William Philip Price

William Philip Price (1817 — 31 March 1891) was a British merchant, magistrate and politician.

He ran a successful timber company, and was also involved in the Railway industry, being a director of the Midland Railway Company. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NvzChcn_um0C&pg=PR5&dq=%22William+Philip+Price%22&lr=#PPR5,M1 The Official Illustrated Guide to the Great Northern Railway] ] In 1840 he became a director of the Gloucester Banking Company, and was later made the chairman in 1865. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kjQ5AAAAMAAJ&q=%22William+Philip+Price%22&dq=%22William+Philip+Price%22&lr=&pgis=1 The Bankers' Magazine] ]

He was made High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1848, and was elected to the House of Commons in July 1852 representing Gloucester. In 1857 he was tried for bribery, and was finally displaced in 1859; it was found that his agents had been bribing voters, although he himself was not aware of it. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kjQ5AAAAMAAJ&q=%22William+Philip+Price%22&dq=%22William+Philip+Price%22&lr=&pgis=1 Reports of the Decisions of Committees of the House of Commons in the Trial of Controverted Elections] ]

He was reelected in the 1865 General Election, but left parliament in May 1873 to become a railway commissioner. [ [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRpriceWP.htm Spartacus: William Phillip Price] ] Curiously Price is the only Member of Parliament to be made both Steward of the Manor of Northstead and Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. [ [http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/notes/snpc-04731.pdf House of Commons: Appointments to the Manor of Northstead and Chiltern Hundreds stewardships since 1850] ]

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