20th Century Mayors 1899-1950
Edwin Hamer | William Tatersall | Walter Farnworth | John Henry Hartley | James Kay | Franklin Talbot Thomas
Samuel Crossley | John Higginson | William Thompson | Afred Nuttall | Lawrence Cotton | Joseph Fielding
Thomas Ramsey | James Stanworth | Sir William Forrest | John Aspden Ormerod | Luke Bates
William Kenyon | Charles Albert Critchley | William Coupe | William Hammond | James Fryars
Francis John Greaves | Edward Porter | Walter Tempest | Doctor Bernard Worden | James Fish
George Hindle | Earnest Holden | John Charnley | Sarah Buckley | Robert Sugden
Ronald Henry George Sugden
Edwin Hamer
Mayor of Blackburn 1899-1900
"What I am I owe to Blackburn" was a favourite saying of Edwin Hamer's, and admirably sums up his intimate connection with the town, in which he had resided since 1859. Born at the village of War Office, near Heywood, on July 18th, 1838, he received his early education at a local dame school and when still very young worked as a tear boy at Bolholt Print Works. Coming to Blackburn at the age of twenty-one, he was first employed by William Stones, joiner and builder, who was one of the contractors for the erection of the town hall. He commenced in business on his own account in 1863, taking premises in Clayton-street, from which he removed to Back-lane. His partnership with William Salisbury as auctioneer and valuer began in 1871 and nine years later he entered the town council as representative of St. Mary's Ward. In later years he became chairman of Henry Livesey Ltd., Greenbank Works, and head of Edwin Hamer Ltd., Moorgate Mill, Livesey.
Known affectionately as the Grand Old Man of Liberalism in Blackburn, he splintered many a lance against his Tory opponents and though often worsted in the fray, never lowered his colours. A Gladstonian Liberal of the old school, he set himself the task of breaking the Conservative monopoly of representation in parliament, which dated back to 1886. Ultimately, in 1906, he achieved his object. I have vivid recollections of this notable election, when the Tory element sported colours of orange and blue against the pink and green of their adversaries. Hamer and Snowden were the progressive candidates and, though the veteran Liberal leader suffered defeat, his colleague, later to achieve fame as the "Iron Chancellor" of the Labour Party, was returned, together with Sir W. H. Hornby.
When Sir Edwin attained his jubilee as a member of the Blackburn Liberal Party, he was presented with an illuminated address, together with his portrait in oils, Lady Norman performing the unveiling ceremony at the town hall in the presence of some 1,200 supporters. He became a J.P. in 1892 and in 1899 attained the mayoral office at the request of a deputation representing all parties.
"Among the schemes favourable to municipal progress that have been forwarded by him during his mayoralty (writes his biographer) were the demolition of insanitary property between Blakey Moor and Duke-street, and the erection of new Court-houses, Police and Fire Brigade stations. In connection with the benevolent movement excited in Lancashire towns by the Indian famine, he opened a relief fund in Blackburn, which elicited wide support from employers and employed, the gratifying result of his personal endeavours, which entailed a large amount of work and time. The Transvaal war, which has recently imposed another demand upon public generosity by taking away many residents from Blackburn, and leaving wives and dependents without support, necessitated the opening of a fund which, at the time of writing, has been almost gathered. £10,000 was asked for and is nearly subscribed. To this object he contributed £150, instead of giving the customary dinner to the Corporation and townsmen."
In 1860 he married Rachael the daughter of Joseph and Alice Berry, of Tottington, by whom he had six children, five boys and a girl.
A pillar of nonconformity, being a staunch Wesleyan, Sir Edwin died at Braeside, Revidge-road, in November, 1915, aged 77 years. His knighthood had only been conferred upon him in the previous year.
By George C. Miller
William Tattersall was born at Burnley on the 8th December 1839. His father was John Tattersall b.1809 and his Mother Betty Foulds, b.1809. They were married in 1831. Other children were; Benjamin, b. 1833, Rebecca, b. 1835, Susan b. 1837. John Tattersall died when William was about 2 years old. He was educated at Burnley until the age of 13, but not liking the idea of working in a factory, with the help of his old school master he managed to get a position in a Corn mill run by Messrs. J. Greenwood and Son’s, Burnley. At 18 he was sent to the work at the Blackburn branch on Mill-lane, later being transferred to their offices at Canal Wharf, Eanam.
When James Whitworth opened a wholesale province warehouse in New Market-street William went working for him. He remained with this firm until Whitworth moved to Liverpool in 1863. That year William went into partnership as a provision dealer with L. Hartley at 34 King William-street. This partnership continued until Hartley retired and moved to Southport in 1878 when William became the sole owner. William continued the business which was to become one of the biggest in the North of England. He was one of the original members of the Tradesmen’s Association this was succeeded by the Chamber of Trade of which he was their first president. On his 80th birthday in 1919 his employees presented him with a inscribed engraving.
William Tattersall was a staunch Liberal first becoming a Councillor in 1891 when he was elected unopposed as a representative for St. Mary’s holding this ward for three successive years. He was elected Mayor of Blackburn in 1900 and in 1901 as Mayor, he read the Royal Proclamation from the Town Hall steps when Edward VII became King. In the year of his Mayoralty the Boar War was being fought in South Africa and William started a war relief fund, in that same year he also started an Indian Famine Relief Fund. In 1902 William Farnworth was elected Mayor with William as his deputy, Farnworth unfortunately died on the 16th of April 1904, just five months into his Mayoralty, William, being deputy Mayor was re-elected and completed the Mayoral year. During this session as Mayor he started a movement for the early closing of shops on Saturday night, which eventually came to fruition. William was appointed a Borough Magistrate in April 1895, and was for over 25 years a member of the Borough Licensing Committee
William Tattersall was a devout Methodist and lay preacher, attending Clayton-street Church. He was for 50 years a worker at that churches Sunday school and at one time or another held every office within the church that a layman could. He was also an active member of the temperance movement. William married Emily Walton in 1874, she was the daughter of Ralph Walton a Sunderland chemist. They had five children, four sons Walton b. 1876, William b.1884, Norman b. 1886, John b.1889, and two daughters Edith Mary b. 1882 d. 1888, Emily b. 1892. His wife, Emily who also took an active part in Williams’s social and religious life, died in 1916.
William died on the 12th November 1929, just short of his 90th birthday, and was buried in the family vault at Blackburn Whalley New-road cemetery.
On the 23rd of June 1930 during a service at Queen’s Hall a bronze tablet was unveiled to his memory.
Walter Farnworth
Mayor of Blackburn 1902-16th April 1903
Walter was born in Blackburn on the 27th August 1865, the son of William Farnworth and Mary Ann Sefton. Before her marriage Mary had lived at Pemberton Clough, now part of Corporation Park. There had been two other children, William Sefton, died 1855, aged four and James Thomas also died 1855 aged one. William Farnworth, by profession, was a Chemist with premises on King William Street.
Walter was educated at Blackburn before moving to Giggleswick Grammar school, and then London University and later Owens College, Manchester. He entered his father’s business in 1884 and on his father’s death ran it until his retirement in 1896
In December 1897 he married Emily Agnes Lancaster, the daughter of Dr. Lancaster, of Grindleton, they lived at Beechwood house, Livesey. Walter was a keen gardener and Beechwood had plenty of land and greenhouses for him to carry out his hobby. He won a number of prizes in various categories for his flowers and in 1902 was the president of the Horticultural Society. In 1894 he gave an oil painting to Blackburn Corporation by the renowned cat painter, Madam Henrietta Ronner called “The Merry Party”, now in Blackburn Museum.
Politically he was a Conservative and was first elected a councillor for St. Stephen’s Ward in November 1893. Three years later he lost the ward to John Holt, but in the same month in a bye-election he was returned as a councillor for St. Michael’s Ward.
Sir Harry Hornby Mayor in 1901-1902 was invited to continue in the office for a second term but refused. On Hornby’s refusal Walter was asked to accept the office, which he did, taking the Mayoral office in November 1902.
On Thursday 16th of April 1903 Walter was being driven by his coachman John Venables from his home, at Beechwood, Livesey in a dogcart (a light horse-drawn vehicle) to Blackburn where, as Mayor, he was to take charge at the Borough Police court. When they reached All Saints Church on Bolton-road the horse, which he had only bought a few days previous, took fright and began to careering down the slope onto Darwen-street, Walter an experienced horseman took the reins from the coachman. Passing under Darwen-street Railway Bridge, the cart collided with a youth on a bike. The boy, 14 year old Arnold Brierley, was thrown some way into the road and was badly injured, needing six stitches in a head wound. The horse carried on and further up Church-street a wheel of the cart got caught in a tram line making it swerve and hit a parked cart. Walter Farnworth and John Venables, was thrown out, Venables fortunately landed on the horse which broke his fall. Walter landed badly on the road. He was lifted, unconscious, and carried into a shop. Two doctors who were in the area at the time went to attend to him. His wife was sent for and together with her brother came to the scene. Unfortunately Walter never regained consciousness and died an hour later. His body was removed to his house in the Horse Ambulance which, perhaps rather ironically, was a new one and only the previous week had been inspected by Walter who had said that it looked quite comfortable to ride in for any injured party.
On Friday morning an inquest into his death was held at the town Hall with a verdict of “accidental death.” The funeral was arranged for Monday 20th of April in the family vault in the Parish Churchyard—the parish churchyard, (now the Cathedral) had been shut for new burials since 1857, but vaults could still be used. It was the same grave where his father, mother and two brothers were buried.
The eldest son of George Pickup Hartley, provision merchant, John Henry Hartley was educated at Blackburn Grammar School. After being connected with his father's business for some time he and his brother acquired Alma Mill, Audley, under the name of Hartley Bros. Other mills at Preston and Darwen were taken over later.
In 1902 Mr. Hartley entered the town council as a Conservative for Park Ward, and he held the seat until he retired in 1914. At the time of his election Alderman William Thompson, the leader of his party, was having difficulty in finding a chairman for the gas undertaking, the management of which was giving concern. He at once accepted that position and held it throughout the whole of his council career, including the period of the gas strike in 1914.
After he had been on the council twelve months, he was elected mayor, declaring that it was every man's duty to devote some of his time to public service.
A generous supporter of the Church of England, Mr. Hartley died at his home, Beardwood Bank, Preston New-road, in August, 1942.
by George C. Miller
James Kay
Mayor of Blackburn 1904-05
James Kay was born in Preston on the 5th September 1851. Together with his father, William, and his two elder brothers they came to live in Blackburn in 1855. The young James was for a short time a scholar at Cheethams Academy, Bank top, and later John Garstang’s school in Paradise Street. He started his working life at Dickinson’s foundry where his father and both his brothers were employed.
His father then started a cotton waste business on his own account - it was located in a room on Clayton Street. Later he built the Johnston Street Waste Works, then he purchased Oxford Mill and started the business of engine waste manufacturer with the three sons being taken into partnership. When William senior retired, James and his brother William took over the business - the two brothers also had two cotton mills one in Chadwick Street, Blackburn and Kem Mills Whittle-le-woods. James was to become Chairman of Messrs. Dickinson and Sons, and also Messrs Willan and Mills’s Loom makers.
His wife was Mary Jane Kay, nee Parkinson, who was born in 1857- she was the daughter of T. R. Parkinson. James and Jane were married at Chapel Street congregational Church on the 8th of April 1880 were one of the first couples to be married in the new church. They had three children, all girls; Florence Parkinson, born 1882, Hilda, born 1884, and Ethel Brindle born 1891.
On the occasion of their Golden wedding in April 1930, they distributed £3,000 to various charities, £2,000 of which was an endowment for two beds at the Royal Infirmary.
The family were Congregationalist and attended Chapel Street Church, Living at 76, Preston New Road before moving to Heathfield, on Meins Road, Blackburn. James was a governor at Blackburn Grammar School, a manager of the Savings Bank for 25 years, a Commissioner of taxes also for 25 years and a former chairman of Blackburn Liberal Party. He enjoyed shooting, playing golf and was fond of music. He had been, at one time, a mentor of the old St. Cecilia Society.
James was first elected a Liberal councillor to St. Paul’s ward in 1889, serving three years. In 1904 he was re-elected for St. Paul’s ward resigning in 1915 and in October of that same year he was made an Alderman. He was made a J.P. for Blackburn in December 1900 and also held the same post for the county. In 1903 he entertained Lloyd George at his home when he visited the town to speak at a Liberal demonstration.
In 1904 he was unanimously elected the Mayor of Blackburn and as Mayor in September 1905, he entertained Princess Louise the Duchess of Argyll when she came to Blackburn to unveil the statue of her mother Queen Victoria on the Boulevard. In 1910 he was the deputy mayor and in May proclaimed George V the King.
The work which gave him the most pleasure right up to the end of his life was to do with the Royal Infirmary and for 40 years he was a member of the Board of Management - 23 years of which he held the office of chairman. In 1935 a ward at Blackburn Royal Infirmary was opened by Mrs. Yerburgh and named The “James Kay ward” He offered his house, Heathfield to be used after his death as a convalescent home for patients who had been treated at the Infirmary however it is not clear whether this actually happened. Heathfield did become a private catholic school for young children.
His wife died on Monday 13th January 1936 at their home, Heathfield, Meins Road Blackburn aged 77. A stained glass window to the memory of his wife was unveiled at Chapel Street Congregational church in July 1936 by James. He died on Monday 21st May 1945 aged 93 at his home Heathfield, Meins Road.
Janet Burke
As I write, the question of town-planning is again very to the fore, and in this connection it is interesting to recall that a select committee of Blackburn town council proposed to sell the town hall. This was in furtherance of a scheme advocated by that forthright old Blackburnian Luke Slater Walmsley, writing under the pen-name of "Civicus." proposed, on the area bounded by King William-street, Northgate and Town Hall-street, to erect a new town hall, public hall and municipal offices, and in 1899 he went so far as to produce number of imposing architectural drawings showing the prop edifice, surmounted by a massive gothic tower, presenting a pinnacled facade towards Northgate.
It is now a matter of history how negotiations for the dispel of the present civic headquarters to the government as a General Post Office were begun. The two parties failed to reach a went, however, and subsequently the Darwen-street site was chosen by the postal authorities. Thus, to use the words of a contemporary chronicler:
" a building which makes no pretensions to architectural beauty erected, without the convenience of the public or the wishes of the corporation being considered at all."
This somewhat high-handed government action had a startling sequal. When the new G.P.O. was ready for opening, intimation was given that Mr. Sidney Buxton, the Postman General, was willing, if asked, to perform the opening ceremony. But he had reckoned without Blackburn's leading citizen. His worship the mayor, Alderman F. T. Thomas, firmly declined to offer any such invitation or to take part in the proceedings, which consequently were of a very perfunctory nature.
Born at Oxford, Mr. Thomas joined his father in the business of a cabinet-maker, which the latter established in the market place, when he came to Blackburn in 1861. Eventually his son suceeded him and carried on the business for over 20 years. He entered public life at a time when most men would prefer to shake off the burden of office, being sixty years of age when he took his seat as mayor in 1905. Energetic and businesslike, during his six years tenure of the mayoral chair he established several records. Besides being the only citizen ever to hold the office so long, a precedent was created by electing him as mayor before he had ever been on council, and then making him an alderman. He also had distinction of being nominated in his absence, owing to illness and he actually took the oath in his own home.
The Blakey Moor controversy was then at its acutest, and there were strong differences of opinion within the council, which only a firm and impartial chairman could control. When the late General Booth visited the town in July, 1907, the question of giving him a civic welcome was mooted. Apprehending that this would cause critical comment, Mr. Thomas steadfastly refused to yield to pressure and insisted that the visit would have to be purely a private ceremony. The affair created quite a sensation, and the mayor received many letters of congratulations on the stand he made.
As Blackburn's leading citizen, he attended the coronation when King George was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1911.
Mr. Thomas died in October, 1913, aged 68.
by George C. Miller
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Samuel Crossley was a self-made man, who was admitted as a solicitor in 1884 and chose to practice in his native town. Whilst still a young lawyer he achieved considerable fame in connection with the dreadful gas explosion at the Crown Hotel in 1891, when he was called upon to defend the two brothers Robinson whose alleged culpable negligence was said to be the cause of the catastrophe. His magnificent pleading and the way in which he had prepared his case won the admiration of all, and had he desired, he could have been included among the leading advocates of that day. If, however, his renunciation deprived the bar of a brilliant member, it gained for the borough bench of magistrates a judical mind.
On the town council his first appointment was as a member of the Free Library Committee, of which he was made chairman in 1894. He was elected alderman in 1907, and held two periods in office as mayor, from 1911 to 1913.
"All he has done during his mayoralty (writes a contemporary), is stamped with thoroughness. Like Kingsley he takes extraordinary pains to be accurate in detail, and thus in the public ceremonials, for which he is responsible, leaves nothing to chance. The success of Lord Morley's visit was due in large measure to this characteristic. The proceedings m the Town Hall (where Lord Money was presented with the freedom of the borough), worked with the precision of the stage, and his worship's references to his lordship were in book-like phrase, giving the just estimate of the visitor in the world of letters and to statesmanship without the fulsome word. The same perfection of arrangement was seen also at the opening of the Sessions house."
Alderman Crossley was a Conservative and did yeoman service for his party but, although trenchant in speech, he was always scrupulously fair to his opponents. His leader, Alderman William Thompson, had many admirable qualities but he was no speaker. Nevertheless, there were times when a set speech was an absolute necessity in defence of the policy of the dominant party, and on such occasions Mr. Crossley was indeed a friend in need. It is the business of a lawyer to talk, and he could speak both well and to some purpose whenever the need arose.
Among other offices he held that of governor of the Grammar School and of the Asylums Board, as well as a member of the local committee of the Navy League formed in February, 1908.
A bachelor, Mr. Crossley died on October 31st, 1915.
By George C. Miller
The son of a soldier, Major John Higginson will long be remembered in Blackburn for his association with local music, for he was one of the founders of the Meistersingers and took part in several of their operas. In addition, he joined the St. Cecilia Society in 1882, was a member of the Parish Church choir and in June, 1893, was appointed local representative of the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music.
He was born in County Waterford, Ireland, in 1850, and choosing law for a profession, served his articles in Barrow-in-Furness, being admitted a solicitor in 1880. Two years later he came to Blackburn as managing clerk for Messrs. T. and R. C. Radcliffe, of which firm he became a partner in 1890. A lieutenant in the 3rd Lancashire Artillery Volunteers (later to become the 1st East Lancashire Brigade, R.F.A., T.F.), by the time of his resignation in 1907 he had reached the rank of honorary major.
Major Higginson entered the town council as representative of St. Silas' Ward in 1898, serving in that capacity until 1913, when he was elevated to the aldermanic bench. In 1910 he was made chairman of the Finance Committee, and in 1914 as mayor he presided over the last council meeting to be held in the old council chamber in the Town Hall. One of the highlights of his period in office was a children's fancy dress ball.
He died on July 14th, 1924.
By George C. Miller
William Thompson was born on January 4th 1834, the third son of Richard Thompson, Esq., of Wellington Street St. John. William’s father was a builder and contractor who constructed the Manchester Waterworks at Woodhead and supervised the building of the Blackburn Daisyfield railway tunnel, as well as erecting a number of cotton mills in Blackburn.
He was educated at an establishment run by George Edmondson and when it removed to Preston, William also went there. He finished his education under the same tutor at Queenwood College, Hampshire. On finishing his education he served an apprenticeship as a chemist until 1856, when he left to work for his father, who at this time was occupied in building the Glasgow Waterworks. Later he went into partnership with his brother, Richard Thompson of Whalley as a cotton manufacturer. They had mills located in Padiham, Blackburn and Great Harwood. He built Park Bridge Mill, Grimshaw Park, in 1878-79 which was nicknamed “Heaven’s gate” due to its proximity to Christ Church.
On the 4th of December 1878 when William was 44, he married, at St. Paul’s church, Clara Roylance a 32 year old widow, the daughter of John Charles Forest. They had no children and lived on Wellington Street before moving finally to East Park Road. Clara, in later years was an invalid, but was heavily involved with St. Peter’s church and took a great interest in the sewing classes held there. William had been christened at St. Peter’s and kept a life- long interest in this church. He was fond of bowling and was a member at Blackburn Subscription Bowling Club on Shear Bank Road.
Politically William was a Conservative and his political life took off in 1880 when in November of that year he was made an Alderman in place of John Pickop - without being elected as a councillor. His elder brother James was a councillor who was elected an Alderman in 1866 and during the early 1860’s was leader of the local Conservative party, a role which William took on later in his political life. In his obituary the Blackburn Times say’s of him; “He never bore ill will and political feuds never interfered with personal friendships. He had a keen eye and a caustic tongue for the weakness of friend and foe alike.” For twenty years he served as the chairman of the Gas Committee, he also served on the tramways and electricity committees. William was once described as “the only dictator Blackburn ever had ” and to cross swords with him was dangerous as the opponent was often crushed. However, although an autocrat, his judgement was respected and he kept the friendship of even his fiercest opponent.
William was known as “The Mayor Maker” but would not accept the offer of taking up that position himself. It was not until 1914 when he was 81 years old that he finally accepted the Mayoralty. Again in 1917 on the death of the then Mayor Alfred Nuttall in August, William took on the office. He was also the deputy Mayor throughout the Mayoralty of Lawrence Cotton.
For his 80th birthday he was presented with a portrait in oils of himself, painted by Frank T. Copnall, of Liverpool and Sir W. H. Hornby Junior made the presentation. In 1906, when he retired from the party leadership he was presented with a canteen of silver cutlery and his wife was given a gold and diamond He finally retired from business altogether in 1909.
William died at his home, Rockwood, East Park-road on February 17th 1928 aged 93. He was interred in Blackburn Cemetery on Whalley New Road.
Janet Burke
Alfred Nuttall was born on the 28th of May 1863 to Ellis and Ellen – he was the eldest child and had three younger sisters. Ellis Nuttall was a draper in linen and wool, running an old established firm called Dickson and Nuttall which was situated on Church St. where they also lived. On the 1891 census report it also states that Ellis is a farmer. When the Thwaites Arcade was built Dickson and Nuttall moved to King William St.
Alfred was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School and later became one of the Governors. He started his working life as an apprentice draper in the family firm. Alfred married Sarah Troop in 1888 at the Parish Church and in 1891 at the age of twenty seven Alfred had become a draper and was now living on Dukes Brow. His parents had both died and his sisters Ann and Amy were living with the family which now included his young son Ellis, four months old.
Alfred must have had a good head for business for he speculated on some property in Little Harwood which included a brewery. The property was probably reasonably priced as it had come onto the market as a result of something called the “Whalley Frauds" The brewery had been failing but Alfred re-named it Lion Brewery and invested capital in the company, this proved to be a shrewd move and the business prospered. Shortly after in 1901 he bought for a figure said to be £200,000, Spring Vale Brewery in Darwen with 65 tied houses. He closed the Darwen brewery and invested a further £10,000 in the Lion Brewery to keep up with demand. Eventually the brewery became a limited company with Alfred a director. He was now living in a substantial property called Northwood on Billinge End Rd. Mr. Nuttall always upheld the legitimacy of the licensed trade as would be expected of the proprietor of a brewery and on one occasion at least, entered into the ranks of the controversialists. The passage of the Conservative Licensing Bill of 1904 sparked some heated correspondence for several weeks but Sir Robert Peel was not able to accept an invitation to attend a public meeting in Blackburn and Mr. Nuttall did not enter into a public debate.
Just before the acquisition of the Darwen brewery Mr. Nuttall managed to purchase land in Blackburn town centre known as the Exchange block of buildings. The cost was said to be £20,000 and having engaged an architect he proposed a big improvement scheme featuring a grand shopping arcade. For whatever reason this did not happen although the old Exchange was opened as a theatre of varieties but had limited success. In spite of this Alfred wanted Blackburn to be the premier shopping centre of East Lancashire and put forward to the Highway Committee of the Town Council a bold and comprehensive scheme to provide a series of wide and interlinked thoroughfares on the outskirts of the borough which would give facilities for inter-town road traffic without the need to come near the shopping centre. How far this would have gone is impossible to say as the outbreak of war stopped all public expenditure for some years to come. Surprisingly a similar scheme has now been adopted some ninety years later which demonstrates the foresight of this man, Alfred Nuttall.
Alfred Nuttall's public life began in 1893 when he was elected to the Town Council for St. Stephen's Ward. The election of 1896, three years later was memorable as the voting was tied and according to procedure the current mayor, Alderman R. T. Eastwood cast his vote in favour of Alfred. He retired after his second term but came back as a councillor for St. Michael's Ward in a by-election but was defeated after five years. Alfred was finally chosen to represent St. Silas' Ward which he held as long as he remained an elected member of the council. After the death of Alderman F. T. Thomas, Alfred was elected to fill the vacancy on the Aldermanic Bench. He was a very active member of the dominant party, the Conservatives, and placed on several of the most important corporation committees. He was Vice Chairman of the Highways, Health, Electricity and Tramways Committees and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, also, at the time of his death he was Chairman of the Gas Committee. The latter was in a very difficult position and Alfred was thought to be capable of putting this department on a firm footing being elected Chairman in November 1914. There had been problems for some time and on New Year's Eve the workers came out on strike. This dispute went on for seven weeks and Alfred as Leader of the Conservative Party was held responsible for the strike policy of the Town Council. They were determined not to give in to the strikers and imported free labour - Alfred was blamed for this. Feelings were so high that on two occasions demonstrators marched up Preston New Rd threatening vengeance. This type of action had not happened in Blackburn since the historic cotton riots of 1878 when Colonel Raynford Jackson's house was burnt down; fortunately the police were able to keep the demonstrators from Mr. Nuttall's house. In order to settle the strike the Town Council re-organised the apparently appalling state of affairs of the gasworks and Alfred was elected as Chairman. A scheme was planned which would have put Blackburn in the forefront of municipalities who owned their own gasworks but this required expenditure of some £85,000 and a loan from the Board of Trade was applied for. Although it appeared that this loan would be looked on favourably, the Treasury eventually refused and a good scheme was then not possible.
Mr. Nuttall had been made the Leader of the Conservative Party in 1911 but had not sought this, preferring to be a member of the executive. He also had no wish to represent the town in parliament. It was a difficult time as the party was divided on the subject of fiscal reform. Alfred took firm control re-organising as best he could so that they were ready for the next general election and also was able to bring Sir W. H. Hornby back on to the Advisory Committee. What would have happened had the war not intervened and a truce in party politics declared could only be a matter for conjecture. Alfred was now Chairman of the Central Conservative Club and a representative for Blackburn on the Central Council of the Lancashire Division of the National Union of Conservative Associations.
When war broke out in August 1914, Alfred was one of the original members of the War Relief Committee. Together with Colonel W. Sandeman of Church they scoured the areas around Blackburn in search of horses for the army - in the first fortnight more than 500 were brought in with about 50 wagons and motor lorries. Alfred was also part of the recruiting campaign and became chairman of the Military Tribunal. This was not a pleasant task and he admitted this however he was always conscientious in making his decisions
Mr. Nuttall was elected as Mayor in November 1915 following Alderman William Thompson and was also able to accept the office of Chief Magistrate in spite of his being the Leader of the Conservative Party. The truce between the parties allowed him to be considered neutral and relinquish temporarily the Tory Leadership. This was not unanimously accepted and three labour councillors opposed his election on temperance and trade union grounds. Their objections were easily defeated. At his re-election twelve months later the decision was unanimous and cordially agreed – the Council paying tribute to the excellent way he had carried out his duties. The Mayor and Mayoress were thanked for their time, effort and generosity. In 1915, as first citizen of Blackburn, Alfred Nuttall was followed to the Parish Church by his two sons, both officers in the British Army. The elder son Captain Ellis Nuttall was invalided home but the younger, his namesake Lieutenant Alfred Nuttall would soon be mourned when he died on service in Egypt. Ellis a MA from Oxford became a barrister. The elder daughter Kathleen trained at Guy's Hospital and became a nurse – her fiancé Mr. A. Morton Fyffe, a gas engineer was also killed in the war.
Alfred and his wife were very active in their civic duties and also fundraising. The new public halls on Northgate were the venue for two “at homes" in the first month of their first year of office – Alfred felt this was a good way of introducing himself and his wife and also the new halls, everyone was welcome. It was a great success as 2,300 people came and viewed the halls and enjoyed the hospitality of the Mayor and Mayoress. The Mayor's diary was full and he worked tirelessly for the war effort and the town. An organ was needed to complete the new halls and Alfred had made provision in his will for £3,000 to be given for this. It was to be a permanent memorial to the Blackburn men who had died in the war – Alfred's youngest son being one of these.
In his personal life Alfred was a great lover of horses and had a stud farm at Billington where he was a most successful breeder particularly with shire and hackney horses. His horses won prizes at some of the most noted shows and in 1913 he was President of Great Harwood Agricultural Show. He and other gentlemen invited the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society to Witton Park in 1915 and this proved to be the most successful event in their history. Alfred was a director of Messrs R. And T. Clayton, cotton manufacturers of Rishton, a director of the Blackburn and District Incorporated Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Management of the Blackburn and East Lancashire Royal Infirmary, a Manager of the Blackburn Savings Bank, a Governor of the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, a manager of St. Stephen's C.E. School and a trustee of the church, President of the Blackburn Property Owners Association and a borough magistrate being placed on the commission of the Peace in July 1902.
Alfred and his wife loved to travel and had visited most countries. They had been round the world four times, each trip taking about twelve months – the first one being in 1889/90. He was impressed by the advances made by the Germans with regard to business in our colonies and other parts of the world and felt that England could suffer from such keen competition unless they applied themselves. Pre-war Alfred many times entertained the old folk of Blackburn at Christmas and although it was his business, would never allow alcoholic drinks. Alfred had a rather abrupt manner which concealed a generous nature; his workpeople would sadly miss him as a very considerate employer. On the visit of the King and Queen in July 1913 Mr. and Mrs. Nuttall had the honour of being presented to them – Alfred also lent two gilt chairs, once the property of Louis Philippe of France for their Majesties but their visit was so brief they did not sit down!
Alfred Nuttall had been ill for some time and had gone to a nursing home in Harrogate where he became seriously ill. The news of his death was received with great sadness - flags were at half mast on numerous buildings. The Mayoress and her two daughters were with him at the end – his son Captain Ellis Nuttall on active service in France was unable to reach England in time. Alfred was the second Chief Magistrate of Blackburn to die whilst in office, the other being Mr. Walter Farnworth in 1903. So many people expressed their sympathy to the Mayoress and her family as Alfred had been greatly admired and appreciated throughout all sections of the town. Alfred Nuttall in his rather short life was the perfect example of an energetic and very successful man who shared his good fortune with the town and its people.
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Although it was the old Blackburn Olympic Football Team, formed in January, 1878, some three years after the Blackburn Rovers came into existence, that first brought the Football Association Challenge Cup to the provinces, on no fewer than six occasions has the name of the latter been engraved upon it as a token of victory. The club was formed as the result of a meeting of two old boys of Blackburn Grammar School, John Lewis and Arthur Constantine in 1874, and their first ground was at Oozehead, near St. Silas' School. In 1877 they moved to Alexandra Meadows and ultimately, in 1891, to Ewood Park.
"The Olympic Team (writes their historian) was composed mainly of working men who had banded together as a kind of opposition to the Rovers, who were regarded as the gentleman's club. They defeated Old Etonians in the 1883 Final by 2-1, and in the next three successive seasons the Rovers repeated their performance, defeating Queen's Park twice and West Bromwich Albion. In the 1890 Final under the captaincy of Johnnie Forbes, the Rovers ran riot and defeated Sheffield Wednesday by 6-1 and in the following year the cup came to Blackburn again when the Rovers defeated Notts County by 3-1 at the Oval. The town had then to wait 37 years before it saw the F.A. Cup carried through its streets again and on this occasion in 1928, led by a Blackburn-born captain, Harry Healless, the Rovers won the first Wembley Final by defeating Huddersfield Town 3-1.
In 1891 Lawrence Cotton was appointed to the committee of the Blackburn Rovers and during his thirty years of active association this keen sportsman became successively director, chairman and president, in which several capacities he did much to further the interests of the team.
The son of John Cotton, he was educated at Blackburn Grammar School, entering the cotton trade in 1875. He commenced in business on his own account as a partner of the firm of L. and C. Cotton Ltd., Armenia Mill, and by 1899 the undertaking had also taken over Lower Hollin Bank Mill. He had a thorough knowledge of the trade and was for many years a large employer of labour in the town. In 1917 he accepted the invitation to become the borough's chief magistrate and for the ceremonial mayoral visit to the Parish Church in November the procession was the longest on record, a striking tribute to his popularity.
Generous to a degree, the objects of his bounty included Blackburn and East Lancashire Royal Infirmary, of which he was a life governor; Workshops of the Blind; Crippled Children's Home; Deaf and Dumb Society: Bent-street Ragged School; Wilpshire Orphanage; All Saints' Ragged School and Blackburn Convalescent Home at St. Annes. As one who spent a month in the latter recuperating from a serious illness, I can speak with feeling as to the admirable organisation and administration to which so many owe the recovery of health and well-being in that bracing resort.
Mr. Cotton supported the adoption by Blackburn of the ruined villages of Peronne and Maricourt after the first world war and wounded and disabled servicemen found him a generous friend. One outstanding incident in his term of office as mayor was when he auctioned a bale of cotton in the town hall for a sum of no less than £1,544. He was a churchman and had a long association with Christ Church, being at the age of nine a member of the junior Band of Hope, as well as a chorister.
By George C. Miller
Joseph Fielding
Mayor of Blackburn 1921-1922
(c) The Blackburn Times
Joseph was born on the 9th of October 1858 to Robert aged 24, a stonemason, and Elizabeth who was 21 years old. The family lived on Havelock Street and had two other sons; William a year older and Thomas a year younger. Sadly, Thomas died, aged only one, and Elizabeth died in June 1865, aged 28. Shortly afterwards, in 1866, Robert married again to Jane. In 1871, they lived at 4, Ciceley Street and Robert had become a Pawnbroker employing two men and two boys. At this point in time Joseph was employed as an apprentice stonemason. Ten years later the family were living at a pawnbroker’s shop 79-81, Riley Street; Robert had died and Joseph was now a Pawnbroker employing one boy. On the 6th of September 1881, aged 23, Joseph married Martha Ann Brooks, aged 25, and, by 1891, they were living at 1, Burlington Street with two sons Robert Randal and Frederick Cecil. The next census of 1901 records the family living at 42, Adelaide Terrace and have another son also called Joseph.
Joseph from an early age had first worked in a cotton mill, then become an apprentice stonemason before becoming a Pawnbroker. In those days many poor people had no way to borrow money and relied on pawning their belongings to get by and it was a lucrative business. It was reported in the Blackburn Times of the 14th May 1921 that he acquired several shops in Blackburn, Darwen, Preston and Blackpool including the store Neville’s on Darwen Street, Blackburn. He was the President of Blackburn Pawnbrokers Association for twenty five years, an old member of Blackburn Chamber of Trade and keen on the welfare of businessmen and assistants. Joseph was a prominent Freemason having been a past master of two lodges, honoured in East Lancashire, a member of the Royal Arch Chapter and the Knights Templar Preceptory, a member of the Greenbank Lodge of Oddfellows and he served on the Board of management of the Royal Cross School for the Deaf, Preston. He was also on the honorary board of Blackburn Savings Bank.
Joseph was a staunch Conservative, and, in 1899, became the representative for St. Stephen’s Ward. He was defeated at the next election but stood again and won. However, he lost his seat again and then put up in St. Mark's Ward which he represented from 1908 until 1914 when he was elected an Alderman. Joseph held many positions; he had been Vice-chairman of the Cleansing Committee on two occasions, Chairman of the Highways Committee - the largest spending department of the Corporation, and, after relinquishing that post he became Chairman of the Health Committee, Housing Committee, Unemployment Committee, Blind Persons Act Committee and Publicity Committee as well as being a member of several other committees. He was also a Borough Magistrate from 1917. Joseph had resisted many invitations to become the Mayor until 1921 when Lawrence Cotton, the Mayor at that time, died whilst in office. Joseph became the first Chief Magistrate to occupy the chair in the new Council Chamber. During his mayoralty Joseph’s distinguished service to the devastated towns of Peronne and Maricourt which were adopted by Blackburn after the war was recognised by the French Government who conferred upon him a Knighthood of the French Legion of Honour.
Joseph was forthright in all he did and a former Medical Officer of Health for Blackburn said Joseph had stated that “we appoint in Blackburn the best officials we can get. We leave it to them to run their departments, and if they don’t do it properly we sack them”. He worked closely with Sir Lewis Beard, one of the greatest Town Clerks this country has ever known and together they brought Blackburn to the forefront of British Municipalities. Joseph was a kindly man but no orator; his shrewd common sense was more than sufficient to win conviction. He was a great supporter of the maternity and child welfare movement and the Springfield Maternity Home was established during his chairmanship of the Public Health Committee. The efficiency of the Blackburn Public Health Department was a fitting tribute to his many years of active membership of the Town Council.
Martha, Joseph’s wife died in 1929, their two sons, Robert and Frederick, were involved in the family business. Joseph had retired from the Council after twenty nine years of service and was still active in his business. He died in October 1940, shortly after his eighty second birthday, The funeral took place in Lytham St. Anne’s where he had lived for some time and there were many representatives from the Council and the organisations to which he belonged.
Compiled by Janet Burke, June 2020 with reference to the newspaper obituaries held in Blackburn Library.
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Born in Dundee, James Taylor Thomas Ramsey began work before he was ten years of age and many years of toil in the weaving shed, the mechanic's shop and the newspaper office lay between him and his goal, that of becoming a family doctor. Finally, however, he won a scholarship at Dundee High School and subsequently entered the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh.
When he came to Blackburn in 1881, it was as assistant to Dr. Grime, whose surgery was in Water-street, and who was well-known as the local "Factory doctor," a duty he had inherited from the eccentric Dr. Skaife. At that time all prospective full-timers at the mill had first to be passed as medically fit by "th'owd Doctor," hence his name became a household word.
Here is a contemporary description of Dr. Ramsey as he appeared towards the end of last century. There were few townspeople who did not recognise the short, sturdy, frock-coated and top-hatted figure with the slow, stiff gait. He was a keen observer of men and affairs, often quick with incisive comment. That he was a strict disciplinarian many a defendant in the police court knew and his passion for accuracy and method was exemplified in the same sphere by the certain censure of witnesses who carelessly and wrongly read the oath. A prolific reader, he was never at a loss for an apt quotation. In some respects he was like the late Dr. H, A. Grime, known to a former generation as "Th'owd Doctor."
Dr. Ramsey was first elected as Conservative representative of St. Mark's Ward in 1896, he became alderman in 1908, was mayor in 1922-24 and retired from the Town Council in 1930. Both the Blackburn Scottish Society and the Dickens Fellowship knew him as their first president.
He died in May, 1937, aged 82.
By George C. Miller
James Stanworth was a native of Burnley, he came from a family of five girls and two boys. His parents died when they were quite young. At the age of 22 James started the business of umbrella manufacturing, J. Stanworth & Co. wholesale and retail which launched in Darwen Street, Blackburn in the year 1900. James was a great believer in intensive and persistent press advertising which greatly enhanced his business. In 1912 he was the President of Blackburn Chamber of Trade taking a leading part in the organisation of shopping weeks. He was also Vice-President of Blackburn Chamber of Commerce for three years and elected Chairman in 1918. During this time he represented the Chamber at the British Empire Meeting of the associated Chambers of Commerce in Toronto.
In 1920 he represented St. Mary’s Ward as a Liberal and four years later accepted the office of Mayor serving for two years.
Before entering the Town Council he was a member of the Education Committee and a Borough Magistrate from 1917. During the war he served on the Advisory Committee of the Military Tribunal and was Chairman of the War Savings and War Economy Committee. In connection with this work, two and a half million pounds was raised in Blackburn for the Victory War Loan. He was the Hon. Secretary of the National Service Committee, a former member of the Board of Hon. Trustees and Managers of Blackburn Savings Bank and a founder President of Blackburn Rotary Club.
One of his interests was photography and he was a life member of Blackburn Camera Club. James was also a Freemason and attended St. Georges Presbyterian Church on Preston New Road. He married Emily Howarth in 1891and they had three children – Gertrude, Elsie and Walter. In 1911 the family lived at Fernbank, East Park Road, later they moved to Sherwood, Gorse Road. Emily died in 1934 and James in 1941 aged 72. They were interred in the family grave at Mellor Methodist Church.
Janet Burke
One of the foremost among the men whose industry and enterprise made Blackburn what it is to-day was William Forrest.
He is mentioned in Baines' History of Lancashire, published in 1824, as a calico manufacturer with a house and warehouse at 36, Queen-street, a site now covered by the Sessions House. He was a native of Mellor, and began in business in Blackburn as a "putter-out" in the days of handloom weaving. He married Hannah, daughter of James Pemberton, yeoman, who farmed Pemberton Clough, a holding now occupied by Corporation Park and the Grammar School.
William Forrest was one of the first to recognise that the new parish of St. John was an excellent residential suburb. He built a house in Richmond-terrace (the line of which is marked on Gillies' map as West-street), next door to the present Chamber of Commerce. It is the third from the Northgate end and his initial "F" may still be seen on the head of the downspout. According to Whittle, Richmond-terrace was completed in 1838, and consisted of " twenty respectable dwellings of brick." Here he died in 1841 and was buried in the parish churchyard.
Sir J. W. Forrest was his grandson, the eldest-born of his son John. He was educated at the old Grammar School in Freckleton-street, under Thomas Ainsworth. At that time there were not the facilities for technical education now available, but the Blackburn School of Art and Technical Training (the forerunner of the Technical School) was conducted in rooms belonging to Luke S. Walmsley at Sudell Cross. Sir William was one of the first pupils, his teachers being George Whewell and C. P. Brooks. The latter wrote an excellent textbook on the subject of weaving, of which I possess a treasured copy.
In 1883 Sir William entered his father's business at Albert Mill, where for many years he proved himself a shrewd and farsighted administrator.
"In 1916 (says Shaw) he was chosen leader of the Conservative Party in the borough, both in and out of the council chamber, and he held both offices till 192, when pressure of business caused him to retire from the major post, but not till he had conducted the town through three strenuous parliamentary elections. Next to finance and the interests of the party, he has exerted himself in the cause of education, having been chairman of the Education Committee from 1919 to the present day (1931). In 1916 he became chairman of the War Pensions Committee, on its formation and it was for his war work, as a financier and organiser, that he was awarded the O.B.E. in 1920. This distinction was followed by a greater one when he was knighted in 1925. . . He had married in 1898, Alice Dugdale, daughter of William Carr and granddaughter of John Carr, who built Garden-street Mill. She gets her second name from her maternal grandfather, John Dugdale, the iron-founder."
Among other positions he was governor of the Grammar School, Girls' High School and Convent of Notre Dame, and a trustee under the Peel and Leyland foundations. His portrait, painted by a Blackburn artist, Thomas Cantrell Dugdale, A.R.A., was unveiled at the Grammar School and presented to him by his fellow-governors on April 17th, 1941. It was afterwards hung in "big school."
He died on May 6th, 1951, aged 84, and his tombstone is among those which were removed from the Cathedral Close when it was converted into a Garden of Rest and are now carefully preserved in the transepts.
By George C. Miller
An ex-mayor of his native town, an industrial and political leader, church worker, musical enthusiast and sportsman, these are some of the attributes of John A. Ormerod, only son of Benjamin Ormerod, who was born at Blackburn in 1863. A Liberal of the old school, he succeeded the late Sir Edwin Hamer as president of the Blackburn Liberal Association in 1816, holding the office for a quarter of a century. His father was a radical and took him to a husting on the Wrangling in 1876, where he received his political baptism of fire, for the proceedings ended in a riot and cavalry from Preston had to quell the disorder.
As a boy of nine he went to work for the firm of John Dugdale and Sons, but three years later left the mill to go to school, his father realising that he had a son of no mean capacity, and entitled to the best education the family budget could afford. For five years he attended Dr. Isherwood's school of science, thereafter returning to factory life, his father being manager of Dugdale's Cherry Tree Mills. When the latter retired in 1892 he was succeeded by his son, who later became managing director of all the firm's interests.
He entered the town council in 1921 for St. Silas' Ward and was mayor of the borough from 1927 to 1929. In his first year of office he had the satisfaction of seeing Blackburn Rovers win the F.A. Cup at Wembley, sitting with the present Queen Mother, then Duchess of York, in the Royal box. A Presbyterian, he was associated first with Mount-street and later with St. George's Churches, having the distinction in 1926 of attending the historic conference at Oxford to discuss the question of the federation of the Free Churches. The formation of the Blackburn Amateur Operatic Society, later merged with the Meister Singers, was one of his earlier exploits.
"One feature of his early life (says J. G. Shaw), may be recalled, for all musical men in Blackburn who are old enough will remember how he organised an amateur performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's - Patience' at the age of 21, himself taking one of the leading parts."
He was also a member of the Vocal Union and was never tired of urging that Blackburn should have a Little Theatre of its own, for the benefit of amateurs.
Mr. Ormerod died at his home, North Bank, Wellingtonstreet St. John's, in April, 1947, aged 83.
By George C. Miller
Luke was born in April 1873; the son of William and Ellen and he had two sisters and six brothers. William was a loom fitter and Ellen worked as a "drawer in". They lived in the Union Building in 1881, and, by 1901, they were at 56, Peter Street. Luke was a weaver at Brookhouse Mill, said to be one of the most famous textile sites in Blackburn, established in 1828, by Hornby and Birley, calico merchants and manufacturers of Clayton Street. On the 1911 census Luke is 37, still living at home, and described as the assistant secretary of the Weavers Association. He married Sarah Howarth that same year, and, on the 17th May, 1915, a son, Fred, was born. Sarah died two years later and Luke remarried in July 1918 to a Sarah Parkinson. They also had a son, Harold, born in April 1919.
It was at an early age that Luke had joined the Weavers Association. He was the mill representative and served on a committee to revise the society's rules - for two terms he was elected vice-president and only resigned to take up the position of Collector. In 1907, he was appointed secretary - a position he held for 30 years. From May 1913, he was a member of the Central Committee of the Weaver's Amalgamation, on the Legislative Council of the United Textile Factory Workers Association, and, from 1918, Secretary of the Northern Counties Textile Federation. He was also a former President of Blackburn Textile Society, secretary of Blackburn Labour Party and editor of the Labour Journal.
Luke entered the Town Council in 1914 as the representative for St. Matthew's Ward, and, in 1939, was elected as one of the first new Labour Aldermen. He and his wife were presented to the King and Queen when they visited Blackburn in May 1938. As an illustration of the high regard in which he was held, he was retained as a member of the Aldermanic Bench when other members of his party were deposed on the return of a Conservative Council.
He was Chief Magistrate and a County Magistrate serving on the Magistrate's Advisory Committee and he was the first member of the Labour Party to be elected to the Mayoralty. Luke had risen to a commanding position not only within the Trade Union Movement but also in the civic life of Blackburn. He had been awarded the OBE for services to the Assistant Board being Chairman of the Blackburn and District Advisory Committee. He was recognised for his hard work, being a skilful organiser, an expert negotiator and a fluent speaker.
Additionally, Luke was on the Board of Management of the Royal Infirmary, on the Executive of the Charity Organisation Society in connection with the convalescent home at St. Annes and a Governor of Blackburn Grammar School.
Sarah, his wife, had been on the committee of the Blackburn Weaver's Association before their marriage and a teacher at the Ragged School. During the war she had been a member of the Food Committee and also a Committee whose purpose was to find employment for girls. Sarah had taken a keen interest in the Co-operative Women's Guild and the women's section of the Labour Party.
Luke aged 69, died suddenly from a heart attack at his home on Heyes Lane, Blackburn, Sarah lived to be 82 dying in 1960.
Compiled by Janet Burke, Community History Volunteer, August 2020
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Mayor of Blackburn 1931-33
William was born on the 30th of April 1864 to William and Jane Kenyon, he had five sisters and two brothers. Like most children of the time he went to work as a weaver in the cotton industry. Being keen to improve himself he learnt shorthand, before becoming a shorthand clerk and teacher, later he became a freelance journalist and then the manager of a skating rink. After this he managed a comedy theatre at Manchester and spent some nine years working in Grimsby at a billposting company. Returning to Blackburn in 1899, he became the manager, of Blackburn and District Billposting Company Limited, located on Dandy Walk, he was later made secretary and then the managing director. For eight years William was the lessee of the old Exchange Hall and brought the Carl Ross Opera Company to the town. This almost turned into a disaster but matters improved and the Company came for three consecutive years, 1904 to 1906. He had a keen interest in theatre and was the manager of the Theatre Royal from 1914 to 19616. For thirty years he was actively associated with the Chamber of Trade, he was the Secretary, and then its President for two years.
William married Elizabeth Ellen Hargreaves on the 31st of May 1884 at St. Thomas's, at that time they both lived at separate houses on Monk Street. They had three children - a daughter, called Elizabeth Ellen and two sons William and Harry.
William was a regular attender at Ewood Park and Alexandra Meadows and was the Vice-president of Blackburn Subscription Bowling Club. He became a member of the Oddfellows Society in 1886 and joined the Freemasons in 1902. He was a chorister at St. John's Church and also the Parish Church. In 1934 William and Elizabeth celebrated their golden wedding.
In 1904 William was returned as a Conservative Councillor for St. Mary's Ward and served for thirty six years, including twenty years as an Alderman; he was second only to Alderman Greaves in length of service. He was elected to the office Mayor and Chief Magistrate in 1931. His first mayoral was so successful he was unanimously asked to serve another year. During his term there were 18,000 people out of work and he did his utmost to lighten their burden. As Mayor he received many letters from lonely bachelors for wives and elderly spinsters for husbands but he declined to be converted into a matrimonial agency. Whilst he was on the Highways Committee the arterial road was built at a cost of £170,000. In May 1938 he was presented to King George VI on his visit to Lancashire. William decided in 1940, it was time for a more active man to take his place and thus retired; unfortunately he died on the 29th of October 1941 aged 77, not long after his retirement. He was interred at St. Mary's Church, Mellor, after a service at St. Johns.
Janet Burke
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Charles born on the 28th. of April 1875 was the son of Thomas and Margery and had an older brother Walter. His father Thomas was born in Alston near Longridge and had come to Blackburn to work for his uncle, a chemist and druggist on King William street. Thomas opened his own business in 1865 and Charles joined the family firm. He completed his schooling at Mount St. Mary's College, Chesterfield and then became apprenticed to his father. Charles continued his studies at Blackburn Technical School and was awarded a silver medal, he also won prizes in analytical chemistry. At Manchester College of Pharmacy he passed the minor examination in 1896 and the major in January 1897. Charles elected the secretary of the North-East Lancashire Chemists Association in 1893 and was later appointed President on two different occasions. He was also Treasurer for some years of the North Western Federation of Pharmacutical Associations. On September the 12th.1900 he married Ellen Buckle at Stourton Castle, West Yorkshire and in 1901 they lived on Azalea Road in Blackburn. By 1911 they had moved to Adelaide Terrace and had two children, Francis George aged 9 and Dorothy Mary aged 7 - another son Wilfred George was born that same year.
Charles was elected to the town council in 1919 representing St. John's Ward, his father Thomas had also been a town councillor but had represented St. Peter's Ward. Charles played a large and varied role in the life of the town and in 1933 was appointed the first Roman Catholic Mayor of Blackburn. Charles presided at the meeting when Lord Derby launched the appeal for the Blackburn Cathedral Fund, he welcomed visiters to the Methodist Synod and attended functions in the schools of various denominations. During his office there was the visit of Princess Helene Victoria, the King George V Jubilee celebrations and the admission to the freedom of the borough of Mrs Yerburgh. Charles had an unbroken record of 31 years on the council and was elected an Alderman in 1933.
Charles was a keen motorist and he and his wife covered many miles not only in Europe but also in Canada and the United States. He was chairman of the Lancashire Automobile Club and then President. Charles and Ellen celebrated their golden wedding in 1950 but Ellen died in 1956. Charles lived to be over 91 years old dying in December 1966. Probate was granted to Francis George Critchley, his eldest son also a chemist, and the proceeds were £165,024.
Janet Burke
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William was born on the 17th of May 1864 to Thomas, a tea-dealer, and his wife Mary Ann. He had one sister and three brothers. In 1871 the family lived at 11, Inkerman Street. At the next census they are living on Oswald Street. On the 23rd of September 1886 William married Sarah Wilson. William was first described as a grocer's assistant then a tea-dealer's assistant and lived at 158, Dukes Brow. By the time he was 46 years old he was a wholesale tea and coffee dealer with eight children still living on Dukes Brow but at a house called Cliff Mount. In 1939 William and Sarah lived on Meins Road at a house called Netherton.
William, when elected to the office of Mayor, was not a member of the town council but it was unanimously agreed that his name should be put forward by the Liberal Party. William had served as a member of the Blackburn Liberal Executive for over 40 years. He had on two occasions stood in the council elections but had not been successful. In December 1936 he was elected a member of the board of management of the Royal Infirmary. He was the Hon Trustee and Manager of Blackburn Savings Bank and a member of the Savings Committee. He identified with Chapel Street Congregational Church and later was associated with Leamington Road Baptist Church being Chairman of the Finance Committee for thirty years and Superintendent of the Sunday school for six years.
In his year of office, William and Sarah celebrated their Golden Wedding by entertaining the Councillors and Officers at the Town Hall. They also gave a gift of £250 to be divided between the King George Memorial Fund and other local causes. William officiated at an Industrial Exhibition which was opened by Lord Derby and he was also presented to the Duke of Kent on his visit to East Lancashire. As mayor he played a leading part in "Help Lancashire" and his efforts were said to have helped to bring new industry to Lancashire. William also represented Blackburn in Brussels at an International Peace Conference. As well as the successful tea business, William had many other industrial interests - one of which was to be part of a company to erect Sunnyhurst Mill at Darwen where he remained a director for many years.
Sarah supported William and was President of the Women's Liberal Association. She was the Lady President of the bowling section of the East Lancashire Club and a representative on the Employer's Panel (women's section) of Blackburn and District Court of Referees. They sadly lost their son Thomas Harold who was killed in a flying accident in 1917 - he is buried along with his parents at Mellor Methodist Church. The surviving sons helped their father in the tea business on Ainsworth Street, T. Coupe & Co. established in 1876. At the time of William's death he was in his third term as President of the Chamber of Commerce and had been Treasurer of the Liberal Party for ten years. William, aged 77 in 1941, was setting out for work on the Preston New Road tram, when he suffered a serious heart attack. Probate was granted to his two sons, William Wilson Coupe and Harry Wilson Coupe -the proceeds were £42,267 7s. 2d.
Janet Burke
Mayor of Blackburn 1936-37
William was the son of James and Ellen - James was from Derbyshire and had become a well known policeman in Blackburn. Ellen was from Coventry and together they had seven children - William being the eldest. They lived mostly in the Grimshaw Park area of Blackburn and William was educated at Christ Church School. In 1891 the family lived at 26, Oldham Street with William 22 years old working as a weaver. William became an overlooker and in July 1896 married Elizabeth Chatburn. By 1901 they were living on Bolton Road with William described as a fried fish shopkeeper and his youngest brother Percy as an assistant. At the next census William had progressed to being a tea and fancy goods dealer on Whalley Range and he and Elizabeth now had three children, Helen 9, Mabel 6 and William 4. As a young man William identified with the Bible Christian Mission on Barton Street where he was a teacher of the men's class and a preacher for some 20 years. He was also one of the first Band of Hope boys in the movement started by Mrs. Lewis. William joined the Free Masons and was a past master of Perseverance Lodge. At the outbreak of war he was one of the first to join the Athlete Volunteer Force which merged into the 16th. Battalion East Lancashire Volunteer Regiment. He was a drill instructor and took a very active part in the recruiting campaign, At his instigation a Cadet Corps was formed in connection with the East Lancs Regiment and he was gazetted a Major. In 1923 William was presented with a sword in recognition of his services to the battalion.
When William was working in the cotton industry, wages and conditions were of a poor standard in spite of there being regular employment. Both he and Elizabeth were long time supporters of the Labour movement and William had a seat on the executive of the old Trades Council. William, in 1904, was elected a representative of St. Thomas's Ward on the old Blackburn Board of Guardians where he served as leader of the Labour group. That same year he became a councillor for Trinity Ward but was defeated at the conclusion of his first term.William then put up in St. Matthews Ward which he represented from 1908 to 1921. He stayed out of public life until 1928 when he was returned for St. Mary's Ward. Defeated in 1932 he was re-elected in 1934 and altogether had 22 years service as a councillor. On one occasion William stood as the Parliamenary Labour candidate for the Accrington division as the representative of the British Workers League but he was unsuccessful. In 1908 William was appointed one of the first governors of the Girl's High School and also that year was co-opted onto the Public Library Committee. Throughout his career in politics he served on many important bodies and committees and in 1917 he was appointed a member of the Magisterial Bench.
Elizabeth, not only an early member of the Women's Labour Group was also devoted to the Methodist Church. She was President of the Blackburn branch of the Lifeboat Guild and her grandfather and two other family members have their names inscribed on a memorial in Southport to the gallant crew who perished when the ship Mexico was wrecked. During the mayoralty of William, Elizabeth did a great amount of work in connection with the Mayoress's Ladies Committee. Elizabeth died in July 1938 having suffered a seizure some ten days earlier when collecting parcels for the orphanage. William lived to be 86 years old and died in 1955.
Janet Burke
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James was born in October 1881 to Reuben and Bertha. Reuben was a railway inspector. When James was born the family lived in Ormskirk, moving to 115, Baines Street, Blackburn when James was six. In 1901 Reuben is also described as a local preacher, they now lived at 29, Queens Road, In July 1904 James married Alice Ann Sagar and according to the 1911 census he, aged 29, was a brickworks manager living at 45, Queens Road with Alice 28, a daughter Beatrice 5 and a son Arthur Langdale 2. James became a director of Blackburn Philanthropic Assurance Company in 1913.
In May 1916 James was co-opted onto the Council for Park Ward. He was a Conservative like his father and the Vice-president of Grimshaw Park Ward. He was a stalwart supporter of Methodism and society steward at Clayton Street Wesleyan Church. For two years he was President of the Grimshaw Park Co-operative Society and during the war Chairman of the Profiteering Committee. In 1923 he was appointed secretary of the Blackburn Workshops for the blind but would not accept the due remuneration of £250. James was especially interested in the Highways and General Drainage Committee, the Watch Committee and the Visiting Committee of the County Mental Hospital at Whittingham. Since 1920 the Highways Department had carried out a number of important schemes with the expenditure of £430,000 for roads, sewers and bridges. This was also for the relief of unemployment for which grants from the government were obtained. Schemes to be commenced were the improvements to the arterial road, a new road at Little Harwood in connection with Philips Lamps Ltd. and the new cemetery at Pleasington. 1937 was an important year for the Cathedral when the Princess Royal came to lay the foundation stone of the extension. The King and Queen visited Blackburn during his mayoral year and there were many visits by leaders of religious thought, commerce and industry - even Gracie Fields was a visitor that year. There was a material reduction in unemployment mainly due to an improvement in the textile industry. In 1948 James was appointed Chairman of Whittingham Hospital Management Committee - this was the largest mental hospital in the country with 3167 beds. He was also a senior member of Lancashire County Mental Hospital Board. He was appointed an Alderman in 1928 and Borough Magistrate in 1935. In 1951 aged 70 James retired after 35 years continuous public service.
James was a keen sportsman in his younger days playing cricket for the Railway Clerks, he became Vice-president at the East Lancashire Cricket Club and was an avid supporter of Blackburn Rovers also being a shareholder for fifty years. He was an honourable member of the Loyal Green Bank Lodge of Oddfellows and had held every possible office open to a layman at Clayton Street Wesleyan Church. Alice Ann supported him in every way but in 1949 unfortunately passed away at their home, Cranleigh, Gorse Road having contracted influenza - she was 66, they had been married for 45 years. James died on the 10th of June 1954 aged 73 and was interred at Mellor Methodist graveyard. Probate was granted to his son Arthur, the proceeds being £19,252 18 9d.
Janet Burke
Mayor of Blackburn 1938-39
Native of Galway, F. J. Greeves was educated in Dublin, qualifying as a doctor in 1892. Coming to Blackburn three years later, he succeeded to the practice of Dr. Bastable in Larkhill and soon acquired a reputation for brilliant diagnosis.
Politically minded, although attached to no particular party, in 1900 he was returned as Independent councillor for Trinity Ward and continued on the town council until his death, being appointed alderman in 1922 and mayor in 1938. As chairman of the Health Committee he rendered outstanding service based on his own practical experience and he took over the chairmanship of the Public Libraries Committee in July, 1927, on the death of R. J. Howard. In 1935 his portrait, the gift, of a local artist, Hubert Wilkinson, then resident in Luton, was unveiled in the Art Gallery.
Throughout his whole career he never lost his love for sport and was keenly interested in both football and cricket. He was also an honorary member of the Rechabite Order and an ardent supporter of the Camera Club. His religious associations were with St. Peter's Church, and it was largely owing to his agitation that Belper-street Baths were erected.
He died in February, 1945, on his 75th birthday.
By George C. Miller
Mayor of Blackburn 1939-40Edward was born on the 28th of July 1880 to Richard and Elizabeth who lived on Lansdowne Street in the Witton area of Blackburn. He had one brother and five sisters one of whom died at the young age of two. At the time of the 1901 census the family lived on Belgrave Street - Richard was a joiner and his two sons Edward 21 and Walter 18 were described as masonry labourers. In July 1909 Edward married Mary Edith Hindle and in 1911 they have a young son Norman and lived on Duckworth Street. Edward was a Trade Union Secretary and Mary a sweets and greengrocer dealer. In 1918 he was appointed the Organising Secretary of the General Workers Union previously known as the Gasworkers and General Workers Union. In his early days as a Trade Union official he led a six week strike for labourers in the engineering industry to have a wage of twenty shillings a week and for machine men twenty two shillings - a working week then was fifty three hours.
Edward was first elected to the town council in 1913 as Labour representative for St.Peter's Ward. He served continuously until 1929 when he was made an Alderman. In 1935 he was deposed from the Aldermanic Bench but twelve months later returned as a councillor in his old ward. Also in 1935 he was made a Justice of the Peace for the borough, he served on the Board of Guardians and as leader of the opposition sat on many committees where his expertise and knowledge was most valuable. He was chairman of Blackburn Electricity Department until nationalisation. For twenty five years he agitated for the acquisition of Witton Park and was involved with the establishment of an airfield at Samlesbury. Edward served his term as mayor but also took over again the following June after the death of Walter Tempest. In May 1955 he was awarded a civic medal for meritorious service to the town.
Edward had had ambition to be a member of parliament and contested Blackburn at the elections of 1922 and 1923 - he was unsuccessful and tried at Warrington in 1935. Again unsuccessful but he finally was elected Labour M.P. for Warrington in 1945 serving until he reached the age of 70 in 1950. In 1954 the then Minister of Transport Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd asked Edward to continue his membership of the Transport Users Consultative Committee.
Mary had always shown a keen interest in Labour politics and was an old member of the Womens Labour Movement, but due to health reasons had not taken a very active part. She identified with the Baptist Church on Montague Street for a long period. Mary died on the 3rd. of July 1948. Edward, aged 80, died in Queens Park Hospital some twelve years later on the 31st. of August 1960. Probate was granted to the only son Norman proceeds being £5774-13-3d.
Janet Burke
Walter Tempest
Mayor of Blackburn 1940-41
Walter was born on the 18th of February 1883 to William and Mary Ann. The family lived at 35, Cherry Tree Terrace, William was an engineer and mechanic working in a cotton mill. At the census of 1901 the family were still living on Cherry Tree Terrace. Now being 18 years old, Walter was working as the assistant secretary at a paper merchants. Walter married Annie Walmsley in 1906 in 1911 they lived at Prospect Place, Cherry Tree. They had a daughter Gladys aged 4 with Walter's aunt Elizabeth also lived with them - Walter was now a paper blind manufacturer and director at J.W. Pickles & Co. Blind Manufacturers. For two seasons Walter played football for the reserve team of Blackburn Rovers and earned ten shillings a week so that when he was appointed Chairman of the Rovers in 1933 the F.A. had to give their permission as he had been a professional footballer. Later he became a member of the League Management Committee, a member of the F.A. and represented the Blackburn division on the Lancashire Football Association Council. He was President and Vice-President of Cherry Tree Bowling Club, Chairman of the Infirmary bowling tournament and a past Captain of Pleasington Golf Club. Walter was a Congregationalist and had a life-long association with the church at Cherry Tree. He was also a Free Mason and a past master of Victory Lodge.
Walter had been unsuccessful in his bid to be the Liberal candidate for St. Luke's ward in 1917 but was elected as the Conservative candidate for St. Thomas' Ward in 1920 and became President of St. Thomas' Conservative Club. His greatest interest was in parks and recreation grounds. In 1931 he was appointed the Vice-Chairman of the Parks and Cemetery Committee - he made special efforts to develop the bowling greens and tennis courts and was most interested in the provision of a new cemetery at Pleasington, which would have been much more advanced had it not been for the war. Food production in the parks as a result of the war was also encouraged and Walter gave a silver cup for a competition amongst the allotment holders. He was also on the Electricity and Transport Committees. In 1938 he was appointed a magistrate for the Borough and in April 1941 elected to the Aldermanic Bench.
Councillor Tempest died on the 26th of May 1941 becoming the fourth mayor to pass away during their term of office; he was 59 and had been unwell for some months. He left a widow Annie who lived on Preston Old Road and three married daughters. Probate was granted to Annie, Arthur Robert Tempest, his brother, and Thomas Martin, his sons-in-law. The proceeds were £7512-17-4d. Annie died some five years later aged 61.
Some papers have been found by Mrs. Freda Walmsley which relate to the wedding of Gladys Tempest to Thomas Martin in September 1930. There are details of the furniture and floor coverings purchased from Rakestraws for the young couple and the dresses for the bride and presumably the bridesmaids from Mabel Stephenson's. There is the bill for invitations and wedding cards from Davenport & King, the wedding cake which cost £5-15s. the wedding breakfast at Furness's on King William Street costing £73-1s. and the symphonic orchestra costing two guineas.
Gladys died in 1993 aged eighty five and there were no known children. Elsie married Edward Crompton Jones, managing director of Blackburn Corrugated Paper, and died in April 1980 aged sixty nine. They had three children - Elizabeth, Helen and David. Annie married Norman Porter and they had two daughters. They lived in London and Annie died in July
Janet Burke
Doctor Bernard Worden was born in Accrington on the 11th. of June 1885 to Herbert and Nancy. He was christened Doctor Bernard and he and his siblings John Edgar and Martha Ann lived in Accrington with their parents until 1891. In the census of 1901 the family were living in Morecambe at 2, Melrose Avenue - Bernard was 15 and described as a joiner's apprentice. In 1909 Bernard married Edith Gillbanks and in 1911 they lived at 91a, Scotland Road. He was now working as a baker and confectioner as his father had done before him and in 1914 their son Herbert Vincent was born. Bernard served in the Army Service Corps and was awarded the British War and Victory medals. Edith died shortly after the war in 1921 and Bernard remarried in 1922, his new wife was Lily Noble with whom he had two daughters Dorothy Jean in 1925 and Myra Joyce in 1928. In 1939 they lived at 22, Lambeth Street and he still worked as a baker and confectioner at Lambeth Street and also Scotland Road. Bernard had been President of the Bakers Association and secretary for ten years - he also was the Hon. Organiser of the National Association, He was elected to the Council of the National Association in 1941 and made a life member in 1951. Bernard was a bakery judge at the Royal Lancashire Show and other shows and took an active interest in the Bakery Students Society of which he was Vice-President.
Since 1922 Bernard was an elected member of the old Board of Guardians, becoming Chairman of the Public Assistance Committee and Chairman of the Cottage Homes Committee. In 1929 he was elected to the Town Council as the representative for St. Thomas' ward. Bernard was only the second Roman Catholic Mayor for Blackburn and was also the President of Blackburn Catholic Club. He was the manager of St. Joseph's and St. Thomas' schools, a governor of Notre Dame Convent, St. Mary's College and the girls High School. Bernard served on the Education Committee and was a life governor of the Infirmary, he made the Poor Law his chief interest. It was mainly due to his influence that the bakery school on Mayson Street was inaugurated without any cost to the ratepayer as machinery and ovens were subscribed for by manufacturing firms at his suggestion. Bernard took a keen interest in the Air Training Corps and the Sea Cadets. In 1940 he was elected to the Aldermanic Bench.
Bernard's wife Lily died in 1947 aged 51 and Bernard died in 1954 aged 69 at the address 169, Shorrock Lane. When probate was granted the proceeds were £4539-12-2d.
Janet Burke
James Fish
Mayor of Blackburn 1942-43
James was born on the 27th of April 1879 to John and Jane. Jane had four children but only James and his sister Alice survived. The family lived in the parish of St. Philips where James went to school and on the census of 1891 when James was 11 he was already working at Chadwick Street mill as a part-timer. He worked there until 1916 when he joined the Accrington Pals and went to war where he was wounded and lost a leg. In July 1928 James married Edith May Whittle the daughter of Robert Whittle formerly a quarter master in the East Lancashire Regiment. During his mayoralty James was an orderly room sergeant and store keeper in the Home Guard. James and Edith had one daughter Jane E. born in January 1930. James was described as a draper in 1939 and they lived on Saunders Road at number 51.
James Fish had been a stalwart of the Labour Party and associated with public life for over thirty years. He was a member of the old Board of Guardians and entered the Town Council in 1919 as the representative for St. Luke's ward. He became the Chairman of the Ward Labour Committee. James was the first Chairman of the Blackburn Public Assistance Committee which had superceded the Board of Guardians and was also the representative of the Corporation on the Blackburn Juvenile Employment Committee. He was also a member of the Blackburn and Clitheroe War Pensions Committee. James was appointed an Alderman in 1929 but was deposed six years later when the Conservatives came to power. In 1935 James was the Chairman of the committee for Brockhall Mental Institution, also serving on the Lancaster, Prestwich and Whittingham Visiting Committee and for a short time on the management committee of Calderstones Hospital. In 1936 there was a break in his membership of the Council when he had been unsuccessful in St. John's Ward but in 1938 he became the representative for Trinity Ward. James was very much involved with the post war planning for Blackburn but unfortunately died soon after at 129, Haslingden Road in January 1945. Probate was granted to Edith May his widow and Annie Yates - the proceeds were £1599-12-0d.
Janet Burke
The life of George Hindle, co-founder with his brother Ephraim of the great firm of E and G. Hindle, is moulded in much the same pattern as that of the senior partner. Born in 1858, he had, like his brother, a life-long connection with Furthergate Congregational Church, where for 54 years he was actively engaged in some official capacity, being either deacon, superintendent of the Sunday School, secretary or teacher. He laid the foundation?stone for the new institute in 1927.
"For fifty years (says J. G. Shaw) he was a partner with his brother in the cotton trade, starting in the capacity of mill manager at the age of 20, while his brother attended to the business side of the partnership. As a practical workman and mill manager he took a large personal responsibility in introducing new looms and new textiles to meet the evergrowing requirements of the trade in the course of half a century. . . About trade revival he was somewhat pessimistic, and in 1928 warned the public not to accept at their face value the statements that were being made about improvement. An address he gave to the mill managers of Blackburn in March of that year created a profound impression, but it was not till after his death that the departure of England from the gold standard justified his pessimistic outlook and revolutionised the financial basis of the trade of the world."
He died in 1929, leaving a widow, three sons and four daughters.
By George C. Miller
Ernest Holden
Mayor of Blackburn 1944-45
Ernest was born in Preston in the year 1877 - his father was William, a gas meter inspector and his mother Anne - there were two other boys Richard and Arthur and a sister Mary. In 1881 the family lived at 128, Audley Range but at the next census in 1891 they had moved to Revidge Road. Ernest aged 14 is described as a law solicitor’s clerk. On the 17th of June 1897 aged 21 Ernest married Margaret Rushton - his occupation was then a hairdresser and newsagent. He became the sub-postmaster on Dukes Brow which he kept for some 27 years retiring in 1944. Ernest served with the Home Guard during the war and with a keen interest in homing pigeons started the first pigeon section. He was a nature lover, a keen angler and photographer and became a well-known dog judge. He took part in many international dog shows both here and abroad including Crufts International Show in London and won over 1000 prizes himself. Ernest received the unique distinction from the English Kennel Club of being permitted to award championship certificates to all breeds of gun dogs and various other breeds. He was Vice-president and a Trustee of East Lancashire Cricket Club and played for 35 years for Blackburn Amateur Nomads.
Ernest joined the town council as the Conservative member for St. Silas' Ward which he represented for over 14 years - he was President, Chairman and Secretary of St. Silas' Conservative Club. He took great interest in the Parks Committee of which he was Chairman and was Vice-chairman of the waterworks. He was also a Governor of the Grammar School, the High School and the Technical College and was on the Holidays at Home Committee - a successful initiative of war time.
Ernest and Margaret lived on Alexandra Road and celebrated their golden wedding in 1947. Ernest retired from the Council in 1952 and he died aged 80 on the 7th of May 1957. He was buried at Pleasington Cemetery on the spot where he had actually opened this new cemetery. Probate was granted to Margaret his widow, the proceeds being £1109-19-2d.
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John was the only son of Thomas and Alice Ann who lived on Harrison Street in 1891. He had two sisters and at first they all worked in the textile industry. When John was 15 he became an apprentice engineer iron turner at Ashton, Frost & Co. and the family lived on Clifton Street. Then when John was 27 he married Annie Mayson at Christ Church on the 17th of November 1911 and they went to live at number 74 Carlisle Street. John finally worked for Clayton, Goodfellow & Co. leaving there in 1921 to take up his appointment as Trade Union Secretary of the Blackburn branch of the Amalgamated Engineering Union - a post which he held for 27 years. John was very interested in sport and a keen Rovers fan. He enjoyed bowling and in particular football where, for four seasons, he played full back for the old Crosshill Team and twice he assisted Lancashire against London County. Later he officiated as a referee in Blackburn amateur Sunday School Leagues.
John was an old boy of St. Peter's school and became a Labour member of the Town Council in 1923 representing St. Peter's ward. This he held for some 22 years until 1945 when he was then elected an Alderman. For ten years he was Chairman of the Watch Committee and took great interest in the Fire Brigade - in fact a fire engine was named after him. John was on the old board of management at the Infirmary, a J.P. for thirty years and in his fifth year as Chairman of Blackburn Magistrates.
John retired as secretary of the union in 1948 after having been a member for 46 years and still living on Byrom Street. He died in January 1959 aged 76 leaving his widow Annie, their two married daughters Alice and Edith and their son Jack an accountant at the corporation. Probate was granted to Jack and the proceeds were £9070-17-3d.
Janet Burke
Sarah Buckley
First Lady Mayor of Blackburn 1946-47
Sarah Buckley was born on the 6th April 1884 to William Henry Hall and Betty (née Townend); the family also included another daughter, Elizabeth, and two sons, William and James. In 1891 they lived at 30, Milnrow Rd., Crompton and, in 1895, her father was the proprietor of the Coach & Horses Hotel, 1, Market St Crompton. On the 25th September 1907, aged twenty three, Sarah Hall married James Edward Buckley, aged 31. James was a mule spinner overlooker and they set up home at 2, Scar Lane off George St. Shaw, near Oldham. A son William was born in 1911. Very shortly after, in 1912, James took a job in Russia and their second son Herbert was born in Moscow during 1913. They remained in Russia for ten years and must have experienced troubled times during that period - the First World War and the Russian Revolution.
Returning home in 1922, James took the job of spinning master at Coddington's mill in Blackburn. At this point, Sarah began to show an interest in politics and became a teacher of the Conservative's Speakers class; she was Lady President of St. Luke's Ward from 1923 to 1933. In 1930, James took up the position as manager of an Anglo-French mill called Rodier in Pondicherry, India and Sarah followed three years later. She started a nursery there and as she was always interested in the welfare of women and children, she introduced a scheme whereby mothers received their wages for a period before and after the birth of their child. Whilst in India, Sarah kept up her position of teacher of the Conservative Speaker's Club, writing lectures and sending them home.
The family returned home in 1935 and lived on Ramsey Rd. Longshaw, Blackburn where Sarah resumed her great interest in local politics. She stood as a councillor and, at her second attempt, in 1937, she was elected for Park Ward. As a councillor she was able to help women and children by becoming Chairman of the Maternity and Clinical Welfare Committee and Vice-chairman of the Health Committee.
At that time she was also Chairman of the Women's Conservative Association, a member of the Central Council of the National Conservative Association and a Borough Magistrate from 1941. Sarah was also a voluntary speaker for the Ministry of Information. This very busy lady was a member of the congregation of Christ Church and the Enrolment Officer for the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), eventually becoming the organiser in 1950.
James Edward died in 1943 aged sixty seven; Sarah's son Herbert lived locally, in Accrington, and William lived in Luton.
Sarah was selected as Mayor in 1946/7 and became Blackburn's first lady Mayor. She created a record by becoming Blackburn's Mayor, deputy Mayor and Mayoress consecutively.
As a councillor there are many committees to serve on, and again, Sarah's interest in women and children came to the fore. She was a member of the Joint Hospital Advisory Committee, President of the Blackburn College of Midwives and Chairman of the local Maternity and Children's Welfare Committee. She was also a member of the Housing Committee and elective member of the Blind Person's Act Committee.
On the 31st May 1956 Sarah was awarded the M.B.E. which was justly deserved for all her work for the people of Blackburn.
Sarah must have spent most of her time on one committee or another and even found time to be a patron of the Old Contemptable's Association and Vice Chairman of the Disabled Service Men's Association. For herself, perhaps, she was President of the Women's Conservative and Unionist Association and President of the East Lancashire Luncheon Club.
In 1961, aged seventy six, she was killed crossing Bolton Rd. – the tragic end of a life devoted to the service of others.
Article compiled and written by Janet Burke, Community History Volunteer. May 2018.
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Robert Sugden
Mayor of Blackburn 1947-48
Robert was born on the 28th of April 1883 to John Thomas and Mary Ellen. They lived in Beswick a district of Manchester. On the census of 1901 Robert, aged 18, he is shown to be a private in the army, resident at the barracks, Ashton-under-Lyme. He then goes to work for fifteen years on the city tramways and becomes the President of Manchester District Transport Union for five years. He served on the Area Committee of the Union and the National Executive Committee for Tramway men. Robert had joined the Trade Union in 1910 and came to Blackburn in 1924. During this time he was Secretary of the Blackburn branch of the Transport Workers Union and was the socialist representative for St. Matthews Ward. He served on the council for an unbroken 27 years and was made an Alderman in 1945. Education had been his main interest and he was a member of the Education Committee for 22 years being Chairman for 10 years. He was a governor of the Grammar School, the girl's High School and St Hilda's and St. Joseph's Secondary Modern Schools. When Robert became an Alderman his wife won the seat he vacated and retained it just before his mayoralty in 1947. This was the first time in the history of the 96 year old council that a Mayor and Mayoress had both been members of the council. In 1952/3 Robert was Chairman of the Association of Lancashire and Cheshire Education Authorities and on the Manchester University Court of Governors.
The Queen was married in November 1947 at the start of Robert's mayoralty and on behalf of the borough samples of fabric had been sent to London for her wedding outfits. There was a two day holiday for the royal wedding and the election of the new mayor.
Robert had been the Chairman of the Education Committee for ten years and as a tribute to his work he was presented with a television set by Miss Armstrong, the Headmistress of the Girls High School. He had been on the N. W. Regional Council for Further Education, Chairman of the Peel Trustees and a member of the Helen Neville Foundation
Robert and his wife Sarah lived on Mollington Road but due to ill-health he resigned from the council in 1954 and retired to Bournemouth where he lived until his death in 1970.
Janet Burke
Ronald Henry George Horne
Mayor of Blackburn 1949-50
Ronald was the son of the Reverend William Horne who came to Blackburn from Upholland. He had been the curate at St. Matthews Church and the family lived on Queens Road when Ronald was born in September 1904. Ronald was educated at the Grammar School and became a solicitor serving his articles at John Taylor & Co. until 1929 when he started his own practice. In 1930 he fought unsuccessfully for the seat in St. Silas's Ward in the interests of the Ratepayers Association, he then joined the Conservative Party and won in St. Andrews Ward in 1931. He continued to represent that ward winning in 1934, 1937 and 1946. He had joined the armed forces in 1941 and was posted to the Far East, The troop ship he was on was torpedoed but he managed to get away and then spent 14 months in the western desert, 2 years in Palestine and a period in East Africa. Ronald was de-mobbed in 1945 having attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant.
On returning to civic duty Ronald was particularly concerned with the education of young children. He was chairman of the High School governors and the governing body of the Technical College. He was Vice President of St. Mary's Old Boys Association and took a keen interest in the Old Blackburnians. He was Chairman of the Gas Committee, the Fire Advisory Committee and the Rents Act Committee and formerly the Junior Imperial League. Ronald was President of Livesey Conservative Club and Chairman of Blackburn Footpaths Association. He was a keen tennis player and a one-time member of Blackburn and District Combination Football League. Ronald was a bachelor and although he had two sisters (one of whom lived in Blackburn), he asked Mrs. Sarah Buckley to be his Mayoress - she had been Blackburn's first Lady Mayor in 1946. It was at the beginning of his 18th year as a councillor that he was elected to the position of mayor and was one of the youngest mayors for Blackburn. During his year of office there was an excellant scheme from the Parks Committee for the planting of trees by children and Witton Park was acquired for the town. Ronald was concerned about the question of a War Memorial and had hoped it would not be of stone but something more useful. He was also anxious for older people and their loneliness. He was made an Alderman in 1951.
Ronald lived at number 12, Dukes Brow and latterly attended St. Silas's Church. His father had been the vicar at St. James's Lower Darwen where Ronald had been an active member of the PCC and the representative to the Blackburn Diocesan Conference. Ronald died aged 64 on the 8th of April 1969 in Blackburn Royal Infirmary after an illness of several months. After a service at St. Silas's he was interred in the graveyard of St. James's Lower Darwen. The proceeds presented at probate were £11,684.
Janet Burke
