Subject

Property developer. Born Farnham. Died at home in Chislehurst. Conceived the idea of Daylight Saving in 1905 and lobbied for it until his death. It was taken up by Parliament but failed to become law, until the need to save coal during WW1 made it necessary.

Royal Museums Greenwich produced the document ‘Walking the Willett Way’ to accompany their exhibition on British Summer Time: “William Willett, together with his father (also William, 1837–1913) were house-builders by trade, and were responsible for developing several streets of high-class houses near Sloane Square for the landowner, the Earl of Cadogan. The Willetts carried out a wholesale redevelopment of the area in the 1880s and 1890s. . . . Above number 7 Lower Sloane Street, now the Head Office of Hamptons, you can see the original ‘Willett’ sign on the stone fascia, and inside Hamptons, if you ask nicely, you may be able to see an original 1920s bronze portrait bust of William Willett, lent by Colchester Museums.“