Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby

"Francis Willey" redirects here. For his son, Francis Vernon Willey, see Vernon Willey, 2nd Baron Barnby.

The Right Honourable
The Lord Barnby
JP
Lord Barnby, The Glasgow Herald, 2 January 1922
Born
Francis Willey

(1841-02-27)27 February 1841
Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died16 February 1929(1929-02-16) (aged 87)
OccupationWool merchant

Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby, JP (27 February 1841 – 16 February 1929) was an English wool merchant.

Willey was born in Bradford and joined his father's wool business, which later became Francis Willey & Co Ltd and had agencies all over the Dominions and the United States. Willey was also a great horseman, huntsman and racehorse owner. He was created Baron Barnby in the 1922 New Year Honours.[1]

Willey was commissioned sub-lieutenant in the 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers in December 1874.[2] He was promoted major in May 1888[3] and resigned in April 1891.[4]

His seat was Blyth Hall, Nottinghamshire. He was appointed High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1908. He was succeeded in the barony by his only son, Vernon.

He bought Castle Menzies near Aberfeldy and 11,600 acres of estate in 1918[5] for £69,000 equivalent to £4,245,600 in 2023).[6] On his death, his widow put the estate up for sale in April 1930.[7]

Coat of arms of Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby
Crest
In front of a reindeer’s head erased Proper two crosses patée Gules.
Escutcheon
Per pale Or and Gules three chevronels counterchanged over all a pale Ermine charged with three martlets Sable.
Supporters
On either side a reindeer Proper charged on the shoulder with a rose Gules.
Motto
Propositi Tenax [8]
  1. ^ "No. 32563". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1921. p. 10709.
  2. ^ "No. 24162". The London Gazette. 15 December 1874. p. 6227.
  3. ^ "No. 25812". The London Gazette. 1 May 1888. p. 2471.
  4. ^ "No. 26153". The London Gazette. 17 April 1891. p. 2119.
  5. ^ "Castle Menzies Estate Sold". Wigton Advertiser. England. 28 December 1918. Retrieved 14 August 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Historic Castle Menzies". Perthshire Advertiser. Scotland. 16 April 1930. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ Burke's Peerage. 1959.