Portland Year Book 1905 |
MR. HENRY SANSOM |
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MR. HENRY SANSOM Chairman of the Portland Urban District Council, was born in Easton Street in January, 1845, and is therefore in his sixty-first year. Mr. Sansom has the satisfaction of knowing that he has been the architect of his own fortune. He is in reality a self-made man. In climbing to the honourable position he holds in the Island he has had no advantage of birth or position. Until he reached the age of 21 he was working in the quarries - a quarryman among quarrymen. In the year 1869 he was asked by Messrs. Leather, Smith & Co., the contractors for the Portland Breakwater, to go to India. He accepted the invitation. In India he worked on the Great Indian Peninsular Railways, being inspector of masonry work ; and during the four years he was there superintended the construction of railway stations, and more particularly the building of the great bridge over the River Krishna, near Bangalore. He came home in October, 1873, on sick leave, thinking of returning again, but he did not. For several years he worked again in the quarries measuring stone and then for twelve years superintended the loading of stone at Castleton. On the death of Mr Jonathan Lano he was offered the agency for the Weston Quarries, which he accepted, serving Mr. Weston until in January, 1899, the Bath Stone Firms acquired both the Weston and Steward's Quarries. He then took the more important position of Manager for the Bath Stone Firms, a post which he still holds. Mr. Sansom is a staunch Churchman. He Was Churchwarden of St. George's from 1885 to 1898. He was Reeve in 1903. He sat as a Member of the Portland Board of Health from 1881-1894, when that body was dissolved to make room for the Urban District Council. He was Chairman of the Board 1891-2. He did not seek a position on the new Urban District Council. In 1901, however, he stood for the Council and was returned. He was elected Chairman of the Council in 1903, and re-elected to the same position in 1904. As Chairman, he is, by virtue of his office, a County Magistrate for the Weymouth Petty Sessional Division. He has also been a County Councillor for the Tophill Division. In 1892, accompanied by Sir R. N. Howard, Mr Rowland Thomas, and Mr. Graham, he went to London to a Mansion House Meeting, called to consider the grievance of seaport towns being burdened with all the cost of Port Sanitary Hospitals. Mr. Sansom had the honour of dining with the Lord Mayor on that occasion. Mr. Sansom was also Overseer for Portland during 1880-1 and a member of the Committee of the Ferry Bridge until that trust was taken over by the County Council. For the present year (1905) he was elected Churchwarden of St. George's,
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