1904 WILLIAM SHARROCK (1855-1917)
William Sharrock was born in Pemberton on 11 June 1855, to parents Henry and Susan, and shortly afterwards the family moved to Wigan.
He came from a very humble background, and at the age of eight started work in the lamp-house at Rose Bridge collieries. For his first fortnight’s work he was paid 5 shillings (25p).
At the age of 19 he married Jane Gore. She was born to parents Richard and Jane who had a grocery and bakery business in Lamberhead Green; it was decided that William should join the family firm.
The 1881 census shows them living at 523 Ormskirk Road with their son John Edward, aged 2. William is described as a bread baker.
Ten years later they had moved to 801 Ormskirk Road, and were living with John, their daughter Jane, one servant, Alice Atherton, and Peter Winnard, a boarder who was a grocer’s carter.
William subsequently reverted to his first employment in mining, but this time as a colliery owner. In 1895, after the Orrell Coal and Cannel Company had gone into liquidation, William, along with Peter Gaskell, took over the company, which saved it and the employees who depended upon it. The venture was so successful that they were able to absorb the pits once owned by the Norley Hall Coal Company and the Duxbury Hall collieries.
By 1901 the family purchased Harvey House in Gathurst Road, where they lived with another son, Richard, and two servants. That year William was elected Chairman of Pemberton Urban District Council, a post he held until 1903.
After Pemberton was amalgamated with Wigan, William became the first mayor of the combined authority in 1904.
Wiliam’s time in office meant that he was a member of all the council committees. This was at a time when local government was expanding and, with a great many sub-committees, was taking decisions affecting every resident in every area of local life. One sweeping resolution of Wigan council was, ‘To authorise the Corporation to appropriate and use any lands for the time being belonging to them, for any purpose for which they may for the time being be entitled to hold land’. The tramways network to the townships was being expanded, and the council resolved to take ownership of it. They also decided to build a new town hall, and to end the Wigan Pleasure Fair.
It was during his mayoral year that his wife Jane died suddenly on 1 June 1905, whilst they were attending the celebrations for the enlargement of the promenade at Blackpool.
In 1906 he married his second wife, Elizabeth Simm, who was the niece of (the deceased) Richard Makinson.
William died at home on 9 May 1917. A great many people – public figures, employees of both the mining and grocery businesses, family and friends – attended his funeral, after which he was interred in the family vault in St John’s Pemberton. He left an estate of £32,851 0s 2d to his three children.