1952 THOMAS LYTHGOE (1899-1973)
Thomas Lythgoe was born on 24 April 1899. The 1901 census shows that his father, also Thomas, was the landlord of the Black Swan, 112 Scholes, and his mother was Mary Ellen, later to be widowed.
Ten years later he and his mother were living with his step-father, Samuel Ormshaw, who was the licensee of the Rope & Anchor in Scholes.
On 17 November 1914 he enlisted in the 5th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. He did not serve abroad, and a medical report showed that he had a period of breathing difficulties. However, he had lied about his age – on enlistment he was 15 – and was discharged on 29 March 1916, still underage!
He married Bessie Prescott, a weaver, on 31 January 1920 at St George’s in Wigan. She was a weaver at Rylands mill, and her father, William Prescott, was a contractor in local mines.
By 1921 they were living with Bessie’s family at 6 Vaughan Street. Thomas described his occupation as a boiler fireman at Walker Bros Pagefield Works, although the census also states he was out of work. At various times his jobs included being a coach painter for Northern Counties, Wigan Lane, and a clerk at Westwood power station. He was a keen trade unionist: the two occupations led him to becoming a member of the Wigan branch of the National Union of Vehicle Builders, and chairman of the Wigan branch of the Civil Servants’ Clerical Association (Ministry of Supply section).
The 1939 Register lists their address as still being Vaughan Street, with two daughters, Joyce and Margaret. (Two sons were born later.)
The previous year Thomas was elected as a Labour councillor for St Thomas ward. He served on numerous committees, and was chairman of the Planning and Development committee from 1949 to 1966.
Thomas was elected mayor in 1952. By then he was working for the North-Western Electricity Board in Bradford Street. He therefore had a particular interest in street lighting, so became chairman of the Streets Lighting Committee. In tributes at his retirement, people said that much progress on lighting was achieved because of him, including the replacement of gas with electrical power. He said that one of his happiest moments was when the lights were switched back on after the wartime blackout ended.
After his mayoral year he was made an alderman, at which time the family lived in Vaughan Street, later moving to Presst Grove, Worsley Mesnes. He retired from the council in 1970.
He died in June 1973. His funeral was at St Patrick’s church, and he is buried in Lower Ince cemetery.