17/03/2026
William Huskisson (1770–1830)
William Huskisson was born in Worcestershire in 1770 and spent part of his youth in Paris, where he witnessed the early events of the French Revolution, including the fall of the Bastille. Returning to Britain, he rose rapidly in government under William Pitt the Younger, becoming Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies at just twenty-five.
A close ally of George Canning, Huskisson later became a Member of Parliament and an influential supporter of economic and trade reform. In 1824, he backed plans for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, recognising its importance for industrial growth, while maintaining integrity by avoiding direct involvement due to personal financial interests.
Despite poor health, Huskisson attended the railway’s opening on 15 September 1830. During the ceremony, he was struck by Stephenson’s Rocket after falling onto the track, becoming one of the first railway fatalities in history. He died later that evening, and was buried in Liverpool with great public ceremony.
