1998 SAMUEL LITTLE (1920-2003)
Samuel Little was born on 11 December 1920 in Chester-le-Street, Durham. His father Archibald was a miner. The 1921 census shows that his father was employed at Dee pit, owned by the Lambton & Hetton Coal Co., and was ‘locked out’. (On 31 March 1921 coalmines were returned to private ownership. The miners' union refused to accept the owners' new terms, and on 1 April 1921 one million British miners were locked out. The lockout lasted for three months, with the miners returning to work in early July 1921.) Samuel started work as a miner at the age of 14.
The 1939 Register reveals that Samuel was still living in Chester-le-Street, and was an assistant colliery weighman above ground.
The following year he moved to Tyldesley and served in the fire service during the war.
In 1943 he married Nancy Nolloth (b. 3 December 1921) in Durham. They were married for 59 years and had two sons.
After the war, Samuel spent another 20 years as a miner and NUM official. Later he joined Stotherts manufacturing chemists in Atherton, retiring in 1983.
He served 40 years as a councillor with Tyldesley borough council and Wigan MBC. His particular interest was in housing; he was a member of the National Housing and Town Planning Council for 21 years, and was chairman in 1989.
In 1998 he was elected as mayor. During that year, he was involved in the demolition of unpopular maisonettes in Scholes in 1998.
In 1999 he became an alderman. Apart from his council activities he was the governor of many schools; he was President of Tyldesley brass band from 1970 to 1975; and he was an active member of St George’s church.
He died on 04 January 2003.