Batty Langley. Source: Picture Sheffield.
Batty Langley was born in 1834 in Rutland and educated at Uppingham School. At 18 years of age, he came to Sheffield and started his own business as a timber merchant. His Sheaf Saw Mills became one of the best known in the country.
When his business became successful, he devoted his time and ability to public life and served Sheffield’s citizens through politics and religion. He occupied nearly all the positions of trust open to the people of Sheffield, including being Justice of the Peace for both the town and borough. He was one of the mainstays of Queen Street Congregational Church for over 50 years. The success of the Sunday School Union Montgomery Hall scheme was largely due to him.
Batty Langley joined Sheffield Council in 1871 as a Liberal and was a member of the Sheffield School Board from 1876 until 1885. He was Mayor of Sheffield in 1892-3, the year Sheffield was made a city. During this mayoral year a dispute started in the coal trade. Langley suggested and held a conference of five Mayors, (Sheffield, Barnsley, Leeds, Bradford and Derby) which took steps to bring the coal owners and miners together to try to settle their differences. In 1894, when the Parliamentary seat for Attercliffe became vacant, Langley was chosen as the Liberal candidate. The three-cornered contest was bitterly fought, attracted nationwide interest and resulted in victory for Langley by over a thousand votes. He was one of the very early advocates of Old Age Pensions.
Batty Langley presented an address from the people of Sheffield to the Duke and Duchess of York, on the occasion of their marriage, and presented Queen Victoria with the gold key at the Town Hall when she visited during the mayoralty of the Duke of Norfolk. Failing health led to his resignation from Sheffield Council in 1907 after 36 years. He was buried in grave JJ 53 in the Nonconformist area of the Cemetery.