He was born on 12 December 1859 in Liverpool. He declined to follow his father into the civil service and instead joined a firm of oil-brokers. Moving to the London office of an American petroleum company, he was soon promoted to manager for the British Empire. In 1899 he set up his own firm, dealing in lubricating oil and supplying railways at home and abroad. His Castrol brand (named in 1912 after the castor oil that was one of its ingredients) captured a growing market in lubricants for cars, as did other brands for mechanized farming and for aviation, especially during the First World War. His firm was registered as a private company in 1918 and continued to prove highly successful. He was Lord Mayor of London 1915-16 and was the first in that office to stop his coach outside St. Paul's so that he could go in for a time of prayer. He received a baronetcy in 1917 and was made CBE in 1919, Baron in 1930, Viscount in 1934 and GCVO in 1936. He received an honorary LLD from Colgate University and was given the freedom of Hythe, Kent, his adopted home, in 1930.

Among the recipients of his many benefactions were several medical and psychiatric hospitals, the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and the National Children's Home and Orphanage. He made it possible for the British Museum to purchase the Codex Sinaiticus and also financed the purchase of Nelson's personal logbook. Deeply influenced in his youth by Charles Garrett, his own religious stance has been described as 'benevolent and undogmatic'. His proposal as Lord Mayor to hold a conference at the Manor House to reconcile denominations and create a united British church met with a lack of interest and enthusiasm among church leaders. He died at Beaconsfield, Bucks., on 15 January 1941.

Category: Person
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