Charles Harold Beswick - The Mayors of Bolton Directory

He took charge of the family boot making business at 3 and 5 Churchgate, Bolton on the death of his father, Robert Harwood Beswick, in 1903.

Represented Heaton Ward February 1921- December 1935.

Borough Magistrate 1930. Alderman December 1935.

He was Chairman of the War Emergency Committee for his Mayoral year and Chairman of the Finance Committee after his Mayoralty.

He was Chairman of the Local Fuel Advisory Committee.

He was a founder member of Bolton Chamber of Trade and was President of Bolton Combined Traders Association (as it was then named) in 1911 and was also a member of the Chambers Executive Committee. He was a member of the Licensing Committee and a magistrate on the Juvenile Court Panel.

He was a member of the Bolton Local Committee of the Royal Albert Institution of Lancaster and the Council's Representative as a Governor of the Henry Mather Foundation.

He was the Honorary Secretary of the Bolton Liberal Association for 10 years.

Congregationalist. He attended St George's Congregational Church and was a Superintendent of the Sunday School and a Deacon.

"Harold Beswick was a very business-like Mayor. At his first Council meeting there were 22 sets of official proceedings to be confirmed. Alderman Beswick kept things going so competently that the clerks had difficulty keeping up with him." (Bolton Evening News)

"As Harold Beswick's Mayoral year was at the very beginning of the Second World War, he was very much involved with the War and the War effort. On Saturday 11th November the Mayor attended a very poignant Remembrance Service at the Victoria Hall instead of the usual Armistice observance in Victoria Square. The following day part of the Guard of Honour which lined the route of the Mayoral Procession from the Town Hall to St George's Road Congregational Church was composed of Special Constables each wearing blue steel headgear." (Bolton Evening News)

"Bolton's War Weapons Week was held from 26 October to 2 November 1940. On 8 November the Mayor announced to Bolton Savings Committee (which he himself had inaugurated) that the amount raised by the town was £1,371,713. (The final amount was even more - £1,402,747). There was a thermometer on Victoria Square which said "Thanks a Million." The Mayor said that no words of his could adequately praise the town's effort. A letter from the Regional Commissioner for the National Savings Committee pointed out that the figure of nearly £500,000 for small savings - almost £3 per head of population - was far in excess of the figure reached in any other town or city." (Bolton Journal and Guardian)

"On the last occasion when the Mayor attended the Borough Police Court as Chief Magistrate he was congratulated on behalf of those practicing at Court for the 'magnificent' result of the War Weapons Week. It was felt that Alderman Beswick's enthusiasm and energy had been the inspiration. The result was a credit to both the town and Alderman Beswick personally." (Bolton Journal and Guardian)

His wife, Mary (Ella), was Mayoress.

• About Bolton page (Area overview)
• The Mayors of Bolton page (Homepage)