William Rathbone VIII (1880-1941)
Only son of William Gair Rathbone VII and Blanche Luling.
m. (1904) Agnes Dorothea (Dora) Rankin (c.1876-1945), only daughter of John Rankin of St Michael's Mount, Liverpool. Three children:
William Rathbone IX (1906-1992)
John Rankin Rathbone (1910-1940)
Henry Stephen Nicholas Rathbone (1913-1942). Both John and Nicholas were killed during active service in the Second World War.
William Rathbone VIII served as a Captain of the Royal Engineers Territorials (Wireless Signal Co.); his military career included service with the West African Frontier Force in the Cameroons, 1915-1916.
William Rathbone VIII in the Rathbone papers
Rathbone papers RP XXV were deposited in the Liverpool University Library in December 1993 by William Rathbone X and represent the papers of his father, William Rathbone IX (also incorporating papers of the families of William Rathbone IX's own father (WR VIII) and grandfather (William Gair Rathbone VII). The papers date from c. 1800-1992 and include:
- RP XXV.1: General correspondence c. 1850-1985 (c.5000 letters, for William Rathbone VIII see RP XXV.1.432-437)
- RP XXV.2: Deeds and accounts c. 1857-1965 (c.120 items) - including deeds and certificates; and papers concerning financial affairs of various Rathbone family members
- RP XXV.3: Diaries, notes and notebooks c.1847-1990 (35 items) - including MS notes of essays, memoranda etc; diaries and journals
- RP XXV.4: Property records (c.160 items) - including photographs of Rathbone family properties and correspondence
- RP XXV.5: General papers and ephemera (c. 1000 items) - correspondence, photographs, programmes, service sheets, newscuttings and printed ephemera relating to charitable and public works and careers of Rathbone family members, and to social activities
- RP XXV.6: Business letters 1872-1938 (c.34 items) - includes letters and memoranda concerning business concerns of William Gair Rathbone VII; particularly relating to Rathbone Brothers and the P&O Steamship Co.
- RP XXV.7: Photographs c.1850-1992 (c. 3000 items, for William Rathbone VIII see particularly RP XXV.7.220-234)
- RP XXV.8: Artwork c.1860-1912 (c.160 items) - original artwork, including portrait sketches by Elena Richmond
- RP XXV.9: Artefacts c. 1860 - 1912 (10 items)
- RP XXV.10: Historical documents c.1800 - 1971 (c.160 items) - papers of historical interest
- RP XXV.11: Historical and biographical papers 1890-1987 (c.45 items)- papers on the history of the Rathbone family
Only son of William Gair Rathbone VII and Blanche Luling.