Sir William Bower Forwood

Born in 1840 and dying in 1928, Sir William Bower Forwood was an English businessman and local politician whose career was closely tied to Liverpool. He built his reputation as a merchant and shipowner, and became known as one of the city’s prominent public figures.

Alongside his business work, he played an active part in civic life. He was noted for raising money for the Liverpool Overhead Railway and for Liverpool Cathedral, showing the mix of commercial influence and public ambition that marked his career.

Forwood is remembered as part of the generation of civic leaders who helped drive Liverpool’s growth and identity. His story sits at the meeting point of trade, shipping, and city government in an era when Liverpool was one of Britain’s great port cities.