Douglas Vickers

Douglas Vickers (24 July 1861 – 23 November 1937) was an English industrialist and politician. His family owned the famous Sheffield firm Vickers, Sons & Co. Ltd. Early life Vickers was born on 24 July 1861 in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was a son of Frances Mary (née Douglas) Vickers (1841–1904) and Colonel Thomas Edward Vickers (1833–1915). His father commissioned John Singer Sargent to paint portraits of the family. Douglas' portrait was painted in 1914. Career He became Director of the family business in 1897, and was Master Cutler of Sheffield in 1908. He was elected as a Conservative MP for Sheffield Hallam in 1918, and held the seat until 1922. In 1918, he succeeded his uncle as chairman of the armament firm Vickers Ltd. and served in that role until 1926 making "many valuable contributions to metallurgical science and provided funds for the investigation of new treatments for tuberculosis." He retired in 1926 when the firm merged with Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd. to become Vickers Armstrongs, Ltd.