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John was the only son of Thomas and Alice Ann who lived on Harrison Street in 1891. He had two sisters and at first they all worked in the textile industry. When John was 15 he became an apprentice engineer iron turner at Ashton, Frost & Co. and the family lived on Clifton Street. Then when John was 27 he married Annie Mayson at Christ Church on the 17th of November 1911 and they went to live at number 74 Carlisle Street. John finally worked for Clayton, Goodfellow & Co. leaving there in 1921 to take up his appointment as Trade Union Secretary of the Blackburn branch of the Amalgamated Engineering Union - a post which he held for 27 years. John was very interested in sport and a keen Rovers fan. He enjoyed bowling and in particular football where, for four seasons, he played full back for the old Crosshill Team and twice he assisted Lancashire against London County. Later he officiated as a referee in Blackburn amateur Sunday School Leagues.

John was an old boy of St. Peter's school and became a Labour member of the Town Council in 1923 representing St. Peter's ward. This he held for some 22 years until 1945 when he was then elected an Alderman. For ten years he was Chairman of the Watch Committee and took great interest in the Fire Brigade - in fact a fire engine was named after him. John was on the old board of management at the Infirmary, a J.P. for thirty years and in his fifth year as Chairman of Blackburn Magistrates. 

John retired as secretary of the union in 1948 after having been a member for 46 years and still living on Byrom Street. He died in January 1959 aged 76 leaving his widow Annie, their two married daughters Alice and Edith and their son Jack an accountant at the corporation. Probate was granted to Jack and the proceeds were £9070-17-3d.
Janet Burke

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Sarah Buckley​
First L​​ady Mayor of Blackburn 1946-47

Mrs Buckley Mayor023 image and headlines.jpgSarah Buckley was born on the 6th April 1884 to William Henry Hall and Betty (née Townend); the family also included another daughter, Elizabeth, and two sons, William and James. In 1891 they lived at 30, Milnrow Rd., Crompton and, in 1895, her father was the proprietor of the Coach & Horses Hotel, 1, Market St Crompton. On the 25th September 1907, aged twenty three, Sarah Hall married James Edward Buckley, aged 31. James was a mule spinner overlooker and they set up home at 2, Scar Lane off George St. Shaw, near Oldham. A son William was born in 1911. Very shortly after, in 1912, James took a job in Russia and their second son Herbert was born in Moscow during 1913. They remained in Russia for ten years and must have experienced troubled times during that period - the First World War and the Russian Revolution.

Returning home in 1922, James took the job of spinning master at Coddington's mill in Blackburn. At this point, Sarah began to show an interest in politics and became a teacher of the Conservative's Speakers class; she was Lady President of St. Luke's Ward from 1923 to 1933. In 1930, James took up the position as manager of an Anglo-French mill called Rodier in Pondicherry, India and Sarah followed three years later. She started a nursery there and as she was always interested in the welfare of women and children, she introduced a scheme whereby mothers received their wages for a period before and after the birth of their child. Whilst in India, Sarah kept up her position of teacher of the Conservative Speaker's Club, writing lectures and sending them home.

The family returned home in 1935 and lived on Ramsey Rd. Longshaw, Blackburn where Sarah resumed her great interest in local politics. She stood as a councillor and, at her second attempt, in 1937, she was elected for Park Ward. As a councillor she was able to help women and children by becoming Chairman of the Maternity and Clinical Welfare Committee and Vice-chairman of the Health Committee.

At that time she was also Chairman of the Women's Conservative Association, a member of the Central Council of the National Conservative Association and a Borough Magistrate from 1941. Sarah was also a voluntary speaker for the Ministry of Information. This very busy lady was a member of the congregation of Christ Church and the Enrolment Officer for the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), eventually becoming the organiser in 1950.

James Edward died in 1943 aged sixty seven; Sarah's son Herbert lived locally, in Accrington, and William lived in Luton.

Sarah was selected as Mayor in 1946/7 and became Blackburn's first lady Mayor. She created a record by becoming Blackburn's Mayor, deputy Mayor and Mayoress consecutively.

As a councillor there are many committees to serve on, and again, Sarah's interest in women and children came to the fore. She was a member of the Joint Hospital Advisory Committee, President of the Blackburn College of Midwives and Chairman of the local Maternity and Children's Welfare Committee. She was also a member of the Housing Committee and elective member of the Blind Person's Act Committee.

On the 31st May 1956 Sarah was awarded the M.B.E. which was justly deserved for all her work for the people of Blackburn.

Sarah must have spent most of her time on one committee or another and even found time to be a patron of the Old Contemptable's Association and Vice Chairman of the Disabled Service Men's Association. For herself, perhaps, she was President of the Women's Conservative and Unionist Association and President of the East Lancashire Luncheon Club.

In 1961, aged seventy six, she was killed crossing Bolton Rd. – the tragic end of a life devoted to the service of others.

​Article compiled and written by Janet Burke, Community History Volunteer. May 2018.



R​obert Sugde​n
Sugden, Robert, Mayor 1947-48033.jpg
Mayor of Blackburn 1947-48

Robert was born on the 28th of April 1883 to John Thomas and Mary Ellen. They lived in Beswick a district of Manchester. On the census of 1901 Robert, aged 18, he is shown to be a private in the army, resident at the barracks, Ashton-under-Lyme. He then goes to work for fifteen years on the city tramways and becomes the President of Manchester District Transport Union for five years. He served on the Area Committee of the Union and the National Executive Committee for Tramway men. Robert had joined the Trade Union in 1910 and came to Blackburn in 1924. During this time he was Secretary of the Blackburn branch of the Transport Workers Union and was the socialist representative for St. Matthews Ward. He served on the council for an unbroken 27 years and was made an Alderman in 1945. Education had been his main interest and he was a member of the Education Committee for 22 years being Chairman for 10 years. He was a governor of the Grammar School, the girl's High School and St Hilda's and St. Joseph's Secondary Modern Schools. When Robert became an Alderman his wife won the seat he vacated and retained it just before his mayoralty in 1947. This was the first time in the history of the 96 year old council that a Mayor and Mayoress had both been members of the council. In 1952/3 Robert was Chairman of the Association of Lancashire and Cheshire Education Authorities and on the Manchester University Court of Governors. 

The Queen was married in November 1947 at the start of Robert's mayoralty and on behalf of the borough samples of fabric had been sent to London for her wedding outfits. There was a two day holiday for the royal wedding and the election of the new mayor.

Robert had been the Chairman of the Education Committee for ten years and as a tribute to his work he was presented with a television set by Miss Armstrong, the Headmistress of the Girls High School. He had been on the N. W. Regional Council for Further Education, Chairman of the Peel Trustees and a member of the Helen Neville Foundation

Robert and his wife Sarah lived on Mollington Road but due to ill-health he resigned from the council in 1954 and retired to Bournemouth where he lived until his death in 1970.
Janet Burke
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Ronald Henry George Horne​​​
076 Ronald Henry George Horne 1949-1950.jpg
Mayor of Blackburn 1949-50

Ronald was the son of the Reverend William Horne who came to Blackburn from Upholland. He had been the curate at St. Matthews Church and the family lived on Queens Road when Ronald was born in September 1904. Ronald was educated at the Grammar School and became a solicitor serving his articles at John Taylor & Co. until 1929 when he started his own practice. In 1930 he fought unsuccessfully for the seat in St. Silas's Ward in the interests of the Ratepayers Association, he then joined the Conservative Party and won in St. Andrews Ward in 1931. He continued to represent that ward winning in 1934, 1937 and 1946. He had joined the armed forces in 1941 and was posted to the Far East, The troop ship he was on was torpedoed but he managed to get away and then spent 14 months in the western desert, 2 years in Palestine and a period in East Africa. Ronald was de-mobbed in 1945 having attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

On returning to civic duty Ronald was particularly concerned with the education of young children. He was chairman of the High School governors and the governing body of the Technical College. He was Vice President of St. Mary's Old Boys Association and took a keen interest in the Old Blackburnians. He was Chairman of the Gas Committee, the Fire Advisory Committee and the Rents Act Committee and formerly the Junior Imperial League. Ronald was President of Livesey Conservative Club and Chairman of Blackburn Footpaths Association. He was a keen tennis player and a one-time member of Blackburn and District Combination Football League. Ronald was a bachelor and although he had two sisters (one of whom lived in Blackburn), he asked Mrs. Sarah Buckley to be his Mayoress - she had been Blackburn's first Lady Mayor in 1946.  It was at the beginning of his 18th year as a councillor that he was elected to the position of mayor and was one of the youngest mayors for Blackburn. During his year of office there was an excellant scheme from the Parks Committee for the planting of trees by children and Witton Park was acquired for the town. Ronald was concerned about the question of a War Memorial and had hoped it would not be of stone but something more useful. He was also anxious for older people and their loneliness. He was made an Alderman in 1951.

Ronald lived at number 12, Dukes Brow and latterly attended St. Silas's Church. His father had been the vicar at St. James's Lower Darwen where Ronald had been an active member of the PCC and the representative to the Blackburn Diocesan Conference. Ronald died aged 64 on the 8th of April 1969 in Blackburn Royal Infirmary after an illness of several months. After a service at St. Silas's he was interred in the graveyard of St. James's Lower Darwen. The proceeds presented at probate were £11,684.​
Janet Burke




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