Constituency : Halifax 1852-9, West Riding 1859-65 , North West Riding 1865-72
Francis was the son of a Congregationalist carpet manufacturer from Halifax, the youngest of five sons. He was educated in Halifax and his father made him work at his own loom in the mill. As Francis grew up the family firm became the biggest carpet manufacturer in the world employing over 5.000 people. Francis became mayor of Halifax in 1849.
Francis is best remembered for his philanthropy in the town, the physical evidence of which is still plentiful. In 1855 he constructed 21 almshouses with an endowment giving 6 shillings a week to each person. Two years later he opened the 12 acre People's Park and invested a sum for its maintenance. With his brothers he built an orphanage and school at Skircoat Manor in the 1860s. He gave a £20,000 donation to the London Missionary Society and was generous in support of his faith. When the family firm became a limited company some shares were offered to workmen. He did spend some of his fortune on himself , purchasing the large estate of Somerleyton Hall in Suffolk in 1862.
In 1863 Francis was created a baronet on the urging of Lord Shaftesbury. He sat on the Boundary Commission in 1867. He was a campaigner for removing legal discrimination against Dissenters.
In his politics Francis was a Radical who harassed Palmerston over reform. However he did not impress Cobden who described him as a rich political booby. In turn Francis repudiated his and Bright's claim in 1863 that the restricted franchise was responsible for mental and physical deprivation, saying the non-voters had "no very great grievance". In 1864 Palmerston came to Bradford for a public meeting and Francis spoke from the platform of his pain whenever the premier blocked domestic reform proposals.
He died in 1872 after a long illness aged 54.
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