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 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
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