William Debenham

{{Short description|British businessman}} {{other people}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = William Debenham | image = | caption = {{Collapsed infobox section begin|Biographical data}} | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1794|4|18}} | birth_place = Alpheton, Suffolk, England | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1863|9|24|1794|4|18}} | death_place = Kensal Rise, London, England | resting_place = | citizenship = British | years_active = 1813–1863 | occupation = {{flat list| * Businessman * Retailer }} | boards = | employer = Debenhams Ltd | title = Chair of Debenhams | term = 1813–1863 | successor = William Debenham Jnr | known_for = Founder of Debenhams plc | organization = Debenhams | footnotes = | spouse = {{marriage|Caroline Freebody|1820}} | children = {{flat list| * six sons * four daughters}} | relatives = Ernest Debenham<br>Sir Piers Debenham<br>Alison Debenham | website ={{URL|debenhams.com}} }}

'''William Debenham''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɛ|b|ən|ə|m}}; 18 April 1794 – 24 September 1863) was the founder of Debenhams, once one of the largest retailers in the United Kingdom.

==Career== Born in 1794 in Alpheton in Suffolk,<ref name=ancestry>[http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=knightlight&id=I4625&ti=5538 William Debenham at Ancestry.co.uk]</ref> William Debenham joined Thomas Clark in a partnership to manage a draper's store at 44 Wigmore Street in London.<ref name=debs>[http://www.debenham.org.uk/History/Distinguished.htm Distinguished members of the Debenhams Family]</ref>

The partners later expanded the business such that it had stores on both sides of Wigmore Street, one known as ''Debenham & Clark'' and the other known as ''Clark & Debenham''.<ref name=debs/> When William Debenham Snr retired a new partnership was formed between his son, William Debenham Jnr, and Clement Freebody.<ref name=debs/> This business became Debenhams, one of the largest retailers in the United Kingdom.<ref name=debs/><ref>{{cite web |title=History of Debenhams |url=http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/contentView?filepath=/DebenhamsUKSite/Static/history_debenhams_uk.xml&storeId=10701&langId=-1 |publisher=Debenhams |access-date=14 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026064433/http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/contentView?filepath=/DebenhamsUKSite/Static/history_debenhams_uk.xml&storeId=10701&langId=-1|archive-date=26 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> William Debenham Snr died in 1863 at Kensal Rise in London.<ref name=ancestry/>

==Family== William married Caroline Freebody in 1820 and together they had six sons and four daughters.<ref name=ancestry/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * ''Fine Silks and Oak Counters 1778 – 1978'' by Maurice Corina, Published 1978, Hutchinson Benham {{ISBN|978-0-09-134910-3}}

{{s-start}} {{s-bus}} {{s-bef|rows=2|before=William Clark}} {{s-ttl|title= President of Debenhams|years= 1813–1863}} {{s-aft|rows=2|after=William Debenhams Jnr}} {{s-ttl|title= chairman of Debenhams |years=1813–1863}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Debenham, William}} Category:1794 births Category:1863 deaths Category:19th-century British businesspeople Category:British retail company founders William