Baronet, he was a Dutch-born British shipowner and benefactor. He was a director of Fred Drughorn, Ltd, the Anglo-Brazilian Line, Ltd, and the British and Continental Estates, Ltd. He was created a baronet, of Ifield Hall in the County of Sussex, in 1922. He married Elizabeth Berlips, daughter of Lewis Berlips, in 1883. After the war had started, his father, John Drughorn's Swedish operations still shipped iron ore to Holland whose final destination was Germany. He helped organise this but apparently considered that trading between two neutral countries was outside the scope of the laws against trading with the enemy. He was charged with trading with the enemy and on 19th January 1915 was brought to trial at the Old Bailey. The judge was Mr. Justice Rowlatt, the prosecution was conducted by Mr. Muir, Mr. Humphreys and Mr. Boyd and the defence lawyers were Mr Pollock KC and Mr Barrington Ward. The trial lasted two days. The prosecution proved that he had had actual dealings in Holland with arranging the transhipment of the iron ore to Germany. The defence argued that actions in a neutral country were outside the court's jurisdiction. The defence produced good character witnesses from eminent business figures. Nevertheless he was convicted of trading with the enemy. His elevation to Baronet by David Lloyd-George in 1922 caused a scandal leading to a re-evaluation of the honours system. One source indicates that William Drughorn served under the name of William Frederick Henderson which may have been to distance himself from this incident. When he died, he had no - surviving sons and the baronetcy died with him - he died aged 80.
Baronet, he was a Dutch-born British shipowner and benefactor. He was a director of Fred Drughorn, Ltd, the Anglo-Brazilian Line, Ltd, and the British and Continental Estates, Ltd. He was created a baronet, of Ifield Hall in the County of Sussex, in 1922. He married Elizabeth Berlips, daughter of Lewis Berlips, in 1883. After the war had started, his father, John Drughorn's Swedish operations still shipped iron ore to Holland whose final destination was Germany. He helped organise this but apparently considered that trading between two neutral countries was outside the scope of the laws against trading with the enemy. He was charged with trading with the enemy and on 19th January 1915 was brought to trial at the Old Bailey. The judge was Mr. Justice Rowlatt, the prosecution was conducted by Mr. Muir, Mr. Humphreys and Mr. Boyd and the defence lawyers were Mr Pollock KC and Mr Barrington Ward. The trial lasted two days. The prosecution proved that he had had actual dealings in Holland with arranging the transhipment of the iron ore to Germany. The defence argued that actions in a neutral country were outside the court's jurisdiction. The defence produced good character witnesses from eminent business figures. Nevertheless he was convicted of trading with the enemy. His elevation to Baronet by David Lloyd-George in 1922 caused a scandal leading to a re-evaluation of the honours system. One source indicates that William Drughorn served under the name of William Frederick Henderson which may have been to distance himself from this incident. When he died, he had no - surviving sons and the baronetcy died with him - he died aged 80.
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