PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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William Derry was born at Plymouth on March 10th 1817, the son of Mr David Derry, the manager of the Devon & Cornwall Bank. After working for a few years with his father at the Bank, young William moved to Liverpool, where he gained further business experience. When he returned to Plymouth, it was as the agent for Messrs Jameson, Pim and Company's Dublin ales. His office was in Kinterbury Street. He then became the agent for Messrs Bass and Company and later accepted the carriage agency for the old South Devon and Cornwall Railways. This he continued to run well into the days of the Great Western Railway and it became a very successful and profitable business, in which he took a keen interest. It was in that capacity that he introduced the cheap delivery of parcels to the Three Towns. Mr Derry was first elected Mayor of Plymouth in 1861-62, during which he presented the Town with the clock that still bears his name. He was re-elected the following year and served a third term in 1879-80. However, in the 1870s he moved to number 7 Craven Hill, Paddington, London, where he was a member of Lloyds, the marine insurance agents. He terminated his connection with the Town Council with the commencement of the Greater Plymouth era in the 1890s. He was an exceedingly generous man throughout his life and if anyone challenged him for his apparently indiscriminate almsgiving, he would retort: "What right have I to let these poor people starve?" He supported the Blind Institution at North Hill, the Female Orphan Asylum in Lockyer Street and the South Devon & East Cornwall Hospital. To the inmates of the first two, he always provided a sumptuous tea on his birthdays and an outing in the summer months. He apparently hosted lavish municipal events during his time on the Town Council. It was said about him that he insisted on giving all his promises in writing. If anyone reminded him of a promise, his first questions would be "Did I make it in writing?" If it was then the promise was promptly accomplished. Mr Derry married twice. His first wife, Louisa, died at the age of 55 on Wednesday September 6th 1871 while on a visit to Dawlish. Her home address was Craven Hill, Bayswater, London. They had one son, Mr Percy A Derry, who in 1881 was living at Falmouth, Cornwall, with Mr Robert R Broad, ship agent and wine merchant. William's second wife was named Honoria Louisa, who was thirty years his junior. They had three sons and one daughter but Mrs Honoria Louisa Derry died on September 4th 1902 at the age of 57 years. Mr William Derry died at about 7.30am on Monday March 9th 1903, just a day before he would have been 86-years-old. He had been confined to his home for the last two years and had contracted a cold on the previous Saturday, from which he did not recover. Of his ten children, Mr William and Mr Charles T Derry and two of his daughters, were present when he passed away.
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