The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-30 00:00:00

Death of Mr. Cubitt, MP.

The announcement of the unexpected death of
Mr. William Cubitt,
for Andover, will be
v
with general regret by the public. Mr.
Cubitto e ed
was the Lord Mayor of London for two suc-
cessive years, and there has rarely been a Lord
Mayor who has been so generally esteemed when
omcocsutp unusual
that office, his re-election in 1861—a
ainagsaal occurrence—being in itself a sufficient
proof of his popularity.
Mr. Cubitt was the second son of Mr. Jonathan
Cubitt, of Buxton, in Norfolk, where he was born
in 1791. His elder brother, Mr. Thomas Cubitt,
was the celebrated builder of an extensive area of
squares and streets in Pimlico. He acquired a vast
and purchased the magnificent estate of
near Dorking, from the executors of Mr.
Df o re tnubni
ee
s,
W. I. Denison, member for West Surrey ; and to
the representation of West Surrey his eldest son,
Mr. George Cubitt, succeeded in Match, 1860.
Mr. William Cubitt was for a short time in the
navy, and after a time returned home and was
placed under his brother, who was much older than
himself, and had by that time obtained a good po-
sition as a builder. For many years after that the
brothers Cubitt carried on the business of builders
and contractors on the highest scale. The reputa-
tion of the firm is its vast engagements, its great
wealth, and its well-known liberal treatment of
the workmen attached to it. Mr. Cubitt has for
some years retired from the firm, but when he was
elected Lord Mayor in 1860 in no place were the
general as in the " old familiar place"
'e
2
's-inn-road.
On Oa June, 1846, Mr. William Cubitt,
citizen and
rejoicings so
in Gray
fishmonger, was elected sheriff of London
n joint
sheriff of Middlesex, his colleague being
a
Me. Charles Hill, citizen and spectacle-maker."
About a Month afterwards (July 28-9) Mr. Cubitt
ousted, in company with a Conservative colleague,
Mr. H. B. Coles, two Liberals from the repre-
sentation of Andover, The votes were—for
Coles, 134; for Cubitt, 121 ; for Fellowes (Whig),
107 ; for Smith (Whig), 61. Mr. Cubitt, as own-
ing some property near Andover (Penton Lodge),
has been successively returned for the borough; lat-
terly with a Liberal colleague, the Hon. Dudley
Fortescue. In July, 1861, Mr. Alderman CAW,
being then Lord Mayor, was a candidate for the
City of London—for the seat vacated by Lord John
Russell, who had accepted an earldom. As Lord
Mayors sell,
Mr.
Cubitt was undoubtedly most popular,
d from his popularity the Conservative party cal-
caunlatedthat he would be easily returned. As may
be remembered,therewas a great demonstration both
for and against the Lord Mayor, who simply stated
that he was in favour of free trade, and that he had
voted for the admission of Jews to Parliament. It
is well known that the election went against 111 r.
Cubitt by a majority of 472, the votes being—for
Mr. Western Wood, 5,460; for Mr. Cubitt, 5,168.
In Parliament Mr. Cubitt was a Conservative.
For five years, however, he voted for the abolition
of church rates, because "he thought that a rate
imposed on Dissenters who could not share in the
ministrations of the Church was a grievance from
which Dissenters ought to be relieved." He has
latterly voted against the abolition of church rates,
for he felt, as he said in 1861, on the City hustings,
" that there was a chance of compromise." By all
parties in the house Mr. Cubitt was universally re-
spected, and his unopposed return for his favourite
borough of Andover, on the death of Mr. H. B.
Coles, was heard of with much pleasure.
In 1860 Mr. Cubitt was elected Lord
The
London, in succession to Alderman Carter.Af Cubitt
Recorder told the Chief Baron truly that
larr.
had " conducted his business with Mayor of
singular
intelli-
gence and success, and by his
and kindness, had won from the
the banquet
ployed their affection and esteem:'
Lord as a " Hamp
g,r,tehautAu
tess he em -
Lord Palmerston eulogised Mr. Cubitt
t.
shire neighbour," and Mr. Gladstone warmly praised
him for his " character and capsciy.
For his
ability and liberality during his
mayoralty of 1860-61, Mr. Cubitt was proposed as
Lord Mayor for 1861-62.
His re-election was con-
tested,but was carried by 1,488 votes against Sir H.
Muggeridge's 548, Sir Peter Laurie (who of course
was not seriously intended for the office, but was
joined as senior alderman with Lord Mayor Cubitt)
polling 1,080 votes.
The two or
years of Mr. Cubitt's may •
alty are
noteworthy for his liberality in general, and for the
splendid hospitality he showed to the foreign ex-
hibitors and the members of the royal commissions
who visited this country in 1862. He opened the
subscriptions for the sufferers
by the Hartley colliery
explosion and for the Lancashire operatives. He
was one of the leading members of the committee
for the tational memorial to the Prince Consort, and