1913-1914, 1914-15, John Thomas Grimshaw, Mayor of Wigan

John  Thomas Grimshaw J.P.

Mayor of Wigan Nov 1913 – Nov 1914 & Nov 1914 – Nov 1915

John T. Grimshaw was the first Labour Mayor of Wigan, born in 1868 to James and Elizabeth Grimshaw who had married at Upholland Parish Church on 10^th August, 1857.  James was a farm labourer and Elizabeth a widow who had two children from her previous marriage to Thomas Cartwright.

John Thomas was the fourth child born to the couple since their marriage.

The family’s home was on Pimbo Lane, Crawford Village, John attended the Primitive Methodist Chapel and was educated at Crawford and Upholland school.

John Thomas at the age of thirteen began his working life as a farm hand, but not long after this the family lost both parents, subsequent to this he followed the example of his three elder brothers and went to work the coal mining industry.

At the time of the 1891 census he was living in lodgings at  2 Gadfa Terrace, Ashton in Makerfield and was working at the Garswood Hall Collieries.

In the Autumn of 1891 aged 23 he married Annie Sagar, she was three years his senior, born in Bradford, Yorkshire, a Tailoress and the daughter of Thomas Sagar an Insurance Agent (and a worker for the Temperance Movement) whose home was in Pemberton,  at 337 Pemberton Road.

The couple set up home in Lamberhead Green, Pemberton shortly after which John Thomas decided on a career change and trained as a Baker.  By the time of the 1901 census he was self employed, having set up his own bakery / grocery business at 28 Chapel Street, this was also the family home for him, Annie his wife and their three children.

Some time during this period John Thomas developed an interest in the local affairs of Pemberton and in 1904 became a member of the Pemberton Urban District Council, this was however during the period of the Urban District Council’s amalgamation with Wigan Borough Council, a consequence of which was that in 1905 John Thomas became representative for the West Pemberton Ward on Wigan Borough Council. He stepped down at the end of this year and had some time during which he was able to concentrate on the development of his business. He returned to the Council once again in 1910 for a three year period serving as the elected Liberal representative for West Pemberton during this term he had an active role and served on various committees.

In 1913 he stood for re-election and was returned to represent the Labour interests for the West Pemberton Ward shortly after which he was nominated for the Mayoral role. At the meeting held 10th November, 1913 the Council formally elected John Thomas Grimshaw to the post of Mayor of Wigan and later at the same meeting he was also elected as an Alderman for the Borough.

The first official public function following Mayor Grimshaw’s election was the Mayor’s State Visit to Church this took place on 16th November, 1913 the procession assembled at the Carnegie Library, Pemberton and paraded to the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Woodford Street, Lamberhead Green. After the service, the procession reformed and returned to the Assembly Room at the Carnegie Library where non-alcoholic refreshments were served.

Later in the year the Mayor and Mayoress further demonstrated their support for the Temperance Movement by attending a social function held at the Queen’s Hall in Wigan, where they presented diplomas to ten people who had each provided twenty five years service with the Wigan Band of Hope and Temperance.

In March of 1914 The Mayor and Mayoress hosted an event for the blind people of the Borough. It had been established that there were at this time, some eighty blind people living in the locality and it was decided that they should be treated to an afternoon and evening of entertainment, this being in the form of an afternoon tea and a concert.

Every blind member of the community in Wigan and the surrounding area was contacted and arrangements had been made for the blind guests and their guides to travel free of charge to the venue on the Corporation trams.

The function was held at the Borough Courts in the old Council Chamber, The Mayor and Mayoress shook hands with each of their guests and presented each with a piece of silver.

After the tea, the concert programme consisted of music and songs performed by various artists, many of whom were personal friends of the Mayor these included Tom Just a vocalist who was himself blind.

Amongst the concluding speeches a reference was made to Alderman Grimshaw giving him the title the “Poor Mans Mayor” this followed by one of the blind guests commented that this was the first time that the blind people of Wigan had been entertained in this way, adding that to his pleasure he had been “waited on hand and foot” during the event.

In November of 1914 Mayor John Thomas Grimshaw, was elected to serve a second term

The generosity and public spirited attitude of John Thomas Grimshaw was not confined to the duration of his period in office. There is a report in the Wigan Observer 7^th May, 1921 this refers to hardship and food shortages being encountered, as a consequence of an industrial dispute involving the miners. The report includes a photograph which shows the distribution to women and children of six hundred loaves of bread at Lamberhead Green, these having been donated by the baker and ex- Mayor of Wigan Alderman J. T. Grimshaw.

Amongst the many Council involvements and the various committees upon which he served during his long period of association with the Council, he was particularly noted for his work as Chairman of the Finance and Electricity Committees.

John Thomas Grimshaw died at his home “Woodlands” Orrell Road, Orrell on Monday 24th.March 1930, age 63.  Annie his widow died 6th February, 1931 apparently as a consequence of having accidentally suffered severe scalding to her legs and feet some two months earlier.

Sources

Ancestry 1841 Census - Wigan, Upholland

Ancestry 1851 Census - Wigan, Upholland

Ancestry Church of England Marriages & Banns 1857 Upholland Parish Church

Ancestry 1861 Census - Wigan, Upholland

Ancestry England & Wales Free BMD Birth Index 1868 Wigan Lancashire

Ancestry 1871 Census - Wigan, Upholland

Ancestry 1881 Census – Wigan, Upholland

Ancestry 1891 Census - Wigan, Ashton in Makerfield

Ancestry 1891 Census - Wigan, Pemberton

Ancestry England & Wales Free BMD Marriage Index 1891 Wigan Lancashire

Ancestry 1901 Census - Wigan, Pemberton

Ancestry 1911 Census - Wigan, Pemberton

Wigan Observer 20 September 1913

Wigan Observer 15 November 1913

Wigan Observer 22 November 1913

Wigan Observer 16 December 1913

Wigan Observer 28 March 1914

Wigan Observer 7 May 1921

Wigan Examiner 1 October 1927

Wigan Observer 25 March 1930

Wigan Observer 29 March 1930

Wigan Observer 14 June 1930

Wigan Observer 10 February 1931

Wigan Observer 14 February 1931

Wigan Almanacs 1903 to 1914

Vic Rawlinson