Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield
Encyclopedia
Charles Cheers Wakefield, 1st Baron Wakefield (12 December 1859 – 15 January 1941), was a British businessman.
, in 1859, the son of John Wakefield, and his wife Margaret, née Cheers, and was educated at the Liverpool Institute.
s in the 1890s . In 1899 he founded the Wakefield Oil Company, but subsequently changed its name to Castrol
. The name Castrol was chosen because of the castor oil
that was added to the company's lubricating oils. This title has since become a household name in the United Kingdom. The Castrol brand lubricant
s produced by Wakefield's company were used in the engines of motor cars, aeroplanes, and motorcycle
s.
A Castrol endorsement contract and the generous patronage of Wakefield provided the funds for Jean Batten
to purchase the Percival Gull
Six G-ADPR monoplane in which she set two world records for solo flight.
. He was involved with a huge number of City institutions and charities, and was a co-founder of the Wakefield Trust, along with his friend the Rev'd "Tubby" Clayton
, better known as the founder of the Toc H
charity. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Wakefield, of Hythe in the County of Kent, in 1930, and in 1934 he was further honoured when he was made Viscount Wakefield, of Hythe in the County of Kent.
, and the official Year Book of Hythe Town Council, in its list of Freemen of the Borough
describes him as "Hythe's greatest benefactor". He was created a Freeman of the Borough on 30 May 1930, under the provisions of the 1885 Honorary Freedom of the Boroughs Act. His name appears on many memorial inscriptions in Hythe today, and also lives on as the name of one of the town's masonic lodges
.
Early life
Wakefield was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, in 1859, the son of John Wakefield, and his wife Margaret, née Cheers, and was educated at the Liverpool Institute.
Business career
Wakefield patented the Wakefield lubricator for steam engineSteam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s in the 1890s . In 1899 he founded the Wakefield Oil Company, but subsequently changed its name to Castrol
Castrol
Castrol is a brand of industrial and automotive lubricants which is applied to a large range of oils, greases and similar products for most lubrication applications...
. The name Castrol was chosen because of the castor oil
Castor oil
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean . Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is and its density is 961 kg/m3...
that was added to the company's lubricating oils. This title has since become a household name in the United Kingdom. The Castrol brand lubricant
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
s produced by Wakefield's company were used in the engines of motor cars, aeroplanes, and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s.
A Castrol endorsement contract and the generous patronage of Wakefield provided the funds for Jean Batten
Jean Batten
Jean Gardner Batten CBE OSC was a New Zealand aviatrix. Born in Rotorua, she became the best-known New Zealander of the 1930s, internationally, by taking a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world....
to purchase the Percival Gull
Percival Gull
The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.-Design and development:...
Six G-ADPR monoplane in which she set two world records for solo flight.
City of London
Wakefield was an Alderman, a member of the Court of Common Council, Sheriff (1907), and for 1915-1916 Lord Mayor. He received a Knighthood for services to the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He was involved with a huge number of City institutions and charities, and was a co-founder of the Wakefield Trust, along with his friend the Rev'd "Tubby" Clayton
Philip Clayton
The Reverend Philip Thomas Byard Clayton CH was an Anglican clergyman and the founder of Toc H....
, better known as the founder of the Toc H
Toc H
Toc H is an international Christian movement. The name is an abbreviation for Talbot House, 'Toc' signifying the letter T in the signals spelling alphabet used by the British Army in World War I. A soldiers' rest and recreation centre named Talbot House was founded in December 1915 at Poperinghe,...
charity. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Wakefield, of Hythe in the County of Kent, in 1930, and in 1934 he was further honoured when he was made Viscount Wakefield, of Hythe in the County of Kent.
Hythe (Kent)
In his day, Wakefield was one of the most prominent and well-known characters in the town of Hythe, KentHythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
, and the official Year Book of Hythe Town Council, in its list of Freemen of the Borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
describes him as "Hythe's greatest benefactor". He was created a Freeman of the Borough on 30 May 1930, under the provisions of the 1885 Honorary Freedom of the Boroughs Act. His name appears on many memorial inscriptions in Hythe today, and also lives on as the name of one of the town's masonic lodges
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
.