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Burgesses of tbe JSorougb of Bltrtncbam on tbe occasion of tbe presentation to tbe ZTown of its

Charter of incorporation tbe Xorfc^Xientenant of tbe County palatine of Chester

Sir MiUiam Bromle^Davenport IR.C.aS.. C./ID.©., C.JB.E., U.S.©., Xt.TD. 3lst 1937 ARMORIAL BEARINGS FOR THE NEW BOROUGH OF ALTRINCHAM

ARMS Azure in chief two garbs and in base a cog-wheel or. CREST On a wreath of the colours a lion passant guardant or supporting with the dexter forepaw a staff gules the truck gold flying therefrom a banner azure charged with a cornucopia fessewise of the first of the fruit proper.

SUPPORTERS On the dexter side, A Unicorn ermine armed maned and unguled or gorged with a collar gules pendent therefrom by a chain of the last an escut- cheon barry of 6 argent and axure. On the sinister side, A Lion or gorged with a collar gules pendent therefrom by a like chain an escutcheon quarterly gules and or in the first quarter a lion passant argent. MOTTO Hltrincbam cn avant The new Arms of the Borough of Altrincham are as simple and dis- tinctive as possible, the shield, therefore, is not "over-loaded". The two wheatsheaves allude to agriculture and farming, and the simple wheel in the base of the shield symbolises Altrincham's engineering industries. The Crest shows a lion passant guardant, similar to a Lion of England, and, being Coronation year, this is not inappropriate. The lion supports a banner on which is a cornucopia, the emblem of abundance. This refers to the sentiments expressed in the former motto of the town, "Pax et Abundantia". The Supporters are, on the Dexter, one of the unicorns of the Earl of Stamford, carrying a shield of his Arms. On the Sinister is the Massey lion, carrying a shield of the Arms of Massey, which are the old Arms formerly used by Altrincham. The Compartment, on which the supporters stand, is suitably strewn with red, white and blue flowers, in reference to the market-gardening activities of the Borough. In addition the design has a helmet and mantling supporting the Crest. The new Arms appear on the Cover of this Book. THE LORD-LIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY PALATINE OF CHESTER SIR WILLIAM BROMLEY-DAVENPORT, K.C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O., T.D.

Page Tee MESSAGE FROM THE CHARTER MAYOR IS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI has been pleased to grant to Altrincham a Charter of Incorporation, thus raising our town to the status of a municipal borough. Many years ago, in the reign of Edward I, Altrincham received a Charter from Hamon de Massey, a Norman baron, whose family became estab- lished at Dunham shortly after the Conquest. In those far off days the great barons had powers equal or almost equal to those of the King. Today the King alone has the right to grant a Charter and he exercises this right on the advice of his Ministers. It is a happy thing that the granting of Altrincham's new Charter should coincide with the beginning of a new reign, a reign which we all hope and pray may be long and peaceful and prosperous, and filled with blessings for our King and Queen. As a new chapter is beginning in the history of England, so is a new chapter opening in the history of Altrincham. We are proud of the fact that our town is such an ancient one and we gratefully remember today those who in past centuries and down to our own times have built up the honourable traditions of good citizenship and service to the community which we now inherit. The well-known patriot of the 18th century, Edmund Burke, once said, "People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors". Today we stand looking down the centuries that are past, full of reverence and regard for what those who have gone before us have accomplished. We turn towards the future with courage and with the determination to apply to the problems of our own time those qualities of patience and common sense which our ancestors applied to the problems which faced them. It is a mistake to imagine that the government of a town rests entirely in the hands of elected councillors, however devoted, and expert officials, however zealous. Both councillors and officials will be stimulated to even better work if they know that they have behind them an intelligent and active public opinion. All citizens, old and young, may play their part in the government of their town. That is what I hope will happen in ever stronger measure when Altrincham becomes a municipal borough. Our new motto, said to be derived from a Norman source, is "Altrincham en avant". Altrincham leads the way! There is an aim which we all can keep before us and which by united effort we can achieve.

Page Four THE CHARTER MAYOR. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ROGER GREY, EARL OF STAMFORD, D.L., J.P.

Page Fe ALTRINCHAM EN AVANT!

LTRINCHAM leads the way ! A fitting motto for the young Borough that, by gracious royal assent, has arisen to shine with new lustre and the highest hopes for the future. Few towns can show such a record of progress, from the days of narrow streets and small number of inhabitants. Indeed, it would seem apparent that destiny has had a hand in the shaping of the modern Altrincham, and has guided with a profound accuracy the generations of men who have ruled its affairs, from the far off time when the great baron Hamon de Massey, in the year 1290, gave "his town of Altringham" a charter. Through all those centuries, Altrincham has progressed. It was the inevitable centre of the district which embraced green slopes, leafy lanes, pastoral dales and market gardens, and the coming of the railway revealed it as a most pleasant home for the men who commerced in the neighbouring city of Manchester. When the young Queen Victoria ascended her throne Altrincham comprised less than 3,000 people, whereas today its inhabitants number over 36,000. Forms of Government have come and gone — the Court Leet, the Vestry, the Local Board of Health, the Urban District Council — and now, after much loyal hoping, the district has been incorporated a Municipal Borough. The story of Altrincham is that of a torch, handed from eager hand to eager hand, ever borne steadily, ever aflame with a lawful ambition to rise. None can gainsay that throughout the years the town has been ruled wisely. The years that swept away the ancient landmarks have brought the stately streets, the fine public buildings, the open spaces of the public parks, the sagely developed municipal services. An account of those years, brought to happy fruition, the narrative of the ancient town's rise towards the fulfilment of its high destiny — these are the gist of this, the Royal Charter book, which portrays by words and pictures the solid foundation upon which is built the motto of the new Borough's coat-of-arms — ALTRINCHAM LEADS THE WAY! THE DEPUTY CHARTER MAYOR COUNCILLOR WILLIAM WATERHOUSE

Page een SOME ACCOUNT OF ANCIENT ALTRINCHAM Situated on the Romanised British Road called Watling Street, which runs from Chester to Manchester, and known where it traverses Altrincham as Dunham Road and Church Street, the town derives its name from Erse and Anglo-Saxon sources — a descrip- tive name, indicating a town in a high position. The town is of the ancient fee of the Barons of Dunham Massey, one of whom, Hamon de Massey, in the year 1290 (circa) granted a charter, making it a Free Borough, instituting Burgesses and granting them a Gild Mercatory. With the signature of that Charter the town commenced its constitu- tional existence. In it, the name was written Altringham, as it is pronounced; the actual change of spelling came into usage about the year 1800, for the Lord of the Manor has in his archives a number of old maps which narrow the time of the change to the date given. That Charter, written in the quaint monkish Latin of the period, has been preserved, and is open to inspection in the Central Public Library. Freedom dawned for the burgesses of the township with its granting; the Lord of the Manor relaxed much of his power, and government by the Court Leet began. It has been the practice to elect a Mayor, by a jury of burgesses, since the first authority to do so in 1290, and a list of the names of the mayors has been preserved since 1452. By an indenture dated the 25th November, 1699, certain lands were conveyed to the Mayor, by George, second Earl of Warrington, for the proper use of the Mayor and his successors in office, and on the 7th November, 1716, a further grant of land was made to the then Mayor. The Charter, too, awarded a Fair, replaced in 1319 by the "Sanjam" (St. James's) Fair, held regularly and opened by the Mayor until it was abolished in 1895. The Mayor perambulated the boundaries of the Fair, followed by his retinue and flanked by his Constables, and orally proclaimed the laws which governed the proceedings. Government by Court Leet was hard but just, regulating the market and fairs — Altrincham has ever been a substantial market town — and its constables preserving the public peace. Constables, market- lookers, chimney-lookers, dog-muzzlers, ale-tasters, swine- lookers, common-lookers, bellman and the like, were assiduous in their duties, and women who talked too much and too maliciously were soon put into the "Scold's Brank", or bridle, that some foolish wight mislaid these many years agone. The Old Market Place was for centuries the centre of the township's life, and it was a snowy day when a party of Bonnie Prince Charlie's troopers rode into it on December 1st, 1745, to demand quarters at the "Red Lion" Inn. The Cross has gone, and the Market itself has been removed to a big home further away, but the Market Place THE CHARTER TOWN CLERK Mr. A. GLOSSOP

Page n THOMAS de QUINCEY VISITS ALTRINCHATVI remains as an open space much as it was, flanked with the old-world buildings that when dusk befalls, takes the man who stands there into the past. In 1802 the gaiety of Altrincham Market Place made a deep impression on Thomas de Quincey, when he travelled on foot from Manchester to Chester. He wrote:— ' 'When a child of three years old, and suffering from the hooping- cough, I had been carried for a change of air to different places on the Lancashire coast; and in order to benefit by as large a compass as possible of varying atmospheres, I and my nurse had been made to rest for the first night of our tour at this cheerful little town of Altrincham. "On the next morning, which ushered in a most dazzling day of July, I rose earlier than my nurse fully approved: but in no long time she found it advisable to follow my example; and after putting me through my morning's drill of ablutions and the Lord's prayer, no sooner had she fully arranged my petticoat than she lifted me up in her arms, threw open the window, and let me suddenly look down upon the gayest scene I had ever beheld — viz., the little market-place of Altrincham at eight o'clock in the morning. ' 'It happened to be the market-day; and I, who till then had never consciously been in any town whatever, was equally astonished and delighted with the novel gaiety of the scene. Fruits, such as can be had in July, and flowers were scattered about in profusion: even the stalls of the butchers, from their brilliant cleanliness, appeared attractive: and the bonny young women of Altrincham were all tripping about in caps and aprons coquettishly disposed. The general hilarity of the scene at this early hour, with the low murmurings of pleasurable conversation and laughter, that rose up like a fountain to the open window, left so profound an im- pression upon me that I never lost it. "All this occurred, as I have said, about eight o'clock on a superb July morning. Exactly at that time of the morning, on exactly such another heavenly day of July, did I, leaving Manchester at six A.M., naturally enough find myself in the centre of Altrincham market-place. '' Nothing had altered. There were the very same fruits and flowers; the same bonny young women tripping up and down in the same (no, not the same) coquettish bonnets: everything was apparently the same: perhaps the window of my bedroom was still open, only my nurse and I were not looking out; for alas! on recollection, fourteen years precisely had passed since then. "Breakfast-time, however, is always a cheerful stage of the day; if a man can forget his cares at any season, it is then; and after a walk of seven miles it is doubly so. I felt it at the time, and have stopped, therefore, to notice it, as a singular coincidence, that

Page Ten ALTRINCHAM COUNCIL

COUNCILLOR EDGAR WEBB, J.P., Chairman of the Council.

COUNCILLOR JOHN ROBINSON, COUNCILLOR R. H. LEE Vice-Chairman. COUNCILLOR W. G. H. BIDDLE COUNCILLOR THOS. FARRAR

COUNCILLOR JAMES TADMAN COUNCILLOR ALBERT WESTON COUNCILLOR SIDNEY NEWNS GARNER COUNCILLOR J. S. PEARSON

COUNCILLOR A. WHITLEY COUNCILLOR T. HARRISON COUNCILLOR W. BRADLEY JONES COUNCILLOR THOS. P. BELL-HOULDEN ANCIENT ALTRINCHAM (continued) twice, and by the merest accident, I should find myself, precisely as the clocks on a July morning were all striking eight, drawing inspiration and pleasurable feelings from the genial sights and sounds in the little market-place of Altrincham." The former dominant feature of the Market Place was the Butter Market, erected in 1684 by Henry Booth, second Lord Delamer, afterwards created first Earl of Warrington. Between it and the Unicorn Hotel was a quaint and unpretentious inn, with an insular position which won it the name of the "Roundabout House". It was pulled down in 1845. When the seventh Earl of Stamford, in 1849, built the Town Hall in the Market Place, he engaged the famous Peter Clare to construct a clock, who used as the gong to sound the hours the bell from the Butter Market. The clock and bell still strike the hours with the same musical note that has echoed through the air for over 250 years. The tale of those years, expressed locally, would fill many pages, so that the brief historian must needs take the merest peep at events. The first indication of great commercial enterprise was when the cutting of the Duke of Bridgewater's canal was begun in 1760, a few years later Altrincham was linked by it for industrial purposes with the wider world. It is interesting to note that with the cutting of the canal, the portion of the main road as it now exists from Sinder- land Road to Oldfield Road was made. Formerly the road went across the present Linotype Estate to "Two Gates" corner, along Oldfield Road, and out into Church Street. In 1845 an Act was obtained for the making of the South Junction and Altrincham Railway, and the first train left the town station at 8 o'clock on the 20th July, 1849. It was the merest hint that in 1937 there would be 5 railway stations in the town, and a daily service of 130 trains between Altrincham and Manchester. The little town began to stir when, under the Act of 1848, the Altrincham Local Board of Health was formed in 1851, although the Court Leet constables, in their trim blue coats with bright red collars did active duty in the town until 5 years later, when an Act of Parliament imposed the duty upon the magistrates of the county to form a police force. The Local Board wisely bought the market toll rights from the Earl of Stamford and Warrington in 1878, and the new Market Hall was opened in 1880, when with joyous accord the traders forsook the cramped quarters of the Market Place, and took away from it for ever that appearance of rustic gaiety that had so charmed the young de Quincey. The first public park, too, was opened in the same year, having been formed out of wild moss land, given by the Earl for the purpose.

Page Tweve ALTRINCHAM COUNCIL

COUNCILLOR THOMAS CLAYTON, C.C. COUNCILLOR T. C. HANDFORD COUNCILLOR WILLIAM WATERHOUSE COUNCILLOR ARTHUR VESEY

COUNCILLOR ARTHUR EDGE COUNCILLOR WILLIAM H. WALKER COUNCILLOR JAMES LEONARD WARREN COUNCILLOR C. APPLEWHITE

COUNCILLOR FRANK WHITELEY, B.A., C.C. COUNCILLOR S, DAWSON COUNCILLOR J. H. COSGROVE COUNCILLOR G. M. ROURKE

Page Tteen LOCAL GOVERNMENT The Urban District Council was constituted as successor to the Local Board, under an Act passed in 1894, and the town was divided into 5 wards, each with 3 elected representatives. A few years later the Town Hall was built, in Market Street, at a cost of £6,500, and opened in 1901. It was fitting that the arms of the ancient lords of Cheshire — Hugh Lupus, Hamon de Massey, Booth of Dunham, and Randle — were displayed in the stained glass windows of the imposing Council Chamber. Following the Altrincham Extension Order, in 1920, parts of Dunham Massey and Carrington were brought within the boundary, creating a new ward, and thus giving the opportunity to develop on Oldfield Brow an extensive Council housing estate of over 52 acres, part of which was given to the Council by the present Earl of Stamford to mark his coming-of-age. This estate has been laid out with delightful roads and crescents, and shares, it is claimed, that very air which refreshes the seaside town of Southport. Sixteen years later, in consequence of the County Review of Districts, Timperley and the urban part of Dunham Massey were added to Altrincham, taking effect 1st April, 1936. This mutually agreeable amalgamation resulted in an additional population estimated at 14,000, an extra 1,638 acres, and rateable value of £85,000. It is a happy augur for the future that this important event was being finally discussed in the Silver Jubilee year of King George V, and that the granting of the new Charter to the enlarged town, with its ancient traditions and contented people, should take place in Coronation year.

CONSTITUTION Altrincham was constituted a Local Government District in 1851, the governing body being known as the Local Board of Health, consisting of 9 members. Prior to that the affairs of the town were controlled by public Vestry meetings of the ratepayers and inhabitants. By virtue of the Local Government Act, 1894, the Local Board was superseded and Altrincham was constituted an Urban District in 1895.

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTORAL DIVISION The District is part of the Altrincham Parliamentary Electoral Division, and the number of voters situate in the town on the present register of electors is 25,157, while the total number of electors in the division is 105,992.

Page Fourteen PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL

A. GLOSSOP, CLERK OF THE COUNCIL H. B. CHYNOWETH, B.A.(ADMIN-), DEPUTY AND CHARTER TOWN CLERK CLERK AND DEPUTY CHARTER CLERK

HARRY E. BROWN, M.I.M. & Cy.E., H. RODGERS, F.I.M.T.A., A.S.A.A., SURVEYOR TREASURER

R. REID DUNCAN, M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H., JAMES E. CRICKMORE, A.R.S.I., MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR

F. A. MYERS, CHIEF OFFICER W. G. BOSWORTH, F.R.S.A., F.S.A.Scot., OF THE FIRE BRIGADE CHIEF LIBRARIAN AND CURATOR

Page Fteen GROWTH The following statistics show the growth of Altrincham since 1881: Year Population Rateable Value £ 1881 11,294 57,127 1891 12,424 59,660 1901 16,831 88,311 1911 17,813 101,301 1921 20,461 126,277 1931 21,356 149,436 1933 21,360 153,182 1937 36,133 283,150 EDUCATION The Cheshire County Council is the Education Authority, the local administration being carried out by the Altrincham, Bowdon, Hale and District Sub-Committee, upon which the Council has 6 repre- sentatives. There are 3 provided Council schools, and 10 non- provided. Park Road Council School has recently been opened, and there are now in course of erection 2 further senior schools, each to accommodate 480 pupils. At present there are 3,277 children in attendance at Elementary Schools. ELECTRICITY The district is supplied with electricity by the Altrincham Electric Supply Co. Ltd., and the offices, showrooms and generating station are within the town. By virtue of the Electricity Supply Acts the Council might have purchased in June, 1935, that part of the under- taking within the Council's jurisdiction, but it was agreed as to terms and conditions of supply of electrical energy in the district for a period of 10 years, and the Council resolved not to exercise its statutory powers of purchase. GAS The District is supplied with gas by the Altrincham Gas Company, which also has its offices, showrooms and works in the town. WATER Water is supplied throughout the district by the Manchester Cor- poration, in common with a large number of local authorities adjacent to Manchester, and a liberal supply of high quality is maintained. HEALTH SERVICES The Council maintains the health services upon approved modern lines. The Inspectorial department, in conjunction with the Medical Officer of Health, undertakes the control of infectious diseases, the protection of food supplies, the supervision of slaughterhouses, markets and food establishments, and the supervision of housing conditions and all matters connected with public health.

Page teen LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH OFFICES IN 1890

BELOW — ALTRINCHAM TOWN HALL IN CHARTER YEAR 1937 HEALTH An Isolation Hospital was opened in 1911, and has 34 beds. In addition to dealing with infectious diseases from the district, patients are admitted from Bowdon Urban District under agreement. A disinfecting station is provided at the hospital and is used by ad- joining authorities, while a special motor ambulance is kept for the removal of appropriate cases to the Hospital and bedding for disinfection. The scheme and report issued by the Cheshire County Council provides for the retention of the Isolation Hospital for the Northern Area, representing 10 districts with an estimated population of 121,782. The birth and death rates for the district since 1901 are:— Year Births Deaths rates per 1,000 of the population 1901 29-3 15-6 1911 23 0 15-8 1921 21 0 10-7 1931 15-1 11-8 1933 13-8 12-2 1936 14-5 12-0 MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE A scheme under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, is in active operation. A Child Welfare Centre is established and sessions are held twice weekly, while an ante-natal clinic is held twice each month. In 1936 a new Maternity and Child Welfare Centre was opened to serve the Timperley district. The scheme provides for:— Pre -natal care, including hospital facilities, free medical examination, and advice to all expectant and nursing mothers, general advice on the care and management of children up to 5 years of age, visiting children up to 5 years of age, treatment of minor ailments, ortho- paedic treatment, treatment of defective vision, squint, tonsils, adenoids, and by ultra-violet light. Rate-aided milk is granted at free or half cost in necessitous cases, and milk and medicinal foods are sold at cost price at the centres. Under arrangements made by the Council beds are available at the St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester, and at the Altrincham General Hospital. PUBLIC CLEANSING The Council's service for the collection and disposal of house and trade refuse is very efficient, and the organisation ensures that refuse will be removed from every house in the district at least once each week. The whole of the refuse is collected in motor freighters and refuse collection wagons, and is disposed of on land owned by the Council under the best methods of controlled tipping, an average of 200 tons being dealt with each week.

Page teen STAMFORD PARK ALTRINCHAM ENTRANCE TO JOHN LEIGH PARK ART GALLERY In 1934 the Council established an Art Gallery to provide loan collections, which facility was received with enthusiasm by the residents. In 1936 following a gift from an anonymous resident of the necessary funds, the Main Art Gallery was opened to present large picture and general art collections, for the interest and educa- tion of the public. A permanent collection is being formed, the Council making an annual grant to augment private gifts.

STAMFORD HALL AND ROOMS The Stamford Hall is licensed under Act of Parliament for singing, music, dancing and dramatic performances. The main hall is 71 feet by 36 feet, and seats 500 persons. The extensions scheme provides for new and increased stage accommodation, large crush hall, foyer, reception rooms, 2 large annexes, with a fine kitchen, and a private car park.

PARKS AND RECREATION GROUNDS The parks and recreation grounds total almost 60 acres, consisting of well-kept natural parkland, as John Leigh Park, and the more formal and decorative type represented by Stamford Park. Extensive recreation grounds are provided in the district. Sports facilities provided in the parks and recreation grounds include bowls, cricket pitches, football grounds, tennis courts, putting greens, and a sailing water for model power boats. Children's equipment consists of the latest apparatus for playgrounds, a paddling pool and an outdoor gymnasium set for adolescents. A municipal golf course — 18 holes — was purchased in 1934 and opened 1st January, 1935. In use the golf course has proved exceptionally popular. Timperley Hall now serves as a golf-house where refreshments may be obtained. The course forms part of a total site of 145 acres for the purpose of walks and pleasure grounds, cricket, football and other recreations. The Lord of the Manor has recently given to the town a pool now named, by gracious permission of H.M. King George VI, the "King George V Pool", and has also made available a charming rustic walk. On the northern boundary of the town some 6 acres of typical Cheshire woodland are to be developed as a public walk and pleasure garden. Three acres have been added to the Timperley recreation ground. Contemplated schemes would bring into use a wide belt of land extending from Stockport Road to Moss Lane, and including the Golf Links and King George V Pool, for recreative use. This would become the sports centre for a large area, and, together with the existing parks and open spaces, would ensure to the surrounding population for all time facilities for games and recreation consistent with modern ideas.

Page Twenty oa -t

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FACSIMILE OF THE ALTRINCHAM CHARTER GRANTED BY HAMON DE MASSEY, Circa 1290. Original to be seen at the Central Library.

Page Twenty-n JSorougb of Bltrincbam

(Lbarter of Jncorpo ration

GEORGE THE SIXTH, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India. To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting! WHEREAS the Council of the Urban District of Altrincham in the County of Chester did in the month of April One thousand nine hundred and thirty-five petition His late Majesty King George the Fifth for the grant of a Charter of Incorporation under Section 129 of the Local Government Act, 1933: AND WHEREAS pursuant to Section 130 of the Local Government Act, 1933, such Petition stood referred to a Committee of the Privy Council and one month at least before the same was taken into consideration by the said Committee notice thereof and of the time when the same was to be taken into consideration was duly published in the London Gazette and otherwise as directed by the Committee: AND WHEREAS pursuant to Section 130 (2) of the Local Government Act, 1933, notice of the said Petition was given to the Minister of Health and also to the County Council of the County of Chester and the said Committee of Council have considered such representations as were made by the Minister of Health and the said County Council together with the Petition for such Charter: AND WHEREAS Our Privy Council have recommended Us to grant a Charter of Incorporation to the Inhabitants of the said Urban District of Altrincham: AND WHEREAS Section 23 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1883, refers to the election by the Court Leet of the Mayor of Altrincham under the Charter of Hamon de Massey granted in the year 1290 and the Court has unanimously assented to the fusion of the Mayoralty of the Court Leet with the Mayoralty of the Borough: WE, THEREFORE, as well by virtue of Our Royal Prerogative as in pur- suance of and in accordance with the Local Government Act, 1933, or any other Acts or Act and of all powers and authorities enabling Us in this behalf by and with the advice of Our Privy Council do hereby grant order and declare as follows:—

Page Twenty- THE CHARTER (continued) 1. The area comprised within the urban district of Altrincham the boundaries of which are shown on the deposited map by a firm black line is hereby created a Municipal Borough by the name of the "Borough of Altrincham".

2. The Inhabitants of the said District and their successors shall be and are hereby declared to be One Body Politic and Corporate by the name of "The Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Altrincham" with perpetual succession and a Common Seal and may assume Armorial bearings (which shall be duly enrolled in the Heralds' College) and may take and hold any lands tenements and hereditaments which may be vested in them by any Scheme made under Part VI of the Act of 1933.

3. The Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the said Borough shall have the powers authorities immunities and privileges usually vested by law in the Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of a Municipal Borough and the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Acts and the Act of 1933 shall extend to the said Borough and the Inhabitants thereof incorporated by this Our Charter.

4. The number of the Councillors of the Borough shall be twenty-one.

5. The Borough shall be divided into seven Wards with the names metes and bounds specified in the First Schedule to these Presents.

6. Each of the Wards shall elect three Councillors.

7. For the purpose of making the Act of 1933 applicable in the case of the first constitution of the Borough and for the purpose of bringing into full existence and activity the said Corporation and Borough and completely carrying into effect the Incorporation by these Presents intended and for all the necessary purposes for which We may lawfully make provision We do hereby so far only as regards the Register containing the names of the Local Government Electors for the Borough prepared in the present year the first election of Mayor Aldermen and Councillors and first appointment of Town Clerk and Treasurer for the said Borough and matters connected therewith fix and order direct and declare as follows:—

(1) In the preparation of the Register of Electors in the year 1937 in pursuance of the Representation of the People Acts so far as relates to areas included in the said Borough it shall be competent to the Registra- tion Officer to frame the Register in separate parts for each area which will become a registration unit as a consequence of the division by these Presents of the said Borough into Wards and if the said Register so far as it relates to Local Government Electors is not so framed as to show the persons entitled to vote at an election to be held for any such Ward the said Registration Officer shall make such alteration or re -arrangement of the said Register as may be necessary for the purposes of such election.

(2) The Notice Board affixed near the outer door of the Town Hall Market Street, Altrincham, shall be the place at which any list notice or document required to be publicly exhibited, exposed or affixed is to be affixed.

Page Twenty-three THE CHARTER (continued) (3) Both in relation to the matters aforesaid and also in relation to any- such election as aforesaid which it may be necessary to hold before any election can be held wholly in accordance with the Act of 1933 Asa Glossop of the Town Hall, Altrincham, Clerk of the Urban District Council of Altrincham or in the case of his death, inability, refusal or default, Herbert Boyd Chynoweth, Bachelor of Arts in Administration, of the Town Hall, Altrincham, Deputy Clerk of the Urban District Council of Altrincham shall perform the duties of Town Clerk and further the said Asa Glossop or Herbert Boyd Chynoweth (as the case may be) shall be for all purposes whatsoever Town Clerk of the said Borough and per- form all duties which would be performed by the Town Clerk thereof under any law or statute until a Town Clerk has been duly appointed in accordance with the Act of 1933; and The Right Honourable Roger Grey, Earl of Stamford, of Dunham Massey Hall, Dunham Massey, Altrincham, or in the case of his death, inability, refusal or default, William Water- house of Aucklands, Grey Road, Altrincham, shall perform the duties of the Mayor and Aldermen respectively as Returning Officer, and of the Mayor as Convener of the first meeting of the Council, and of the Mayor or Chairman of the meeting for the election of the Mayor and Aldermen, and the appointment of the Town Clerk and Treasurer, and all the said persons shall be substituted in the Act of 1933 for the said Town Clerk, Mayor, Aldermen and Chairman respectively, so far as relates to the matters aforesaid and the said persons shall have the like powers and perform the like duties and be subject to the like obligations and penalties in all respects as the officers or persons whose duties they have under the directions aforesaid to perform by law respectively have to perform and are subject to.

(4) The first meeting of the Council of the Borough shall be held at seven-thirty o'clock in the evening on the ninth day of November one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven. (5) The first Councillors of the Borough shall be elected on the first day of November one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven and the first Mayor and Aldermen on the ninth day of November one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven. (6) The years and days specified in the Second Schedule to these Presents shall be the years and days for the retirement of the first Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors who shall retire in the manner and at the times therein designated. (7) Subject to the provisions and directions of these Presents and the Schedules thereto the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Acts the Act of 1933 and the existing law relating to the Registration of Local Government Electors and to Electors and Elections in Municipal Boroughs shall apply to the Register of Electors, 1937, so far as relates to the Local Government Electors for the Borough and the nominations, elections and continuance in office of the first Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors and the appointment and continuance in office of the first Town Clerk and Treasurer the first meeting of the Town Council and all matters and things touching and concerning the above and the dates and times in the said Acts mentioned in that behalf shall be (subject as aforesaid) the dates and times on at during, within, for or from which the matters aforesaid and the various Acts and things in relation thereto shall take place, be done, be estimated or be calculated. THE CHARTER (continued) 8. Except so far as is necessary for carrying out the first election of Councillors for the Borough and the summoning of the first meeting of the Council this Our Charter shall not come into effect nor shall the Municipal Corporations Acts or the Act of 1933 in its application to Boroughs extend or apply to the Borough until the first meeting of the Council. 9. In these Presents unless the context otherwise requires the following expressions have the respective meanings hereby assigned to them:— "Deposited Map" means the map prepared in duplicate on the scale of 25 inches to one mile marked "Altrincham Incorporation Map showing the boundaries of the proposed Borough of Altrincham and of the Wards therein" one duplicate of which is deposited at the Office of the Privy Council and the other at the Office of the Town Clerk of the Borough; "The Municipal Corporations Acts" means the unrepealed provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, and the Acts amending and extending that Act; "Act of 1933" means the Local Government Act, 1933.

(Here follows a description of the Borough and the Ward boundaries.)

SECOND SCHEDULE

Date of retirement (subject to Persons to Retire the provisions of Section 295 of the Local Government Act 1933)

The first Mayor shall retire on the Ninth day of November, 1938 The Councillor in each Ward who is elected by the smallest number of votes shall go out of office on the First day of November, 1938 The Councillor in each Ward who is elected by the next smallest number of votes shall go out of office on the First day of November, 1939. The Councillor remaining in each Ward shall go out of office on the First day of November, 1940 The first three Aldermen to go out of office shall be those elected by the smallest num- ber of votes and they shall go out of office on the Ninth day of November, 1940 The remaining four of the Alder- men shall go out of office on the Ninth day of November, 1943 THE CHARTER (continued) NOTE.— If any Councillors in any Ward or any Aldermen have obtained an equal number of votes or have been elected without a poll so that it cannot be determined which of them has the smallest or next smallest number of votes, the Councillors or Aldermen who are to go out of office at the times above specified respectively shall be determined by lot by the Mayor or Chairman at the first meeting of the Council of the Borough. Any such determination by lot of the order of retirement of Councillors shall take place after the election of the first Mayor of the Borough but before the election of the first Aldermen of the Borough.

IN WITNESS whereof WE have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

Witness Ourself at Westminster the seventk day of in the 1st year of Our Reign.

BY WARRANT under the King's Sign Manual. REGALIA

1. THE MACE 2. UPPER PORTION OF THE MACE 3. MEDALLION FOR THE MAYOR'S CHAIN 4. THE MAYOR'S CHAIN S. THE MAYORESS'S CHAIN

Page Twenty-seven REGALIA The new Borough of Altrincham is extremely fortunate, not only in the generosity of those who have presented its regalia, but in the rich quality and high craft of the design of each piece. THE MACE — Presented by the Earl of Stamford, Lord of the Manor, the Mayor, the Past Mayors, the Burgesses and the Officers of the Court Leet. The beautiful Silver Gilt Mace is the work of a distinguished English artist-craftsman — Mr. A. Edward Jones — who has made many important works in silver. It is 3 ft. 8 ins. long and weighs 100 ounces. The graceful shaft is delicately fluted, the terminal being enriched with repousse orna- ment. From the top of the shaft grow two richly modelled scrolls, supporting the knop, which is decorated by the wheatsheaf in repousse, symbolising the agriculture of Cheshire. Above the knop comes the shapely body of the Mace, which has, as the terminal and the knop, repousse decoration. On the lower part of the body is a border of lions passant, taken from the coat-of-arms of the new Borough. The main motif of the design, on the body, is the beautifully repoussed, enamelled coat-of-arms of Altrincham, with the old Court Leet coat-of-arms on the reverse side. The top of the body has a border design again symbolising agriculture. The whole mace is surmounted with the royal crown and orb. THE MAYOR'S CHAIN — Presented by the Mayor, the Past Mayors and the Burgesses of the Court Leet. The handsome gold chain worn by the Mayor of the Court Leet and now presented to the new Borough of Altrincham, has an interesting history. In 1758-59 the Hon. Booth Grey, son of the fourth Earl of Stamford, was elected to the mayoral chair when 19 years of age, and in his honour a silver medal was struck, with the Grey coat-of- arms and the motto "A ma Puissance" on the reverse side. This medal was mislaid, but was found again in the year 1866, when some effects were being removed from Dunham Hall, and Lord Stamford presented it to the Mayor of that time — Mr. John Astle Kelsall — by whose representatives it was subsequently given to the Court Leet, who decided that it should become the foundation of an official gold chain. It was enclosed in a larger medal, and the first link of a chain of solid gold was added to it. Each year (with a few exceptions) a similar link was added to the chain, which now has 48 links, and weighs 25 ounces avoirdupois. MEDALLION FOR THE MAYOR'S CHAIN — Presented by the Earl of Stamford. The coat-of-arms of the new Borough is richly illustrated in this exquisite medallion, now added to the Mayor's gold chain of office.

Page Twenty-e

REGALIA THE MAYORESS'S CHAIN — Presented by the Mayor, the Past Mayors and the Burgesses of the Court Leet.

This fine gold chain dates to 1902, when the Court Leet burgesses and officers presented it to the Mayoress of the time.

THE MAYORAL CHAIRS — Presented by the Mayor, the Past Mayors and the Burgesses of the Court Leet.

The principal chair, to be used by the Mayor, stands 7 feet high. It is constructed of oak grown in Dunham Park, and is in the Jacobean style from the design of Bernard Smith, of London. In the back of the chair is a shield bearing the arms of the Urban District Council, with the motto, "Altrincham en avant", and a plate affixed is inscribed "Presented to the Court Leet of the Borough of Altrincham by Edward Neild, Mayor, 1875/76".

The secondary chair is some 6 feet tall and its back is ornamented with the arms of the Earl of Stamford, surmounted by a coronet and the motto ' 'A ma Puissance

THE CONSTABLES' STAVES OF OFFICE — Presented by the Mayor, the Past Mayors and the Burgesses of the Court Leet.

The 3 staves, silver topped, and each bearing the date 1821, will be carried on civic occasions, in happy continuance of the loner tradition of the Court Leet.

THE MAYOR'S ROBES, of rich scarlet cloth, trimmed with natural Fitch and black velvet, have also been presented by the Court Leet.

CIVIC PLATE The civic plate of the Borough of Altrincham, to support the mayoral dignity on official occasions, has been presented by well-wishers, including leading industrial organisations of the town and members of the public. Acknowledgments and the names of the donors appear on page three of the cover at the end of this book. GLIMPSES OF OLD ALTRINCHAM

TOLL BAR, STOCKPORT ROAD — DEMOLISHED

16th CENTURY HOUSES, VICTORIA STREET — DEMOLISHED

OLD MARKET PLACE, 1st DECEMBER, 1743 (from Tom Colley's painting). Vanguard of Prince Charles Edward's army demanding quarters.

TUDOR COTTAGES, GEORGE STREET — DEMOLISHED TRANSPORT SERVICES The district is very well served for all classes of transport, having within its boundaries 5 passenger stations. Altrincham is an impor- tant junction on many long-distance omnibus routes, and a full daily service is maintained on all local routes. An extensive omnibus station has been laid out in the town by one of the operating companies, and, being adjacent to the electric railway station, provides an immediate link for passengers. The Bridgewater Canal passes through the district for a distance of over a mile, connecting up with the Manchester Ship Canal at Runcorn. PUBLIC BATHS Baths are maintained by the Council and were opened in 1901. In 1909 a further extension, providing a second and larger plunge bath, cost £4,483, and in 1934 a complete new filtration plant was installed. The present Public Baths contain 2 plunge baths, 13 slipper baths, and a laundry. Scholars are granted special facilities for swimming instruction. HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES The road system of Altrincham is of exceptional importance, for at the Old Market Place, the junction is made of main roads from the north and south and the east and west. The streets of the old parts of the town are well laid out and paved, although in the lately added areas much work in making up what are now private streets has yet to be done. The Council is vigorously directing its energies towards securing that all the roads, streets, avenues, drives, places and squares throughout the district shall provide the greatest comfort to all who use them. Recently the main road through the district — Dunham Road and Church Street — has been included in part of the national scheme of "trunk roads" and is controlled by the Ministry of Transport acting through the Council. The following table shows class of roads in the district:— Trunk Roads ... 2-34 miles County Roads, class 1 2-68 miles County Roads, class 2 2-10 miles Unclassified roads -18 miles 4 -96 miles District Roads 21 16 miles This does not include private streets. Total 28.46 miles Hale Road Bridge was widened from 30 to 65 feet in 1924 by arrange- ment with the Cheshire County Council, and is now maintained as a County Bridge. Altrincham Bridge, over the Bridgewater Canal at Broadheath, has been entirely reconstructed and widened from 40 to 64 feet. It was opened in July , 1935, and is a most imposing gateway to the town. For the future it will be maintained as a County Bridge.

Page Tty-

DRAINAGE AND SEWAGE The District is sewered throughout, and sewage is treated at two outfall works, both of which are on the banks of Sinderland Brook. The general system of purification consists of sedimentation tanks and land irrigation, but it is understood that a new method of sewage purification will be adopted in the immediate future.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND OFFICES The Town Hall is available for Civic receptions and Committee meetings. The Council Chamber is 36 feet by 26 feet, and can well accommodate a municipal council, officials and public. Office accommodation for several departments is provided within the Town Hall. The Stamford Hall and Rooms, George Street, are open for certain kinds of public entertainment and meetings. Plans have been prepared to re-construct and enlarge the Stamford Hall, and it is the intention of the Council to provide a dignified centre for public and social events.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES A library service was early available to the townspeople, in tem- porary premises, and in 1894 the Public Library commenced its work on the site of the present Central Library buildings, which were extended in 1928 and in 1936. The Council maintains a Central Library, 3 part-time Branch Libraries, 2 reading rooms, lecture hall, hospital library and information bureau. A new Reference Library was opened in 1936. The total stock exceeds 33,000 volumes, comprising educational and recreative works for adults and juveniles. Each winter a planned series of library lectures for children is arranged, and these lectures are attended to the limit of the accommodation. The library service has undergone a steady growth, as the following table illustrates:— Readers Books Issued 1927/28 2,323 63,155 1936/37 8,416 211,826 By agreement, the residents of Bowdon have been served since 1903, and readers from other districts are admitted to membership by annual individual subscription.

MUSEUM Part of the upper floor of the Central Library is utilised as a Museum, which contains many valuable collections and a room of pictorial local history.

Page Tty- ST. GEORGE'S PARISH CHURCH IN 1799 MARKET HALL AND COVERED MARKET

ALTRINCHAM WAR MEMORIAL AND ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH

BROADHEATH BRIDGE BEFORE RECONSTRUCTION ALTRINCHAM BRIDGE (RE-NAMED JULY, 1935) AT THE PRESENT TIME HOUSING Altrincham has been most progressive in the application of the various Housing Acts, and the Council was among the pioneers of the local authorities in Cheshire in erecting houses for the working classes. Before 1914 the Council had built 85 dwelling houses on the Urban Road Estate. Post-war activities have indeed been numerous, as the following list illustrates:— Gladstone Road Estate ... 24 houses Oldfield Brow Estate 407 houses Beaconsfield Road Estate 43 houses and flats Princess Road Estate 126 houses Oakfield Road Estate 12 houses Craven Road Estate 226 houses Houses in construction ... 38 houses Total 876 houses

Having provided these new and pleasant houses, the Council turned its attention to the unfit houses of the district and under the 1930 Housing Act a number were demolished under a re-housing scheme. More building and more demolition is contemplated. The Council has also advanced loans for private building of houses as follows:— Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts Advances Amount 119 £48,074 STREET LIGHTING The general system of lighting is gas, and has been so since the establishment of the Gas Works in the town, but it is the policy of the Council to adopt electricity as the illuminant for the main roads.

TOWN PLANNING A resolution to prepare a Town Planning Scheme for the area has been passed, and in 1932 a Public Inquiry was held. The Preliminary Statement of Proposals for Development was later, with modifications, approved by the Minister of Health. In exercise of his powers the Minister dispensed with the preliminary statement and authorised the Council to proceed direct to the preparation of the Draft Scheme.

CHARITIES Numerous charities are established, the principal one being that of the Mayor's Land Charity, which, after payment of administrative expenses and £45 reserved for the use of the Mayor, is distributed between the Altrincham General Hospital, Isolation Hospital and the Public Library.

Page Tty-s •SHI

COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS ALTRINCHAM PARK ROAD COUNCIL SCHOOL, ASSEMBLY HALL

CENTRAL LIBRARY, MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

PUBLIC BATHS, LARGE POOL ALTRINCHAM MAIN ART GALLERY CEMETERY The Council owns 10 acres of land acquired for the purpose of interments. The cemetery was opened in 1894, and has a chapel and registrar's house. ALLOTMENTS Approximately 13 acres of land are in use, having been purchased by the Council. The number of allotments is 206, and in addition the Council has leased 2 acres to an allotment society. FIRE BRIGADE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE The Council controls a highly efficient fire brigade, with 3 officers, 9 permanent and 16 retained firemen, 3 motor fire engines and 3 motor ambulances. The latest fire engine was purchased in 1937, at a cost of £1,566. Of 115 horse power, it is capable of pumping 1,000 gallons of water a minute. Since 1930 use of the Council's ambulances has been free to residents, by day or night, within the area. The ambulances may also be used free of any charge by residents for journeys within a radius of 10 miles, in cases of serious private illness. During the year ended 31st March, 1937, the ambulances were in attendance upon 1,770 occasions, and the brigade dealt with 40 fires.

MARKETS Each Tuesday and Saturday the Council holds a market, in direct continuance of the right granted by charter, while from time immemorial Altrincham has been noted as a market town. An imposing and commodious market hall was built, and opened in 1880. There is also a covered market accommodating 154 stalls, and an uncovered market on land leased by the Council, which holds 48 further stalls. The Market Hall and all stalls are lit by electricity. The receipts for tolls for the year ended 31st March, 1937, were £4,942.

SLAUGHTER-HOUSES The Council owns Abattoirs, which consist of 9 private slaughter- houses and lairs, and also a public slaughter-house and lair together with all facilities for pig-killing and the treatment of by-products. DEPOTS A well-equipped and commodious Town's Yard and Depot, centrally situated, is provided for the management and control of the Council's outdoor services. The various mechanical appliances, vehicles, equipment and materials used in connection with the work of the Highways and Cleansing departments are kept there, and the Council's team of horses is also stabled there. A workshop for maintenance work on the Council's properties is owned and maintained.

Page Tty-e GENERAL Altrincham provides the shopping centre for a large surrounding area. To assist shoppers the Council has provided 2 parking-places for motorists. The General Hospital, supported by voluntary contributions, has 100 beds, and effective facilities for X-ray, massage, ultra-violet rays, while there is also a rheumatic clinic, orthopaedic clinic, and a provident dispensary. The annual agricultural show, founded in 1862, is regarded as the largest one-day show in this country. In the diocese of Chester, the parish church is that of St. George, erected in 1799, and entirely rebuilt in 1896 and 1897. All religious denominations have places of worship. Altrincham is a head post office, and full facilities exist, there being outward mails weekly to the number of 455, and 401 inward mails, while there are 3,500 telephone subscribers.

COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL Altrincham has undergone a steady development from its early days as a village, when the gazetteers described it as "a market town notable for its carrots" which were grown on what is now The Downs. It is now the seat of considerable and important industries, and the centre of ever-increasing activities. In 1851 the spinning of linen thread and bobbin turning were the only manu- factures, and market gardening was the prevailing occupation of the labouring classes. The industries of today afford a striking comparison and an emphatic tribute to the growth of the town's importance. These industries are: — inter alia — Mechanical, electrical and furnace engineering, the manufacture of printing machinery, abrasive wheels and grinding machines, machine tools, sand-blast apparatus, air compressors, gauges, tin canisters, automatic scales and bacon-slicing machines, photographic apparatus, wallpapers, roofing felts, matting, etc. Additionally there are chemical manufactories, clothing factories, timber merchants, flour millers and bakeries, oil refining, public works contractors, coal-yards and wharves, builders' supply depots, etc. Engaged among the several industries mentioned there are many firms of world-wide reputation. The industrial area is situated in that district of the town known as Broadheath. Goods from important firms in that district travel to the four quarters of the globe. All this industrial development has grown up within the last half-century.

Page Tty-n CIVIC LIFE There is a distinct civic spirit in evidence, and a unanimous desire on the part of all inhabitants for the culmination of a long-seated and often-expressed desire for Incorporation. Pamphlets on the subject have been privately printed and debated for several decades. The various clubs, organizations, and associations, political and otherwise, whose spheres of activity lie within the district, have been most marked in the manner in which they have passed resolutions expressing their approval of the Council's seeking for Incorporation. Within the town there are a number of societies devoted to the light operatic works and the dramatic art, which have achieved marked eminence. One of them has contributed many thousands of pounds to the Hospitals, one has built the first "Little Theatre" for amateurs in Great Britain, and one is about to celebrate its diamond Jubilee. There are, indeed, associations and clubs which minister to every activity — physical and mental — of the population.

Relationships with adjacent authorities are harmonious, and this is very apparent, in view of the numerous agreements which have been reached, and Altrincham, it can be said with confidence, has never refused facilities.

The town has been marked by a most progressive spirit, on the part of both Authority and Residents. The latter have made careful and intelligent use of every facility afforded by the former, and several services of the Council have played a leading role in the educational and social life of the district. Throughout all the years the Authority has been zealous of its responsibilities and has not hesitated to provide judicious extension of its numerous services when there has been a demand or a real need. Visitors and deputations have not failed to see an atmosphere of general efficiency in all the town's public and private undertakings.

From tiny town to well-planned district, there has ever been strong pride of birthplace. Altrincham people, wherever they have fared, have thought with true affection of their native town, have lauded its virtues, the salubrity of its climate, the spaciousness of its amenities, and looked forward to the happy day when the Monarch, giving his royal approval to the Charter of Incorporation, should,' in simile, touch the ancient town upon its shoulder and bid it spring, knighted, well furnished and trim girt, to a new and very alorious future.

" ALTRINCHAM EN AVANT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CORPORATION PLATE AND INSIGNIA OF OFFICE T is with the utmost pleasure that the Council gratefully acknowledges the I following important gifts on the occasion of the Incorporation of the Borough. THE MACE — The Earl of Stamford, the Past Mayors, the Burgesses, and the Officers of the Court Leet. MAYOR'S CHAIN — The Court Leet. MAYOR'S CHAIN MEDALLION — The Earl of Stamford. MAYORESS' CHAIN — The Court Leet. MAYORAL CHAIRS — The Court Leet. CIVIC PLATE: En suite in solid Silver Centre Piece Altrincham Electric Supply Co. Ltd. Centre Piece Linotype & Machinery Ltd. Centre Piece Messrs. Ardern & Bull Ltd. Tea Service — Messrs. Hardy's Crown Brewery. Cigar Box — J. Grahame Harris, Esqre. Cigarette Box North Cheshire Amateur Operatic Society. Pair Bon-Bon Bowls The Mayor and Mayoress of Altrincham. Ink-stand — The Countess of Stamford. Fruit Dish — Lady Crossley. Fruit Bowl — Messrs. Luke & Spencer Ltd. Waiter, historically inscribed — Councillor Thomas Clayton, C.C. Cake Stand — Councillor James S. Pearson. Mayor's Toasting Cup Captain W. H. Carter, C.A., J.P. Salver — — Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. Tray — — — Ancient Order of Foresters, Altrincham and Bowdon I United Court, 1198. ( Salver — — Rotary Club. Flower Vase— — Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity, Altrincham Branch. Salvers — — Mrs. Edgar Webb. (Plate) — — Altrincham Chamber of Trade. Sauce Boat — — Alderman Tom Howe, J.P., Mayor of Sale. Spoons — — Mrs. Samuel Dawson. f Inkstand — — Timperley Electors' and Property Owners' Association. CIVIC FURNISHINGS i Oak Cabinet— — Altrincham Gas Company Ltd. t Settee — — George Faulkner Armitage, Esqre. Armchair — — Mrs. M. A. Hawkins. i Visitors' Book — The Sons of Temperance. Clock — — Altrincham Borough Bowling Club. Gold Fountain Pen — Mackie & Co. Ltd. (Altrincham, Bowdon & Hale Guardian). Gavel & Block — Altrincham & District Ambulance Brigade. Decanter and Goblets •Officers of the Council. Stainless Steel Ash Trays (12) — Councillor Sidney N. Garner. t Gifts from other kindly donors arrived too late for acknowledgment herein. The majority of the portraits were taken by John Ingham & Son, and were presented to the Council. Thanks are due to Harry Wilkinson, J. Lowe, and the "Manchester Guardian", for permission to reproduce copyright photographs.

THIS BOOK WAS DESIGNED AND COMPILED BY THE CHARTER TOWN CLERK (MR. A. GLOSSOP) THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN AND CURATOR (MR. W. G. BOSWORTH) AND MR. EDWARD R. CROSS. PRODUCED BY CROSS-COURTENAY LIMITED. MANCHESTER c