1945-1946, Frank William Roberts, Mayor of Wigan

Frank William Roberts

Mayor of Wigan 1945 - 1946

Born 1894 Pemberton

Married 1917 Elizabeth Callaghan (died 1935)

Married 1939 Margaret Ruby Geeves

Died 1952

Frank William Roberts was baptised on 2^nd September, 1894 at St John’s, Pemberton. His parents Thomas Edward Roberts was a native of Wales and Alice Baron Cameron was from Pemberton, both at one time worked at the Roburite Works in Gathurst.

After finishing his education at the National and Blue Coat School aged 14, he got his first job working for Messrs Halliwell, a wine merchant in King Street, Wigan where he worked until he was 19 when he and his family emigrated to Wyoming, USA. After 12 months in Wyoming, Frank returned to Wigan due to ill-health. He was then employed by the Lancs & Yorks Railway Company as a porter at Orrell and Wallgate Stations.

On 4^th July 1917, he married Elizabeth Callaghan at St Mary’s R.C. Church Wigan.

He attended Railway Commercial Classes where he was rewarded with many honours. He was a member of the National Union of Railwaymen, and secretary of Strike Committees in 1919 and 1926.

In 1926, he was elected to Wigan Council and became a well-known member of Wigan Labour Party as a representative for Poolstock Ward, he was re-elected again in 1929.

In 1927, he was appointed Chairman of the Blind Welfare Committee and was also a member of the Education, Markets and Parks and Public Assistance Committees.

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Frank had an interest in sports, he supported Wigan Rugby Club and was Vice-President of Poolstock Cricket Club.

20^th November 1931, saw Frank appointed Deputy Mayor.

Following the death of his wife Elizabeth in 1935, Frank married Margaret Ruby Jeeves in 1939 again at St Mary’s R.C. Church.

On 12^th November 1945, at his first Council meeting as Mayor he appointed Councillor Mrs A.L.I Smith (wife of the late Thorley Smith) as the first female Deputy Mayor of Wigan, he presented his predecessor (Mr J. Holland) with an oak shield with the Wigan Coat of Arms to commemorate his year as Mayor and proposed a new electric power station at a cost of £4 million.

Events attended

16^th November 1945, an ex-servicemen’s musical concert took place at Poolstock Labour Club.

30^th November 1945, he was the Chief Magistrate at Wigan Borough Magistrates’ Court.

28^th December 1945, he was invited to a monthly meeting at Wigan College.

11^th January 1946, he attended the Wigan Borough Quarter Sessions where a miner and a soldier were both charged and sentenced for breaking, entering and stealing at Plank Lane Working Men’s Club.

28th January 1946, he held a special meeting involving the Wigan County Council bill.

4th February 1946, he attended the ceremony of Mr Robert Alstead, the chairman of the Wigan and District Local Employment Committee.

8th February 1946, he held a meeting concerning a protest against the use of sirens.

22^nd February 1946, he arranged a holiday week date for miners after they protested.

25^th February 1946, he welcomed 45 children from the Netherlands to Wigan when they arrived for their holiday.

4^th March 1946, he opened a cotton exhibition in Wigan.

8^th March 1946, he proposed a new gas distribution scheme.

29^th March 1946, he held a meeting involving finance.

26^th April 1946, he held a special meeting involving business.

10^th May 1946, he held a meeting involving the extension of corporation bus services.

20^th May 1946, he took salute at the Empire Youth Sunday parade at Wigan Market.

7^th June 1946, he held a meeting involving post war industrial development plans.

24^th June 1946, his wife (the Mayoress of Wigan) held a garden party at the Rectory Garden for the Ladies’ Committee of King George’s Fund for Sailors.

5^th July 1946, lead the tributes paid to the town clerk (Mr W. H. Tyrer) following his death.

9^th August 1946, he held a meeting involving the Corporation Employees and Trade Union Members

6^th September 1946, he held a meeting involving landlords and defective property.

4^th October 1946, he held a meeting involving Australian food gifts.

His year as Mayor ended in November 1946.

12^th of January 1952, the Wigan Observer announced that Frank William Roberts (the former mayor of Wigan from 1945 to 1946) had died.

Jak Taberner Volunteer