Source: The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders. Published by Honolulu Star Bulletin, Ltd., Territory of Hawaii, 1925
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist
WILLIAM G. IRWIN, Industrial Builder and Capitalist. The late William G. Irwin, widely known Honolulu and San Francisco capitalist and philanthropist, closely allied for many years with the late Claus Spreckels in banking and the establishment and operation of sugar plantations, long exercised great influence in Hawaii and later, with his home in San Francisco, became a financial power in California.
Born in England in 1843, the son of James and Mary Irwin, Mr. Irwin was brought to Hawaii by his parents in early childhood. His father, a paymaster in the ordnance department of the British army, sailed for California with a cargo of merchandise immediately after the historic discovery of gold in 1849.
From San Francisco, the elder Irwin came to Honolulu with his family and remained here. He was at one time secretary of the Hawaiian Foreign Office under the Monarchy. There were four children in the family, William G., Frederick and Leonora Irwin and Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin Spalding.
William G. Irwin was educated at Punahou School and as a young man was employed at different times by Aldrich, Walker & Co., Lewers & Dickson, and Walker, Allen & Co., pioneer Honolulu firms. Engaging in business for himself,
Mr. Irwin, in association with Z. S. Spalding and J. S. Walker, organized the firm of William G. Irwin & Co., which was dissolved by mutual consent in 1880.
The following year, with Claus Spreckels as his partner, the firm of W. G. Irwin & Co. was organized, and in 1885 Mr. Irwin and Mr. Spreckels opened the bank of Claus Spreckels & Co., later incorporated under the name of Bank of Honolulu, Ltd., and, in recent years, amalgamated with the Bank of Bishop & Co. Both Mr. Spreckels and Mr. Irwin acquired extensive sugar plantation holdings and other Hawaiian properties.
In 1913 Mr. Irwin incorporated his estate in San Francisco under the name of the William G. Irwin Estate Co., which still owns large holdings in Hawaiian plantations. He had extensive business interests in California as well as in this Territory, and was actively associated with the Mercantile National Bank of San Francisco in later years.
A close friend of King Kalakaua, Mr. Irwin was decorated by that Monarch and was a member of the Privy Council of Hawaii in 1887. In 1901 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government in recognition of his services as Hawaii's representative to the Paris Exposition. Mr. Irwin was a member of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, No. 371, F. & A.M., of Honolulu, a Knight Templar, Shriner and a member of the old British Club, now the Pacific
Club, of Honolulu, and the Pacific Union Club of San Francisco. In 1886, Mr. Irwin married Mrs. Fannie Holladay. Their only child, Helene Irwin, is now Mrs. Charles Templeton Crocker of Burlingame, Calif. Mr. Irwin died in San Francisco, Jan. 28, 1914.
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist
WILLIAM G. IRWIN, Industrial Builder and Capitalist. The late William G. Irwin, widely known Honolulu and San Francisco capitalist and philanthropist, closely allied for many years with the late Claus Spreckels in banking and the establishment and operation of sugar plantations, long exercised great influence in Hawaii and later, with his home in San Francisco, became a financial power in California.
Born in England in 1843, the son of James and Mary Irwin, Mr. Irwin was brought to Hawaii by his parents in early childhood. His father, a paymaster in the ordnance department of the British army, sailed for California with a cargo of merchandise immediately after the historic discovery of gold in 1849.
From San Francisco, the elder Irwin came to Honolulu with his family and remained here. He was at one time secretary of the Hawaiian Foreign Office under the Monarchy. There were four children in the family, William G., Frederick and Leonora Irwin and Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin Spalding.
William G. Irwin was educated at Punahou School and as a young man was employed at different times by Aldrich, Walker & Co., Lewers & Dickson, and Walker, Allen & Co., pioneer Honolulu firms. Engaging in business for himself,
Mr. Irwin, in association with Z. S. Spalding and J. S. Walker, organized the firm of William G. Irwin & Co., which was dissolved by mutual consent in 1880.
The following year, with Claus Spreckels as his partner, the firm of W. G. Irwin & Co. was organized, and in 1885 Mr. Irwin and Mr. Spreckels opened the bank of Claus Spreckels & Co., later incorporated under the name of Bank of Honolulu, Ltd., and, in recent years, amalgamated with the Bank of Bishop & Co. Both Mr. Spreckels and Mr. Irwin acquired extensive sugar plantation holdings and other Hawaiian properties.
In 1913 Mr. Irwin incorporated his estate in San Francisco under the name of the William G. Irwin Estate Co., which still owns large holdings in Hawaiian plantations. He had extensive business interests in California as well as in this Territory, and was actively associated with the Mercantile National Bank of San Francisco in later years.
A close friend of King Kalakaua, Mr. Irwin was decorated by that Monarch and was a member of the Privy Council of Hawaii in 1887. In 1901 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government in recognition of his services as Hawaii's representative to the Paris Exposition. Mr. Irwin was a member of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, No. 371, F. & A.M., of Honolulu, a Knight Templar, Shriner and a member of the old British Club, now the Pacific
Club, of Honolulu, and the Pacific Union Club of San Francisco. In 1886, Mr. Irwin married Mrs. Fannie Holladay. Their only child, Helene Irwin, is now Mrs. Charles Templeton Crocker of Burlingame, Calif. Mr. Irwin died in San Francisco, Jan. 28, 1914.
Source: The Story of Hawaii and Its Builders. Published by Honolulu Star Bulletin, Ltd., Territory of Hawaii, 1925
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist
WILLIAM G. IRWIN, Industrial Builder and Capitalist. The late William G. Irwin, widely known Honolulu and San Francisco capitalist and philanthropist, closely allied for many years with the late Claus Spreckels in banking and the establishment and operation of sugar plantations, long exercised great influence in Hawaii and later, with his home in San Francisco, became a financial power in California.
Born in England in 1843, the son of James and Mary Irwin, Mr. Irwin was brought to Hawaii by his parents in early childhood. His father, a paymaster in the ordnance department of the British army, sailed for California with a cargo of merchandise immediately after the historic discovery of gold in 1849.
From San Francisco, the elder Irwin came to Honolulu with his family and remained here. He was at one time secretary of the Hawaiian Foreign Office under the Monarchy. There were four children in the family, William G., Frederick and Leonora Irwin and Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin Spalding.
William G. Irwin was educated at Punahou School and as a young man was employed at different times by Aldrich, Walker & Co., Lewers & Dickson, and Walker, Allen & Co., pioneer Honolulu firms. Engaging in business for himself,
Mr. Irwin, in association with Z. S. Spalding and J. S. Walker, organized the firm of William G. Irwin & Co., which was dissolved by mutual consent in 1880.
The following year, with Claus Spreckels as his partner, the firm of W. G. Irwin & Co. was organized, and in 1885 Mr. Irwin and Mr. Spreckels opened the bank of Claus Spreckels & Co., later incorporated under the name of Bank of Honolulu, Ltd., and, in recent years, amalgamated with the Bank of Bishop & Co. Both Mr. Spreckels and Mr. Irwin acquired extensive sugar plantation holdings and other Hawaiian properties.
In 1913 Mr. Irwin incorporated his estate in San Francisco under the name of the William G. Irwin Estate Co., which still owns large holdings in Hawaiian plantations. He had extensive business interests in California as well as in this Territory, and was actively associated with the Mercantile National Bank of San Francisco in later years.
A close friend of King Kalakaua, Mr. Irwin was decorated by that Monarch and was a member of the Privy Council of Hawaii in 1887. In 1901 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government in recognition of his services as Hawaii's representative to the Paris Exposition. Mr. Irwin was a member of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, No. 371, F. & A.M., of Honolulu, a Knight Templar, Shriner and a member of the old British Club, now the Pacific
Club, of Honolulu, and the Pacific Union Club of San Francisco. In 1886, Mr. Irwin married Mrs. Fannie Holladay. Their only child, Helene Irwin, is now Mrs. Charles Templeton Crocker of Burlingame, Calif. Mr. Irwin died in San Francisco, Jan. 28, 1914.
Author: Edited by George F. Nellist
WILLIAM G. IRWIN, Industrial Builder and Capitalist. The late William G. Irwin, widely known Honolulu and San Francisco capitalist and philanthropist, closely allied for many years with the late Claus Spreckels in banking and the establishment and operation of sugar plantations, long exercised great influence in Hawaii and later, with his home in San Francisco, became a financial power in California.
Born in England in 1843, the son of James and Mary Irwin, Mr. Irwin was brought to Hawaii by his parents in early childhood. His father, a paymaster in the ordnance department of the British army, sailed for California with a cargo of merchandise immediately after the historic discovery of gold in 1849.
From San Francisco, the elder Irwin came to Honolulu with his family and remained here. He was at one time secretary of the Hawaiian Foreign Office under the Monarchy. There were four children in the family, William G., Frederick and Leonora Irwin and Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin Spalding.
William G. Irwin was educated at Punahou School and as a young man was employed at different times by Aldrich, Walker & Co., Lewers & Dickson, and Walker, Allen & Co., pioneer Honolulu firms. Engaging in business for himself,
Mr. Irwin, in association with Z. S. Spalding and J. S. Walker, organized the firm of William G. Irwin & Co., which was dissolved by mutual consent in 1880.
The following year, with Claus Spreckels as his partner, the firm of W. G. Irwin & Co. was organized, and in 1885 Mr. Irwin and Mr. Spreckels opened the bank of Claus Spreckels & Co., later incorporated under the name of Bank of Honolulu, Ltd., and, in recent years, amalgamated with the Bank of Bishop & Co. Both Mr. Spreckels and Mr. Irwin acquired extensive sugar plantation holdings and other Hawaiian properties.
In 1913 Mr. Irwin incorporated his estate in San Francisco under the name of the William G. Irwin Estate Co., which still owns large holdings in Hawaiian plantations. He had extensive business interests in California as well as in this Territory, and was actively associated with the Mercantile National Bank of San Francisco in later years.
A close friend of King Kalakaua, Mr. Irwin was decorated by that Monarch and was a member of the Privy Council of Hawaii in 1887. In 1901 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government in recognition of his services as Hawaii's representative to the Paris Exposition. Mr. Irwin was a member of Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie, No. 371, F. & A.M., of Honolulu, a Knight Templar, Shriner and a member of the old British Club, now the Pacific
Club, of Honolulu, and the Pacific Union Club of San Francisco. In 1886, Mr. Irwin married Mrs. Fannie Holladay. Their only child, Helene Irwin, is now Mrs. Charles Templeton Crocker of Burlingame, Calif. Mr. Irwin died in San Francisco, Jan. 28, 1914.
Gravesite Details
English-born, became a citizen of Hawaii during 1850s. Partnership with Claus Spreckels, exported sugar during late 19th Century. "Pillars of the Past"
Family Members
Children
Sponsored by Ancestry
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