Frank Hardcastle

Frank Hardcastle (May 12, 1844 - November 6, 1908) was a British industrialist and Conservative politician.

Hardcastle was born at Firwood, Tonge, near Bolton, Lancashire, and was the fourth son of James Hardcastle of Firwood and and Pen-y-lan, Ruabon, Denbighshire and Hannah Compton Jackson."Walford's County Families of the United Kingdom" or "Royal Manual of the Titled and Untitled Aristocracy of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland", 1899]

Following education at Preston Grammar School and Repton School, he joined the family business of T Hardcastle and Sons, bleachers and dyers, of Firwood Works."Obituary: Mr. Frank Hardcastle", The Times, November 7, 1908, p. 13] The company had been formed by his grandfather in 1803, and Frank rose to be head of the firm.cite web |url=http://www.cricketarchive.com/Lancashire/Articles/1/1451.html |title=Hradcastle, Frank |accessdate=2008-09-27 |author=Don Ambrose |date=2004 |work=Cricket Archive |publisher=Lancashire CCC] He subsequently became president of the United Bleachers Association of Lancashire and Cheshire. He was also the proprietor of Breightmet Colliery near Bolton.

While at Repton, he had excelled at cricket, and in 1869 played for the Gentleman of Lancashire in a number of matches.

He was the first member of parliament for the Westhoughton Division of Lancashire, a constituency created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. He was re-elected unopposed in the ensuing general election of 1886. While a member of the Commons, Hardcastle represented the interests of the bleaching industry. He retired from parliament on health grounds in 1892. He was a justice of the peace for Lancashire, and was high sheriff of the county in 1895.

He married Ida Ross in 1885, and they had five daughters before her death in 1894. He later married again.

Hardcastle moved from Lancashire to Southsea in Hampshire, and finally to London. He died at his residence, 87 Lancaster Gate, Paddington, in 1908 aged 64.

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