John Chadwick - The Mayors of Bolton Directory

Departmental Manager at T Barnes and Co Mills and was employed there all his working life.

He was a member of the Ratepayers Association in 1904 and was elected to the Council in 1909, representing South Ward and latterly North Ward.

He sat on every Committee and for five years was Chairman of the Library Committee. He was also Chairman of the School Attendance Sub Committee.

During the First World War he was asked by the Board of Trade to supply confidential information about working conditions in Farnworth and was active on the War Pensions, Food Control, Fuel and Lighting and Bolton Recruiting Committees. During his ten years on the Council he never missed a single Committee meeting out of at least 1,200.

He was Chairman of the Central Conservative Club.

For 20 years he was scorer for Farnworth Cricket Club and afterwards was on the Committee and served as Chairman. He was also Club Secretary for 5 years.

He was a member of Farnworth Amateur Dramatic Society and a charitable pierrot group connected with Dixon Green Congregational School.

As a boy he attended the Congregational Working Men's Mission but later attended Farnworth Parish Church. He was an original member of the Mutual Improvement Society and, as a Committee member, was one of the conductors and organizers of their annual tours to Belgium, Holland, France and Switzerland, as well as to many seaside resorts in England. He was a Sunday School teacher and first Secretary of the men's class.

Sadly, he took his own life. His body was discovered in a lodge adjoining T Barnes & Co's No. 2 mill and the coroner recorded a verdict of "suicide by drowning whilst of unsound mind." His health had deteriorated and he had resigned from his position at Barnes Mill 18 months before his death. His son said "he had been depressed by the breakdown in his health."

James Stones said "Mr Chadwick was one of his supporters when joining the Council and it would be impossible to say how much he appreciated his late colleague.  He was full of enthusiastic service."

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