His father, also William Beardmore, was a mechanical engineer, working for the General Steam Navigation Company in Deptford.

In 1861 his family moved to Glasgow, where his father bought the Parkhead Forge, a steel mill and supplier to the thriving shipbuilding and railway industries on the Clyde in the east end of the city.

Beardmore's father died shortly afterwards and the retirement of the third business partner saw William's uncle Isaac become sole proprietor.

In 1900, he purchased land on the north bank of the Clyde at Dalmuir, adjacent to the famous yard of John Brown & Company at Clydebank.

[3] Lord Invernairn died at his home in Strathnairn, Inverness-shire of heart failure on 9 April 1936, aged 79.