Nathaniel Buckley

Nathaniel Buckley was a British landowner, cotton mill owner and Liberal Party politician. In November 1855 he was elected Mayor of Ashton-under-Lyne.
At the 1868 [United Kingdom general election|1868 general election] he was Liberal candidate for the constituency of Stalybridge (UK [Parliament constituency)|Stalybridge], but was defeated by his Conservative opponent, James Sidebottom. Sidebottom died in February 1871 causing a by-election. Initially the local Liberal Party selected the Edward Stanley, 4th [Baron Stanley of Alderley|Honourable Edward Lyuth Stanley] as their candidate, but following a number of delegations of "working men", Buckley was chosen. The by-election was held on 28 February and Buckley won the seat by 208 votes.
By the 1870s, Buckley was a millionaire. In 1873, he purchased the Galtee estate of the Earl of Kingston, near Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland. Following a revaluation, he issued rent demands to his new tenants of between fifty and five hundred per cent. This led to a great deal of agrarian unrest, evictions and an attempted assassination of Buckley's land agent. His actions also demonstrated weaknesses in the Irish Land Acts, which were consequently amended.
Buckley was appointed as a Lord [Lieutenant of Lancashire|Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire] in 1867.
At the 1874 general election Buckley was defeated by the Conservative candidate, Thomas Harrop Sidebottom. He did not return to parliament.
At the time of his death, aged 71, in 1892, he had residences at Alderdale Lodge, Droylsden, Lancashire and Galtee Castle, County Cork.