WILLIAM JAMES LAMB J.P.
Mayor of Wigan Nov 1880 – Nov 1881
Also:
Chairman of Pemberton Local Board 1878-1879 & 1879- 1880
William was born 22nd March 1839 and baptised on 17th December 1839 at Wigan, All Saints.
William’s parents, Jonathan Lamb and Elizabeth Hammersley had been married here some five years earlier in what would appear to have been a double ceremony, the evidence to suggest this is that two marriages are entered on the same page of the parish register. The second entry shows that Jonathan’s sister, Margaret Lamb married James Moore here on the same day also.
This close family bond between William’s parents and his aunt and uncle would become even more significant in years to come, for William was in the future destined to set-up a successful business partnership with his cousin James Lamb Moore.
William’s family had been honoured and eminent people in the Borough for many years, his grandfather (also William), was in the cotton trade at Sovereign Mills.
The 1844 Wigan Almanac identifies him as presiding alderman for Scholes Ward and as being on the Board of Guardians for The Wigan Union.
Jonathan, William’s father was in business as a coal merchant, and in his case the 1844 Almanac shows him to be a councillor representing the Scholes Ward and that he was serving on both the Watch Committee and the Finance Committee.
At the time of the 1851 Census William age 12 and his parents were living in Mesnes Terrace. (Their next door neighbour being James Eckersley a fellow councillor/alderman who had himself fulfilled the Mayoral role in 1833)
William was educated at Wigan Grammar School and later at Rossall College
November 1857 sees Jonathan Lamb elected as Mayor,(an honoured post which William himself will also be fulfilling some 23 years later).
After completing his education William spent some time working at the Newtown and Meadows Collieries; - Wigan and Pemberton.
In 1860 at the age of 21 William and his cousin James Lamb Moore, commence business as colliery proprietors under the trading name of Lamb and Moore.
He continues living with his parents who in 1861 were located at No. 7 Calendar Yard, Wigan.
In 1866, the success enjoyed by the Lamb and Moore enterprise enables the cousins to make a takeover of the Sovereign Mills cotton business, (that, with which their grandfather had with others, been involved).
William married Olivia Sutcliffe in the church of St. Margaret, Dunham Massey, Cheshire on 24th. November 1870. In 1871 the couple were living at No. 8 Thornhill, off Wigan Lane, Wigan. The couple’s first child Arthur Moore Lamb was born in 1873 and baptised at Holy Trinity, Southport on 15th May, of that year.
James Lamb Moore, William’s cousin and business partner died in 1873 following which, the cotton business was disposed of; the coal business was however retained and continued to trade.
1873 was also when William joined the Pemberton Local Board, he served two periods of office as Chairman of this board commencing 1878 and he would continue to serve up until and including the year of 1890.
William became a Justice of the Peace for the Borough in 1874 (and for the County in 1877).
In 1875 William and a group of others, established the Pagefield Rolling Mills and he became chairman of the company which controlled them. He was also involved with several other business interests these included the West Lancashire Wagon Company, The Wigan Wagon Company, The Desford Colliery Company of Leicester and also The Lodna Colliery Company, Bengal, India.
1876 sees the birth of daughter Ethel Mary Lamb, she was baptised at All Saints, Wigan Sep 19th 1876.
He was elected to and joined Wigan Corporation as representative for the Queen Street Ward in 1878 and served on several committees and was vice-chairman of the Streets, Buildings and Improvements Committee in 1880.
It was in November of 1880 that William was elected Mayor, to the position which had been occupied by his father 23 years previously. He was still serving in that role at the time of the 1881 census, in fact the return actually records his rank / profession / occupation as “Mayor of Wigan”, the family home is in Elmfield Road were he is living with wife Olivia, his son Arthur age 8 and daughter Ethel age 4.
The Wigan Observer of 12th October 1881 carries the report of a presentation made to William as he approached the end of his term of office, this consisted of the council members of both political parties joining together to make a a request that he allow himself to be nominated to serve for a second term, he however felt that he would be unable to give the time and attention to needed to properly fulfil the duties and therefore declined the invitation, he did however actively continue his committee work and was elected as an Alderman in 1890.
Whilst maintaining his Wigan connections William and family had moved their home to take up residence in Birkdale, at 11 Gloucester Road and it was here that he together with his wife Olivia and daughter Ethel Mary are recorded on the 1891 census return, Arthur his son was a student at Repton School in Burton-on-Trent at the time and is in the census return for that area.
In 1897 William became President of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Association and was closely and deeply interested in the erection of the new Mining and Technical College in Library Street for which he also provided financial support, being recorded as being a regular subscriber.
On 5th January 1898, at St. James church Birkdale, William’s daughter Ethel Mary married Frederick Brereton who was a Captain serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps. The couple are living in Southport by the time of the 1901 census and have provided a grandson and granddaughter for William and his wife Olivia.
William is not himself recorded at his Birkdale home address on 31st March for the above Census, his wife Olivia and son Arthur are in residence there however.
It is just over three months later that William whilst visiting his sister Susanna and her husband John Mellor at their home at Ardingley in Sussex , contracted a chest infection which over a three week period developed into pneumonia. William died there on 11th July 1901, age 62
William’s remains were transported to his home in Birkdale and on Monday 15th July transferred to Wigan station from where they were taken in an escorted procession for the funeral service and interment at Standish parish church.
Sources
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 17th Sept.1834 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Baptisms 29th June.1836 Wigan All Saints
Ancestry – Births & Baptisms, 17th Dec. 1839 Wigan All Saints
Ancestry – 1851 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 18th Nov.1856 Wigan All Saints
Ancestry – 1861 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – Marriages 24th Nov. 1870 Dunham Massey St. Margaret
Ancestry – 1871 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Wigan Observer 10th Nov. 1880 page 5 b.
Ancestry – 1881 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Wigan Observer 12th Oct. 1881 page 5 b,c.
Ancestry – 1891 Census – Birkdale, Lancashire
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 5th Jan.1898, Birkdale St James.
Ancestry – 1901 Census – Birkdale, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1891 Census – Southport, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1891 Census –Ardingley, Sussex
Ancestry – Deaths 1901 Cuckfield, Sussex.
Wigan Examiner 13th. July 1901 page 5.
Wigan Examiner 17th. July 1901 page 3.
Wigan Observer 17th. July 1901 page 5.
Ancestry – National Probate Calendar, Liverpool, 17th. August 1901
Wigan Observer 24th. Aug. 1901 page 5 g.
Vic Rawlinson