HENRY WOODCOCK J.P.
Mayor of Wigan 1859
Henry was born the son of Thomas Woodcock and his wife Elizabeth; he was one of eight children born to the couple, who were part of a respected and old established Wigan family. Thomas, his father was a banker who had founded the Wigan Banking Company (later to become Parr’s Banking Co.)
At the time of Henry’s birth in 1814, Thomas had himself served four terms as Mayor of Wigan and would go on to fulfil that role once more in 1817.
Henry was baptised 14th April 1814 at All Saints, Wigan, a church with which he would have a close ongoing relationship with for the rest of his life, and which that church would look back on recognise and acknowledge at the time of his passing some 77 years later.
This prominent family’s continued association and involvement with Wigan Corporation became significant once again when in 1832 fifteen years after Henry’s father Thomas had last fulfilled the Mayoral role, his elder brother John Woodcock was elected to the position.
There are comments in the press referring to Henry’s upbringing and the sense of social awareness and responsibility his father Thomas had instilled in his children.
Comments made about him at the time of his retirement refer to him as a “good citizen” and to the fact that the his home in Wigan would develop a “wide-spread reputation for its generous entertainment of the poor”
Both his father and his brother were trustees of The Free Wigan Grammar School, whilst unconfirmed; it could be assumed that this is where he received his education. He himself served as a Governor of the Grammar School in one of his public roles.
Henry on reaching maturity followed his father into the banking profession and began to become involved in other local affairs.
Henry’s first wife was Jane Marriott, they married in Altrincham in 1840.
At the time of the 1841 census the couple’s address was given as being in Standishgate, they are recorded along with the first of their daughters, Lucy who was then just five weeks old.
By the time of the 1851 census Henry was now thirty seven years of age and his wife Jane, thirty five. Henry confirmed not only his profession as Banker but also that he had other business interests as a Coal Proprietor.
They were living in Bank House on Wigan Lane
The couple had also increased the size of their family considerably as they now had six daughters.
It was at this time when Henry was returned as one of the representatives for the Queen Street Ward and so became involved in Wigan Corporation affairs.
Sadly, in November of 1854, Jane, Henry’s wife died at the age of thirty eight she was buried at All Saints, Wigan, on 27th November 1854
Henry’s involvement with the affairs of Wigan continued, there is evidence that around this period there was growing concern regarding the manner in which certain financial issues had been dealt with by the Council and indications that the critics felt that this was a consequence of cliques existing within the party political system which existed at the time.
Henry however had always taken care to remain independent in his thoughts and his actions when voting, he had avoided aligning himself to any political party or faction, hence his conduct in this regard had won the confidence of his constituents and it would seem the respect of other councillors.
Until this time, the process of selecting a Mayor had involved making a choice from amongst the leading individuals of the dominant party in the Council, which would have been the Liberals. For the year of 1858 however it was deemed advisable (a view presumably influenced by the recent criticisms) to deviate from previous practice
A preliminary meeting was held at which the Liberal members of the Council (who held the majority) agreed that Henry Woodcock should be requested to accept the office of Mayor and consequently there would be no opposition.
Hence after being elected a second time for the Queen Street Ward, Henry was selected for the dignified office of Mayor of the borough for the year of 1859 the formal election being made by the Council on the motion of Mr Nathaniel Eckersley on 9th November 1858.
After relinquishing office in November 1859 he continued to serve on the Town Council and to fulfil many other roles, he was warden of the Parish Church, Governor of the Free Grammar School, Treasurer of the Wigan Union and of the Savings Bank in addition to being Justice of the Peace for the County of Lancaster.
The widower Henry and his daughters had continued to live at Bank House and in 1863 he married his second wife, Emily Susan Bridson a lady 28years his junior (younger in fact than his Lucy Jane his eldest daughter) The marriage was registered at Swaffam in Norfolk)
In 1871, Henry and Emily were still living at Bank House together with three of the daughters of his first marriage to Jane and now a further two daughters and two sons from this second marriage.
The family continued to live here and grow in number until Henry retired from the active life of the town in 1878, when on 29th October at the last Council meeting he officially attended, speeches were made by party leaders recognising the considerable contribution he had made during his twenty seven year involvement, he was presented with the gift of a silver gilt ewer and rosewater dish
Henry was now sixty four years of age and Emily thirty six. The family moved from Wigan having bought an estate in Cuckfield, Sussex.
Bolnore House had been the home of one of Henry’s cousins who had recently died and from whose representatives he purchased the property.
Two further children were born to the couple following the move to Sussex.
Henry, although he had retired from his Wigan council involvement, continued to take an interest in the town and whenever he was able he would attend meetings of those institutions with which he remained connected.
He had developed some health concerns which gave cause for him to spend the winter period of 1990-1991 on the Riviera, returning home to Sussex in the spring of 1991. He was not in residence there at the time of the Census (midnight 5th April) but he was still a vice-president of Wigan Infirmary and there are reports that he had attended the annual meeting of its subscribers in April of 1891
Bolnore, the house in Sussex was to remain his home and it is where he died Friday 11th December 1891, his funeral took place at Cuckfield on Wednesday 16th December 1891.
An article in the All Saints Parish Magazine (January 1892) refers to his recent death saying:-
“Long connected with our church of which he was churchwarden for many years, and always both before and after his departure in 1878 took a keen interest in all that concerned us.
He was one of those who brought about the re-building of the church nearly 50years ago, and since then has given many a gift to the building in which he and his family used to worship.
He will be long remembered as one of the old family friends of the place”
Sources
Ancestry – Baptisms, Wigan 1813 - 1911
Ancestry – Free BMD Marriage Index, 1837 – 1915 – Altrincham, Cheshire.
Ancestry – 1841 Census – Wigan, Lancashire.
Ancestry – 1851 Census – Wigan, Lancashire.
Ancestry – Burials, Wigan 1813 - 1979
The Wigan Examiner Saturday 6th November 1858 page 2 column f.
The Wigan Examiner Friday 12th November 1858 page 2 columns d & g.
Ancestry – 1861 Census – Wigan, Lancashire.
Ancestry – Free BMD Marriage Index, 1837 – 1915 – Swaffham, Norfolk.
Ancestry – 1871 Census – Wigan, Lancashire.
Ancestry – 1881 Census – Cuckfield, Sussex.
Ancestry – National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations)
Wigan Observer Wednesday 16th December 1891 - Obituary page 5, columns f, g.
All Saints Church Parish Magazine January 1892