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Brentford Councillors - Ernest John Edward Spokes
Introduction
Janet McNamara has researched details of the men who served as Brentford Local Board Members and Councillors, see intro page for more details of early local government structure.Ernest John Edward Spokes (1874 – 1948)
Mr Spokes stood for election to the Brentford Urban District Council in April 1922 declaring on his advert in the newspaper ‘To secure The Wheel of Progress SPOKES must be there’. The wheel in the middle had SPOKES, Economy and Efficiency as the spokes.He was backed by the Chamber of Commerce who ‘profess a strong faith in him’.
He was proposed by Edwin J Clarke seconded by William Griffith, proposed by William James Bolton seconded by Benjamin Brown, proposed by Edward Luker seconded by Herbert William Hinton, proposed by Percy John Powell seconded by Robert James green, proposed by Albert Edward Moore seconded by William Flewitt, proposed by Bernard Gillingham seconded by Frederick Joseph Stannard.
His address was given as 30, Whitestile Road and he was described as Commercial Traveller.
He came 3rd out of 9 candidates receiving 875 votes (1 more than Mr Curtis who had been a councillor before).
He was appointed to the Baths, the Library and Museum, Housing and Town Planning Committees and his name is on the dedication stone at Boston Manor House when the Park was opened to the public in 1924.
Mr Spokes had been born in Crewe in 1874 and in the 1891 census was a 17 year old grocer’s apprentice living with his father George (43) and mother Elizabeth (42). There was also a younger brother Wilfred (13) and sister Edith (15) resident at 38, Albert Street, Crewe. There is part of a family tree and photographs of him and his family on the ancestry website.
In July 1896 he married Agnes Bowden – registered Brentford 3a 276.
By 1901 he had a grocer’s shop of his own at 67, Selkirk Street, Streatham.
Agnes was 31 and they had a 2 year old son Ernest G and were employing Wilfred G Spokes (23) and William Holloway (16) born in Wimbledon as grocers assistants.
By 1911 he was living at 30, Whitestile Road with his wife, Agnes, sons Harold (12), Ernest (11) and daughters Olive (8) and Elsie (3). The 3 eldest children were shown as ‘school’ and born in Tooting. Elsie had been born in Ealing.
Ernest’s mother, Elizabeth (62) was also resident.
He served for one term on the Council but worked for 41 years as a Commercial Traveller for Messrs J Kingham and Sons wholesale grocer of Kew Bridge Road.
He lived for 21 years in Brentford when he sang in the choir at Park Baptist Church and was a member of Boston Park Masonic Lodge. In 1929 he moved to 109, Wood Lane Isleworth where he died aged 74 in 1948.
Ernest John Edward Spokes of 109, Wood lane Isleworth died January 21st 1948 at West Middlesex Hospital. Probate London June 4 to Gerald Mordaunt Tobitt cost accountant and Sydney Walter Hooper company general manager. Effects £5,886.12.4d.
His obituary in the Middlesex Chronicle on January 30th 1948 lists the mourners and Mr Tobitt appears to be his son in law.
His death was registered in the March quarter 1948 in Ealing 5e 189.
Other material
Janet has also provided a newspaper cutting from 1922 (election advert). To be added as time permits.Page published April 2013