William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie
The Viscount Pirrie KP PC PC (Ire) | |
|---|---|
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| Lord Lieutenant of Belfast | |
| In office 1911–1924 | |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Shaftesbury |
| Succeeded by | Sir Thomas Dixon |
| Lord Mayor of Belfast | |
| In office 1896–1898 | |
| Preceded by | William McCammond |
| Succeeded by | James Henderson |
| Senator | |
| In office 1921–1924 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 May 1847 Quebec City, Canada East, Province of Canada |
| Died | 7 June 1924 (aged 77) At sea off Cuba |
| Resting place | Belfast City Cemetery |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Montgomery Pirrie (m. 1879-1924) |
| Relatives |
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| Occupation | Shipbuilder, businessman |
William James Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, KP, PC, PC (Ire) (31 May 1847 – 7 June 1924)[1] was a leading British shipbuilder and businessman. He was the chairman of the shipbuilders Harland & Wolff, from 1895 until his death in 1924. Pirrie served as Lord Mayor of Belfast from 1896 to 1898. He was made a nobleman as Baron Pirrie in 1906, designated as a Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1908 and made Viscount Pirrie in 1921.
Lord Pirrie was asked about the quantity of lifeboats on board the ocean liners of Olympic-class in the months just before the Titanic's sinking in 1912. He said that the rafts were meant to save others and that the great ships were not sinkable.[2][3] He would forever be haunted by this.[4] On other fronts, he was already a contentious figure in Belfast: a Protestant employer linked to a prominent Liberal who supported Ireland's home rule.
References
- ↑ "William James Pirrie, Viscount Pirrie". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Edinburgh. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ↑ "Pirrie, William James, Viscount Pirrie". oxforddnb.com. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ↑ "You know how it sank. How was the Titanic dreamed up?". National Geographic. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ↑ McDaid, Laura (3 August 2019). "Belfast City Cemetery: 150 years of buried stories". BBC Home. Retrieved 14 November 2025.