Rathbone family

The Rathbone family of Liverpool, England, were a family of nonconformist merchants and ship-owners who were known to engage in philanthropy and public service.

The family origins trace back to Gawsworth, near Macclesfield, where the first William Rathbone was born in 1669, as the son of Phillip Rathbone. It was his son, William Rathbone II, born on 22 May 1696, who left Gawsworth for the growing port of Liverpool, where he worked as a sawyer and probably established a timber business.[1] Having arrived in Liverpool prior to 1730, the family subsequently became involved in the building and ownership of ships, as well as general commerce.[2]

## Notable members[edit]

* William Rathbone II (1696–1746)
* William Rathbone III
* William Rathbone IV (1757–1809)
* William Rathbone V (1787–1868)
* William Rathbone VI
* Eleanor Rathbone
* Elfrida Rathbone
* Richard Rathbone
* Hugh Reynolds Rathbone
* Hannah Mary Rathbone (1798–1878)
* Basil Rathbone, the actor famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes
* John Rathbone (1910–1940), Conservative MP, fighter pilot with the RAF killed in the Battle of Britain[3]
* Tim Rathbone (1933–2002), Conservative MP (son of above)[3]
* Julian Rathbone (1935–2008), English novelist
* Henry Rathbone, United States military Brevet Colonel who was present at the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
* Jackson Rathbone, the Twilight actor, is a member of the American branch of the Rathbone family.

## Family properties[edit]

In 1788, William Rathbone IV leased the family house and estate of Greenbank, then part of the Toxteth Park estate, to serve as a country retreat for his young family, and purchased the freehold of Greenbank House in 1809, the year of his death.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "The Rathbone Papers". JISC. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
2. ^ Gordon, Alexander; Kirby, M. W. (September 2004). "Rathbone, William (1757–1809), merchant and philanthropist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
3. ^ a b "Flight Lieutenant John Rankin Rathbone | Christ Church, Oxford University". www.chch.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2019.