Rushden Research Group: Magistrates 1941

The Rushden Echo, 27th June, 1941, transcribed by Gill Hollis

New Magistrates for Rushden

Honours for Mr. Fred Green and Mr. Tom Richardson

Service to Town

Two of the eight new Northamptonshire magistrates whose appointments were announced on Wednesday are Rushden men, Mr. Fred Green and Mr. J. T. Richardson, members of the Urban Council and former chief citizens of the town.

Mr Fred Green

Councillor Fred Green has qualified for his new honour by long service to Conservatism, good work on the Urban Council, and interest in education.
It was after the last war that Mr. Green came prominently into the public eye, though he had been a director of the Rushden Conservative Club since 1906 and a director of Messrs. Green and Co., boot manufacturers, for many years.

In 1918 the Urban Council co-opted him for one year, and in 1919 he became chairman of the Rushden Conservative and Unionist Association. He still holds this office and he has become the senior director of the Conservative Club, his record including five years as chairman.

In 1921 he was appointed as a School Manager, and this work also has continued without intermission. On more than one occasion he has held the chair. In 1922 he became an overseer, and from 1927 he has served on the Wellingborough Assessment Committee.

Mr J T Richardson

It was in 1928 that Mr. Green rejoined the Council as an elected member for the East Ward, and from that time he has held the seat continuously. He was chairman for 1938-9 and made his year of office almost a whole-time job, having retired from business just before his appointment. He has had much experience on the Finance Committee.

On the Water Board Mr. Green has served since 1934 and was chairman in 1937-8. He is hon. Treasurer of the Wellingborough Divisional Conservative Association, president of the Rushden Spencer Park Bowling Club, and vice-president of the British Legion.

Councillor John Thomas Richardson is “Tom” to all his friends at Rushden and is looked upon as a loyal representative of the Labour interest, though by no means a prominent platform man.

Born at Raunds, he came to Rushden at the age of 17, having had an early introduction to the boot trade. He has been employed at the C.W.S. boot works since 1906 and for a similar period has been a member of the Boot Operatives’ Union. In 1935 he became a vice-president of the Rushden Labour Party, and about the same time he was chairman of the Rushden Industrial Co-operative Society.

One of the “safe” seats on the Rushden Urban Council is Mr. Richardson’s as a South Ward member. He has held it since 1928, and in 1936 he rose to the top as Council chairman.

Mr. Richardson has been a local preacher for about 35 years, is a deacon of the Park-road Baptist Church, and has a long record as a teacher at the Baptist Sunday School and speaker at the Men’s Adult School. He served with the Army in France during the last war.

The appointment of Mr. Richardson and Mr. Fred Green as magistrates for Rushden will be welcomed as meeting the complaint that the town’s few permanent justices all resided in the West Ward. Mr. Richardson resides in Harborough-road and Mr. Green in Queen-street.