1923-1924, James Cavey, Mayor of Wigan

ALDERMAN JAMES CAVEY, J.P.

Mayor of Wigan 1923

b 20 August 1860 in Hallgate, Wigan

Parents: Patrick and Bridget

m St Mary’s Standishgate on 2 September 1882

children: Elizabeth, Richard, Joseph, Margaret and Agnes

d March 1939

James Cavey was born in 1860 in Hallgate. He attended St. Mary’s Roman Catholic School. He began work in 1873 at the engineering works of Messrs Walker Bros and later at Pagefield Ironworks until the engineering lockout of 1897 when he became an insurance agent with Royal London Insurance Co under Mr Thomas Fayans. Mr Fayans interestingly, was the first Roman Catholic mayor of Wigan in 1900. Mr Cavey was the fourth but the first catholic labour mayor all the others being liberals.

He was part of the formation of the Wigan Trades Council and Labour Party in 1905 and was the honorary secretary until 1918. He was first elected to Wigan Council in 1908 as a representative of the St. Andrew Ward. He acted as vice chairman of the Sewerage Disposal committee from 1913 to 1921 and was chair of the Corporation Parliamentary Committee in 1921. He also acted as deputy mayor in 1918-19.

Cllr Cavey was also heavily involved with many worthy public organisations. He devoted several years to the Poor Law work as part of the Wigan Board of Guardians and was a member of the Wigan Infirmary Board of Management. He was on the governing body of the Wigan and District Mining and Technical College and a Governor of Wigan Grammar School. During the war he served as a member of the Wigan Tribunal Advisory committee. In 1919 he was appointed a Wigan magistrate.

He had five children, three daughters and two sons. Both sons enlisted in the war, the youngest having made the supreme sacrifice. Private Joseph Cavey died 6 February 1918 having served in France (Somme), Salonica and Palestine. He had joined in December 1914.

Cllr Cavey celebrated his golden anniversary in 1932. His last noted address was “Ruskin House”, Widdrington Road, Monument Park.

Sources: Wigan Observer; Ancestry

John McDonald staff volunteer

01 July 2016