Harry Lowe
Chairman of Aspull Urban District Council 1961/62, 1968/69
Elected Chair 24 May 1961
Elected Chair 21 May 1968
b 1921 Wigan
Parents: James Arthur Lowe, Railway Porter of Wigan and Edith Alice Brooks of Hindley Green
m Margaret
children: One son
d 1978 Aspull
Harry Lowe was born in 1921, Wigan, (registered and baptised as Harry) son of James Arthur Lowe, a railway Porter, who had married Edith Alice Brooks in 1914 at Hindley Green. He appears to have been an only child. His father probably served in the forces in the Great War but no record has been found.
Harry was brought up in Wignall Street, Poolstock, where they were still living there in the National Register of 1939, available on Find My Past. Harry was described as a shop assistant C W A (Co-operative Wholesale Association?), his father was a wagon and carriage examiner with the LMS Railway.
He married Margaret and had one son, Graham.
In 1954 Harry was elected unopposed for Labour representing North Ward on Aspull Urban District Council, following the retirement of Robert Pendlebury. He was living in Bolton Road, Aspull, occupation grocer.
He was elected chairman of Aspull Urban District Council on two occasions – 1961 and 1968.
He became transport manager for Harvey’s Cale Lane Bakery before leaving to become manager of Boar’s Head Post Office in the early 1970s.
On reorganisation of local government in 1974 Harry was elected to represent Ward 16 - Aspull, New Springs, Standish, Worthington –on the new Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. He served as a member of the Planning and Development Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Social Services Committee. A magistrate for Lancashire County Council he became a member of the Makerfield Bench.
In May 1978 he attended the Annual Meeting of the Council and formerly moved the election of the new Deputy Mayor. That evening he should have attended the official reception for the new Mayor at Haigh Hall but, feeling unwell, he stayed at home where he died suddenly during the night at the age of 57.
Author: Peter Walker
Sources:
Aspull Urban District Council Minutes
Wigan Observer 1 May 1954 p5c Elected unopposed for Labour
Wigan Observer 29 Apr 1966 p25g Elected
Lancashire Evening Post 18 May 1978 p1h - Death
Wigan Observer 20 May 1978 - Death
Wigan Observer 19 May 1978 and 26 May 1978 – Book 9 p228 Obituaries
Post & Chronicle 22 May 1978 Book 9 p230 - Tribute
Ancestry.Com (Free at Museum of Wigan Life)
Findmypast.co.uk (Subscription required)