He was the son of William Romaine Callender of Mauldeth Hall near Manchester and his wife, Hannah Pope, of London.
[1] W. R. Callender (senior) was a prominent Whig and non-conformist in the area who campaigned for the incorporation of Manchester as a municipal borough, and served on the first town council.
[3][4] Apart from his business activities he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a strong supporter of the Manchester Athenaeum, which was founded by wealthy businessmen for the education and recreation of the working classes.
In November 1875 Callender fell ill after attending an Orange Order demonstration, and was advised to travel to the south coast to aid his recovery.
This article about a Conservative Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom representing an English constituency and born in the 1820s is a stub.