Joseph Ruston (1835 – 11 June 1897) was an English engineer and manufacturer and

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

politician, though he split from the party over Home Rule and retired.obit. The Automotor and Horseless Carriage Journal, June 1897, p367 Ruston Proctor and Co traction engine sn 33189

Ruston Proctor and Co traction engine sn 33189

Ruston was the son of Robert Ruston a farmer of

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, Isle of Ely and his wife Margaret Seward. He was educated at

Wesley College, Sheffield Wesley College, a school to educate the sons of the laity, opened in 1838 in new buildings designed by William Flockton on Glossop Road, Sheffield, England. It was founded by Rev. Samuel Dousland Waddy (1804–1876) to "supply a generally su ...

and became an apprentice at the Sheffield cutlery firm of George Wostenholme. On completing his apprenticeship in 1856 with a good commercial training and having a modest inheritance from his father's estate he went into business with Burton and Proctor of Lincoln. He thus became head of the firm of Ruston, Proctor and Company, agricultural implement makers and engineers. The company grew in size until it employed some 2000 people and in his lifetime produced 20,800 engines, 19,700 boilers, 10,900 threshing machines, and 1350 corn mills. Ruston was a J.P. and was elected Mayor of Lincoln for 1869–70. He was elected as a Liberal

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

(MP) for Lincoln in a by-election in June 1884. He was re-elected at the 1885 general election but did not stand again in

1886 Events January–March * January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885. * January 5– 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson's novella ''Strange ...

because he disapproved of Gladstone's proposals for

Home Rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...

. His decorations included the Cross of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

and the

Order of Osmanieh The Order of Osmanieh or Order of Osmaniye ( ota, نشانِ عثمانیہ) was a civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdülaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nişan-i Ift ...

. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Lincolnshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilit ...

in 1891. He was a benefactor to the town of Lincoln, funding the building of the

drill hall A drill hall is a place such as a building or a hangar where soldiers practise and perform military drills. Description In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the term was used for the whole headquarters building of a military reserve unit, ...

for the local volunteers, a children's ward at the

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, and the restoration of the monument in

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to the memory of Queen Eleanor.

Family

Ruston married Jane Brown in 1859, and lived at Monks Manor. They had a son William and six daughters. Their third daughter Marion Ruston married in 1900 George John Bennett, organist at Lincoln Cathedral.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruston, Joseph 1835 births 1897 deaths People educated at Wesley College, Sheffield Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 Politics of Lincoln, England High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire