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Brentford Councillors - Thomas Layton
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.Thomas Layton (1819 - 1911)
Thomas Layton was a Councillor for over 50 years and was Chairman of the Brentford Local Board from 1876 and first Chairman of the Brentford Urban District Council in 1894.His name is on the dedication stone at the Sewage Pumping Station(1883), the Brentford Union Infirmary (1894) now at West Middlesex Hospital, Brentford Baths (1895), Fire Station (1897), Brentford Library (1903), Monument (1909), St. George’s Church (1911).
He was a coal merchant and lighterman and lived for many years at 22, Kew Bridge Road at the west corner of Kew Bridge.
It seems that aged 79 he was defeated in the Council election before he had considered retiring. As a result of this defeat he threatened that he would not leave his enormous collection of books, maps, prints, coins and artefacts that he had been collecting all his life to the people of Brentford. He was co-opted back as Chairman of the Library Committee and together with Fred Turner the Librarian was influential in having a new library built in 1904.
The story of his life and the collection that he left after his death can be found at www.thomaslayton.org.uk or the book Layton’s Legacy: Thomas Layton of Brentford and his Collection by Mike Galer obtainable from Brentford and Chiswick Local History Society.
Other material
Janet has also provided a photo from his time of serving as a councillor and newspaper accounts published during the run up to the 1895 elections. To be added as time permits.Page published August 2011