1935 THOMAS SMITH
Tom Smith was born in Whelley on 16 October 1881, and was baptised on 25 September 1882 at St Catherine’s. His parents were Robert, a collier, and Alice. The family was living at 3 Bradshaw St, Whelley. For the rest of his life, Tom lived in or near Whelley.
He was married on 12 June 1905 at St Thomas’s. His wife, Margaret Alice (Gibson), was born on 27 June 1882 and had been baptised at St Thomas’s.
By 1911 the couple had one son, William Gibson Smith, and were living at 10 Cross Street. Tom was an agent for a life insurance company.
During WWl Tom served in the infantry for 4 and a half years with the King’s Royal Rifles and the London Regiment. He was wounded three times, once at the Somme, and was awarded the Military Medal. The medal (instituted in 1916 and superseded by the Military Cross in 1933) was awarded to other ranks for “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire”.
He was elected mayor for 1936. As mayor-designate, the Wigan Observer stated that he had been sub-postmaster at Chapel Lane Post Office for 12 years, and was an active member of the Sub-Postmasters Federation. He was a prominent member of St Thomas’s church. The family lived at 115 Chapel Lane.
The profile continued to describe Tom. He was a Conservative councillor representing St Thomas ward. The writer believed that he deserved the honour of becoming mayor because of his long record of public service in the town. “Anything calculated to promote the public welfare has had a ready champion in Councillor Smith: he has made a deep study of municipal affairs, and during his fifteen years on the Council he has laboured for the good of Wigan and its people with a quiet zeal and enthusiasm characteristic of his personality”. He had served on most committees, and at the time of his election he chaired the Cemetery committee and was and vice-chairman of the Cleansing committee. He had served as vice-chairman of the School Attendance sub-committee for 10 years.
During his mayoralty, it fell to him to lead the official marking of the accession of King Edward Vlll, which the council minutes recorded thus:
The Mayor, Members of the Council, Officials, and others…proceeded to the Entrance to the Town Hall at the corner of King Street and Rodney Street, where a large number of the public had assembled to hear the reading by the Mayor of the Proclamation of King Edward Vlll as King in succession to the late King George V. The number of persons who had assembled…was very large, particularly considering that the only intimation which it had been possible for the Town Clerk to give was a Notice sent out by Sandwich-board men, who paraded the town during the morning.
The reading by the Mayor of the Royal Proclamation was preceded by Buglers sounding the Salute. At the conclusion of the reading of the Royal Proclamation the National Anthem was sung.
In 1939 the family was still living in Chapel Lane. Their son William’s occupation was listed a powder mixer in a colliery explosive factory. The two daughters, Ethel and Norma also lived at home.
Thomas died on 26 January 1954 and is buried in Lower Ince cemetery. Margaret died on 12 November 1959, and shares the same grave.