Farnworth 1863-1974

The township or civil parish was in Lancashire.

Farnworth Local Board of Health 1863-1899

Farnworth Local Board of Health was established in 1863.

Farnworth Urban District Council 1899-1939

In 1898 the area of the Local Board became Farnworth Urban District Council.

Farnworth Municipal Borough 1939-1974

In 1939 Farnworth became a Municipal Borough, electing a Mayor each year.

 

*Insert Badge presented to Past Mayor of Farnworth Municipal Borough Council.

*Insert Badge presented to Past Mayoress of Farnworth Municipal Borough Council.

 

Bolton Metropolitan Borough 1974-

In 1974 Farnworth became part of Bolton Metropolitan Borough.

Farnworth's Civic Heritage

Presentation of Chairman's Chain

The Chairman's chain of office was presented to the Farnworth District Council at their meeting on 4 August 1914.

William and Arthur Watson presented the Chain of Office to the Chairman for the time being, on their own behalf and their brother, Alfred Watson of Southport.

William Watson remarked "that for 50 years the Chairman of Councils had run loose and they thought the present an opportune time to chain him up."

They decided to present the chain to celebrate the Jubilee of the opening of Farnworth Park.

The Watson Family

The three brothers were the sons of Joseph Watson, a former member of the Local Board. William Watson was Chairman of the Finance Committee of Worsley Council.

Alfred Watson had been a member of Farnworth Council but had had to leave when he moved to Southport.

Arthur Watson was also elected to the Council but didn't take up his seat. In making the presentation to the Council they said that they were not sure they had a right to do so but their family were all connected with the Council and served in different ways.

Description of the Chain

It was executed in solid wrought 9ct gold and consisted of ten medallions surrounded by richly modelled scrolls, connected by an equal number of rosettes artistically chased and symbolical of the Lancashire Rose, linked together by a hand wrought chain.

From the middle hung a large badge, also in hand wrought gold, with the Farnworth coat of arms beautifully enamelled in 5 colours. On the reverse side of the latter was the inscription "Council's Jubilee 1913. Presented to Farnworth Urban District Council by William, Alfred and Arthur Watson. Park Jubilee 1914."

William Boyes Richardson, Chairman, said he "believed he was right in saying it was inspired by the fact that at the recent Civic visit to the Parish Church there was some difficulty on the part of at least a few of those who witnessed it in distinguishing the Chairman."

 

Chairmen + Mayors of Farnworth 1868-1974

Chairmen of Farnworth Local Board

1863   Alfred Barnes 1864   Alfred Barnes 1865   Alfred Barnes 1866   Alfred Barnes 1867   David Crossley 1868   John Hindley 1869   Alfred Topp 1870   William Barton Whittam 1871   William Barton Whittam 1872   John Greenhalgh 1873   John Greenhalgh 1874   John Greenhalgh 1875   Alfred Topp 1876   Alfred Topp 1877   Alfred Topp 1878   Alfred Barnes 1879   Alfred Barnes 1880   William Barton Whittam 1881   James Nuttall 1882   James Nuttall 1883   James Nuttall 1884   James Nuttall 1885   Joseph Winter 1886   George Foster 1887   George Foster 1888   John Clelland Clarke 1889   John Clelland Clarke 1890   John Clelland Clarke 1891   John Clelland Clarke 1892   John Clelland Clarke 1893   John Clelland Clarke 1895   Nathaniel Nicholson 1896   Nathaniel Nicholson 1897   Thomas Ivers 1898   Thomas Ivers

Chairmen of Farnworth Urban District Council

1899   William Sumner 1900   William Sumner 1901   Alfred Topp 1902   Alfred Topp 1903   Alfred Topp 1904   Thomas Ivers 1905   Thomas Ivers 1906   Thomas Stanley 1907   Thomas Stanley 1908   Thomas Stanley 1909   Frederick Whittaker 1910   Frederick Whittaker 1911   Frederick Whittaker 1912   Charles Young 1913   Charles Young 1914   William Boyes Richardson 1915   James Stones 1916   James Stones 1917   James Stones 1918   James Stones 1919   John Chadwick 1920   John Chadwick 1921   Charles Strathnairn Jackson 1922   Charles Strathnairn Jackson 1923   Richard Henry Cunliffe 1924   Richard Henry Cunliffe 1925   Thomas White 1926   Walter Robert Winter 1927   Walter Robert Winter 1928   Harry Barnes 1929   Harry Barnes 1930   John Wilcockson 1931   John Wilcockson 1932   George Tomlinson 1933   George Tomlinson 1934   James Stevenson 1935   James Stevenson 1936   Samuel Taylor 1937   Samuel Taylor 1938   Alfred Jones

Mayors of the Municipal Borough of Farnworth

1939   John Wilcockson 1940   James Stevenson 1941   Alfred Jones 1942   William McManus 1943   John Heathcoate 1944   Jesse Seddon 1945   Richard Ralphson 1946   Harold Greenwood Holland 1947   James Albert Dean1948   James Albert Dean 1949   William Welsby 1950   John Brooks 1951   George Henry Wilson 1952   Richard Matthews 1953   Harold Armitage 1954   Robert Neary 1955   James Melville White 1956   James Wilfred Geere 1957   John Glanville Seddon 1958   George Benyon 1959   John Higgins 1960   Albert Samuel Royse 1961   Herbert Brindle 1962   Philip Smith 1963   Phillip Norfield 1964   Sydney Stout 1965   George Kenyon Brown 1966   Norman Topping 1967   Charles Brendan Callaghan 1968   Lawrence Francis Cunliffe 1969   Joseph Wild 1970   Leonard Haslam 1971   William Hardman 1972   Elizabeth Brown 1973   Joseph Kenneth Flanagan