Alexander Balfour was born on the 2nd of September 1824 in Leven, Fife, the son of Henry Balfour, a foundry owner. Educated at the High School of Dundee and St Andrews University, he proceeded to work in the family business until 1844, when due to the onset of financial problems, he moved to Liverpool in search of employment. He settled in Birkenhead and lived in Grange Lane, where he came under the influence of Rev James Towers, who ran a Sabbath School there. In 1851, with the help of two friends, Stephen Williamson and David Duncan, he set up the firm of Williamson & Company, to trade with Chile, with Balfour running the Liverpool end of the operation, while his partners drummed up business in Chile. The company prospered greatly and over the forthcoming years of his life he used his wealth to support a number of Christian ministries, and many other worthy causes in Liverpool, and beyond.
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| Now the Young Mens Christian Association Building |
For 15 years he was chairman of the YMCA in Liverpool, and the acquisition of the premises on Mount Pleasant was largely through his efforts and support. The young people of Liverpool occupied a special place in his heart. He was quoted as once saying, "Get the young men of Liverpool imbued with Christian principle and adequately taught and trained and the Liverpool of the future with be a new Liverpool. He was also the joint founder of the Seaman's Orphanage, Seaman's Institute and a Sailor's Home as he was a committed Philanthropist and founded the Duke Street Home, to provide better conditions for sailors, and orphanages for seamen's children. Alexander then also co-founded Edge Hill University, ( then Edge Hill College ), in 1885, which was the first non-denominational teacher training college for women in England. There is a Halls of Residence called Balfour in his honour, He bought a country estate at Mount Alyn, at Rossett, near Chester where died in 1886 aged 61 years, and was buried in Rossett. A special train was laid on for those in Liverpool who wished to attend his funeral.
There is a statue of him by Albert Bruce-Joy in St John's Gardens, Liverpool. According to the inscription on the monument, he devoted his life to good works on behalf of sailors, and "the education of the people." He funded orphanages for sailors' children, a seaman's institute, and so on, and actively supported the Temperance Society, turning sailors' taverns into cocoa rooms — not something that would have made him very popular these days.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2022/06/a-liverpool-exemplar-hugh-stowell-brown.html
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