| AdminHistory | Sir William Edward Hart was born in Leeds on 14 February 1866, the eldest son of William Hart (born c. 1840) and his wife Anne (born c. 1842). He was educated at Leeds Grammar School. On 5 September 1893, he married Jane Elizabeth Ogden (1864 - 1951) at Belle Vue Chapel, Leeds. In 1895 he was appointed solicitor to Leeds Corporation. In 1900 he moved to Sheffield (where he resided at Tapton Grove, 5 Lawson Road, Broomhill, later Thornsett Road, Sharrow) to become principal assistant solicitor for Sheffield Corporation; in 1902, he subsequently became Deputy Town Clerk. Hart and his wife had a son William Ogden Hart (1903 - 1977) born in Sheffield on 25 May 1903.
In 1907, Hart was offered the post of Town Clerk of Sheffield but declined, having already accepted the post of solicitor to the National Telephone Company, London and the family consequently relocated to Finchley, north London.
In July 1913, Hart and his family returned to Sheffield (setting up home at Ranmoor Grange) as Hart finally accepted the post of Town Clerk of Sheffield (succeeding the late Mr R. M. Prescott). Hart served as Town Clerk throughout the First World War years and also through major local government reforms brought about by legislation such as the Local Government Act 1929 and the Poor Law Act 1930.
Hart became an honorary member of the Order of Foresters in October 1919, and honorary member of the Sheffield Equalized Independent Druids Friendly Society in June 1922. In January 1926, he was knighted for his services to local government and the city of Sheffield.
Following his retirement from the Council in February 1931, Hart reverted to private practice as a lawyer in Sheffield. In June 1936 he moved to Orchard House, Oldfield Road, Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Cheshire where he was later appointed as a member tribunal for conscientious objectors in November 1940. Hart died at home in Altrincham on 5 March 1942. |
| CustodialHistory | These items were donated to Sheffield City Archives by a private individual (a grandson of Sir William Edward Hart) in three instalments in May 2014, Oct 2017 and Jan 2022. |