James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton, was a British businessman, philanthropist and Liberal Party politician. His family's business in Lancaster produced oilcloth and linoleum, which was exported around the world. After serving as a Member of Parliament for Lancaster, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Ashton in 1895. Unproven accusations that he had purchased his title, however, haunted him and led to his eventual withdrawal from public life.

Lancaster was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1867, centred on the historic city of Lancaster in north-west England. It was represented by two Members of Parliament until the constituency was disenfranchised for corruption in 1867.