James Lucas
Chair of: Aspull Urban District Council, 1917/18 to 1918/19
Wigan Board of Guardians 1919-1920
Born: 1850 at Aspull Moor
Parents: James Lucas, a weaver, and Mary.
Married: 1872 to Elizabeth daughter of Jonathon Johnson, Grocer and Provision Dealer of Aspull. Died 1932.
Children: A son and four daughters
Died: 1941 aged 91 years
Family:
James Lucas was only 4 years old when his father died in 1854, his mother remarried to Charles Phillips, a collier. After only three years’ basic education, at the age of nine years James was sent to work at the Morris Lane Pit, Ivy Brow, New Springs, eventually becoming check weigh man. He saved what he could with the hope of going to College but whilst this hope wasn’t realised he was able to pay for music lessons to develop his musical talent and he bought both a harmonium and a piano. As a young man he attended Aspull Methodist Church where he played the organ.
In 1872 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan Johnson, grocer and provision dealer in Aspull. He left the mine and began working with his father-in-law.
In 1895 he purchased Marsh House Farm, and, later, a farm in Westhoughton. He became well known as a cattle breeder and horse dealer, gaining a wide reputation as a good judge of horses. This in an age when the horse was the tractor or HGV of its day. In 1896 the Lancashire Daily Post carried an advertisement “For Sale, a number of Welsh Horses, suitable for van, cart, or lurry [sic] work. – James Lucas, Aspull, near Dicconson Lane Station”.
James served as a member of Aspull Urban District Council for sixteen years and represented Aspull Moor Ward on the Wigan Board of Guardians for twelve years. He was chairman of Aspull UDC for two years and of Wigan Board of Guardians for one year. A justice of the peace for Lancashire County and also for a number of years was chairman of the Grounds and Farm committee of the Guardians’ farm in Billinge.
His son John took over the grocery business in Bolton Road Aspull, later managed by one of James’ daughters. On retiring from the farm James and Elizabeth took a house in Bolton Road, Aspull where Elizabeth, died in 1932 and James’ in 1941 aged 91 years. Both are buried in St Elizabeth’s churchyard in Aspull.
Author: Peter Walker
Sources: (Freely available at Wigan Local Studies and Libraries except were indicated)
Wigan Observer 9 August 1941 p5c (with photo)
Wigan Observer 10 May 1919 p5c (with Photo)
Lancashire Evening Post 05 September 1896 Page 1f © The British Library (Findmypast.co.uk – subscription required)
Ancestry.co.uk
Findmypast.co.uk (Subscription required)
Lancashire Online Parish Clerk (Lan-opc.org.uk)
LancashireBMD.org.uk