William Ford (businessman)

William Ford (December 10, 1826 – March 8, 1905) was an Irish-born American businessman and was the father of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford.

Biography

William was born in Ballinascarthy near Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland and was the son of Thomasine (née Smith), and Jonathan "John" Ford. Ford's ancestors were originally from Somerset, England, who were among migrants to Ireland as the English created plantations. Ford was an Anglican and attended a local Episcopal Church. The surname Ford is an English surname that dates back to Anglo-Saxon England, although the surname "Forde" is sometimes found in Ireland as an Anglicised version of a number of indigenous Gaelic names. William attended St. Joseph's High School, had six siblings, and emigrated to the United States in 1846.

On April 21, 1861, William married Mary Litogot in Wayne County, Michigan, daughter of Belgian immigrants. He and Mary had eight children, six of whom survived into adulthood. They moved to Detroit, Michigan.

William retired in 1879 and lived out the rest of his years in Sacramento, California. He died of natural causes on March 8, 1905 in his home and was buried in the Ford Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan, USA, Plot: St. Martha's Episcopal Church yard.

Family

William married Belgian-American Mary Litogot, together they had five children:

William had 6 siblings — 4 sisters, and 2 brothers:

See also

• Ford family tree