Albert Edward BAUCHER Mayor of Wigan November 1917 - 1918 Born Burnley 22nd May 1877 Died Ulverston 3rd April 1965 Parents Frederick William Baucher and Ann Dickinson Married St. George’s Church, Wigan 1876 Married Ada Greenhalgh 31st December 1898. All Saints, Stoneycroft, Liverpool Children Laura, Frederick and Edith Elected to Wigan Council 1909 Appointed Deputy Mayor on 13th November 1915 Retired from the Wigan Council 1926 Albert Edward Baucher was born in Burnley on 22nd May 1877 contrary to the report in the Wigan Observer published, 11th November 1922. This is confirmed by the Baptism Register of Wigan All Saints Church. He moved with his parents to live in Liverpool, obtained a degree in Law and was articled to a firm of solicitors in Liverpool. Later practising as a solicitor in Wigan and was head of Messrs. Baucher and Vincent, Solicitors of King Street, Wigan. The 1911 Census shows the Baucher family living at 7 Park Crescent Wigan , then moving to “Lyncroft” Monument Park, Wigan. Albert entered Wigan Town Council as a representative for St. Catharine Ward in 1909. Cllr. Baucher became prominent in public life and was selected to serve on several important committees; 1.Chairman of the Corporation Finance Committee, holding this position for over 12 years, 2.Chairman of the Wigan Education Authority 3.A governor of Wigan Grammar School 4.He was leader of the Conservative Party in the Town Council 5.Representing Wigan Corporation on the Lancashire County Joint Rate Committee 6. Honorary Solicitor to the Wigan Branch of the Colliery Firemen’s Federation 7. Honorary solicitor to the Wigan and District Grocer’s Association. Appointed Deputy Mayor in November 1915. Cllr Baucher became Mayor of Wigan in November 1917, being one of the war Mayors. A stipulation of his acceptance of the Mayoralty being that during his year of office he should continue to practise as an advocate in the Wigan Borough Police Court but not sit on the Borough Bench as Chief Magistrate of the town. He was elected an Alderman in 1919 and made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough in 1925. In the General Election of 1922, Cllr Baucher was adopted as the Conservative candidate for Wigan but was defeated by the Labour candidate Mr. J. Allan Parkinson. Wigan Local Studies has some interesting information relating to the 1922 election including campaign pamphlets. He was also the Conservative candidate for Jarrow on Tyne in the 1926 General Election, again unsuccessfully. Having retired from council life in 1926 he continued to practise law as a barrister being called to the bar of Grey’s Inn in 1926, later becoming head of a chamber of barristers in Cook Street, Liverpool. He was appointed Deputy Stipendiary Magistrate of Liverpool in 1946.
Mr and Mrs. Baucher also embarked on a number of cruises after retiring from local politics. Shipping manifestos available on Ancestry show them going on the SS Baltic from Liverpool to New York on 19th June 1926, SS Homeric from Southampton to New York on 27th June 1928, the ship Carare from Bristol to Bermuda and Kingston, Jamaica on 31st July 1938, to Brisbane on the Cathay from London on 4th August 1939. On 15th August 1954 they sailed from Southampton to Lisbon on board the Alcantara. His wife Ada Baucher passed away in 1951 aged 79. She served for 12 years as a member of the old Wigan Board of Guardians and worked as a member of the Wigan Nurse’s Association. Albert Edward Baucher died on 3rd April 1965 in Ulverston. His funeral service was held at St. John’s Church, Birkdale and is buried at Birkdale cemetery. Sources Ancestryinstitution.com Ukbmdcertificateordering.co.uk WO 8.9.1917 p6 d&e WO.11.11.1922 p12 c&d WO 20.11.1926 p7e WO 3.2.1951 p5d WO 9.4.1965 p4 Election Pamplets 1922 Wigan Local Studies WJG 1144