he was elected to Londonderry Corporation and served as an alderman.

After the Municipal Reform Act came into force in 1841, William was one of five (largely Anglican and Methodist) Conservative councillors elected to sit with 19 (mainly Presbyterian and Catholic) Liberals.

As his business grew, in 1857 McArthur moved to London where he engaged in insurance and banking. He became chairman of the Star Assurance Company and a director of the City Bank, of the Bank of Australasia and of the Australian Telegraph Co.

In 1867-68 he was appointed Sheriff of London and Middlesex.

Having failed to win a Yorkshire seat in Parliament in the1865 General Election, three years later McArthur was elected as Liberal MP for Lambeth - a seat he held through two parliaments until a change of constituency boundaries.

In 1872 he entered the City of London Corporation as an alderman for Coleman Street.

He returned to Derry on several occasions. As a member of The Hon the Irish Society deputation, on the morning of New Year’s Day 1878 he was back for the opening of the new (Carlisle) bridge. While here he visited his father’s grave.

Eight years later, in 1880, he was elected Lord Mayor of London. This was a real mark of how highly he was esteemed in the political and business life of London - and, as is traditional to this day, he was knighted at the end of his year as Lord Mayor. McArthur’s prominence and leadership in the business world became clear in 1881 when, during his Mayorship, London Chamber of Commerce was founded with William McArthur as its first president.

One wonders whether William’s rise to such prominence in London business was a factor in the re-establishment four years later in 1885 of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, one of Ireland’s oldest business chambers.

On 12 August1881 he was back in Derry with The Hon The Irish Society. At a banquet given in his honour, the then Mayor of Derry Sir Edward Reid declared: “ This city has been visited before by Lord Mayors of London, but none of them were Irishmen or former residents of Derry; Lord Mayor McArthur is both”. He went on to quote an anonymous poet: “He left his aldermanic gown

And crossed our Channel ferry

To gain a higher civic crown

In London minus Derry”.

Later that year, at the end of his mayor term, Prime Minister William Gladstone declared:

“Many gentlemen have occupied that seat before you, my Lord Mayor, but none I am convinced, more worthily, or in a manner more distinguished than yourself. You have won the confidence and respect of your fellow-citizens by your administration of civic affairs”.

In August 1887 he returned again to Derry. On Sunday morning he attended St Columb’s Cathedral and heard “an admirable sermon” by Bishop Alexander. In the evening he attended this old place of Methodist worship which he himself had helped to build, at East Wall. Next day he attended the laying of the foundation stone for the new Guildhall outside the City Walls at Shipquay Place.

At the luncheon which followed, there was proof of the high regard for Sir William in the city when he rose to speak and was greeted by rounds of repeated applause.

His business, parliamentary and religious activities saw him go on many international journeys. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he travelled widely. In 1878-9 he travelled around the world.

He death came suddenly in 1887 - while travelling by train to meetings in London from his home at 79 Holland Park, Kensington. He was buried at Norwood cemetery. Seventeen months later the grave was re-opened to receive the remains of his “ever-dearest Marianne”. He left £150,000 to charities.

“400 Jobs”

The challenging example of William McArthur to grow business between the two cities of London and Derry has more recently been taken up by local people. The new company London~Derry Connections Ltd was formed locally after a community conference in Derry’s Tower Hotel in January 2008 demonstrated strong cross-community, cross-party encouragement to develop the 400-year old link for the benefit of both cities.

Among other projects, the company has set itself the target of helping create ‘400 jobs for the 400th anniversary’as well as being the year of the City of Culture, 2013 is also the 400th anniversary of the link with London.

“London is the largest city in the European Union”, says Cavanagh, “and has a large part of the Irish diaspora. In 2006 London purchased from within the United Kingdom alone, £123 billion worth of goods and services. If Derry had even a sliver of that market place, we would have full employment in the North West. But this won’t just fall into our laps, we have to earn it. It won’t just come to us”.

Already London~Derry Connections has held three business-social network receptions in London (one was hosted by Mark Durkan MP at Westminster). These have been arranged by Joe Doherty with his invaluable experience of arranging similar successful events for ‘Make it Back Home’ and the ‘Graduate Returners’ Programme’ in the 1980’s and ‘90s. London~Derry Connections has also joined the London Chamber of Commerce and is now part of its network of 2,500 London businesses.

“We have the encouragement of Derry City Council, Ilex, Mark Durkan MP, Invest NI and NW Regional College,” says chairperson Colm Cavanagh: “The City of London Corporation and The Hon The Irish Society are saying to us ‘How can we help?’ Now it is up to us. Already Derry businesses have started to participate in London Chamber meetings. William McArthur is still setting Donegal and Derry a challenging example”.

Contributed by

Colm Cavanagh