David Simpson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 5 January 1860 Harrogate, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 15 January 1931 (aged 71) Harrogate, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Burial place | Grove Road Cemetery, Harrogate |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1881–1931 |
| Notable work | Oakdale Manor (builder) |
David Simpson JP (5 January 1860 – 15 January 1931) was an English builder, politician, property developer and contractor who was four times mayor of Harrogate, and three times deputy mayor. He developed the whole of the Duchy Estate, a major residential quarter for the rich, more than doubling the rateable value of the town in the first quarter of the 20th century. He was a member of Harrogate Borough Council for 34 years, making him the "father" of the council by the end of his career there. He was a justice of the peace and the first honorary Freeman of the Borough of Harrogate. He was president of the Bilton Ward Conservatives, a member of the Knaresborough Board of Guardians and an alderman of West Riding County Council. He built himself a large, castellated mansion called Oakdale, in 1903, besides the even larger Grand Hotel (now called Windsor House) in Harrogate in the same year..
In spite of his "spectacular success" as a developer, Simpson suffered a financial embarrassment, known as his crash, a few years before the First World War, and lost possession of Oakdale, Although he compounded the situation by going on a sea voyage to New York City and leaving his son to deal with his catastrophe, he retained business confidence, remained a member of the council, and was made freeman in 1923.
Simpson was part of a building dynasty in that he was the son of builder David Simpson, a previous mayor of Harrogate, and the father of Clarence Simpson who also trained in the business. He was a Freemason, and was president of Oakdale Golf club, Harrogate's Cricket and Athletic club and the Old Boys' Rugby Football Club. Two of his sons were killed in action at the Somme during the First World War.