Gustav Wilhelm Wolff - Outside Interests and Later Life

Outside Interests and Later Life

Wolff had business interests outside of Harland and Wolff, including the Belfast Ropeworks, which he founded in the early 1870s with W.H. Smiles, who was the son of Samuel Smiles, a Scottish author. With Wolff as chairman, the firm became one of the largest ropeworks in the world, challenging the Gourock Ropework Company, who were based on the River Clyde in Scotland. Wolff also bought shares in the Union Steamship Company, and became a director; with his influence, he ensured Harland and Wolff received regular orders from the Union Steamship Company. After Wolff's negotiation, the Union Steamship Company merged in 1900 with the Castle Line, which was owned by Donald Currie; the new company formed was the Union-Castle Line. Outside of business, Gustav Wolff served as a Belfast harbour commissioner from 1887 to 1893. Wolff, like Edward Harland, served as a Member of Parliament as a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party. Edward Harland and Gustav Wolff were known in the House of Commons as "Majestic" and "Teutonic", the names of two ships that the company built. Wolff was the Member of Parliament for Belfast East from March 1892 to December 1910. He replaced Edward de Cobain who had been expelled from the House of Commons and was later jailed for homosexual offences. Wolff only faced election once; in the 1892 by-election Sir William Charley, Q.C., stood against Wolff as an Independent Conservative. Wolff defeated Charley by a margin of over 2100 votes. Wolff was then returned unopposed until his retirement from parliament in 1910. Afterwards, Wolff was made a freeman of Belfast by the Belfast Corporation. In Parliament, Wolff strongly opposed the Irish Home Rule bills. Despite Wolff's Jewish heritage, he was a member of the Church of Ireland. He also gave money to local causes, including the Ulster Hospital and the Orange Order. Wolff was a member of many different clubs, including the Carlton Club and the Garrick Club. After his retirement from parliament Wolff lived almost exclusively in London, where he died on 17 April 1913 at his home, 42 Park Street. Wolff did not marry and died a bachelor.