Andrew Ormesher - The Mayors of Bolton Directory

He was a coal miner for 20 years from leaving school and then worked for the railways from 1926. He began working on the maintenance of the permanent way with a Wigan gang and then became lengthman on what was known as the Westhoughton length – from Westhoughton to Crow Nest Junction.

During the Second World War, he was an organizer for the Railway Home Guard.

For the last 10 years of his railway service, from 1947 to 1957, he was a ganger.

Represented Central Ward in 1946-55.

In addition to being Chairman of the Council in 1949, he was the Chairman of General Purposes and Health and Highways.  His interest in young people was reflected in the fact that he became Vice-Chairman of the Divisional Education Executive. He was also Chairman of the Youth Employment Committee and the Old People's Welfare Committee and later he held an official position with the Westhoughton branch of the Old Age Pensioners Federations.

He retired from public life in 1955.

"A genial and kindly man for whom nothing was too much trouble..." This  comment was actually made in May 1950, at the end of his term of service as Chairman of the Council and it was typical, not only of his Council work, but of his life in many other ways. (Westhoughton and Horwich Journal, Friday, 20 March 1970).

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