Rev James Slade

Chairman of Little Lever Local Board: 1881-1893 (Died in office)

Born: Pitsford, Northamptonshire 1819

Died: St Matthew's Parsonage, Little Lever 3 February 1893

Educated: Dr Butterton's School, Wakefield, Yorkshire; St John's College Cambridge

Anglican clergyman. Vicar of St Matthew's Church, Little Lever.

Son of John Slade, second son of Reverend James Slade, of Dodford, Northamptonshire.

Nephew of Canon James Slade, Vicar of Bolton 1817-56.

His first Curacy was Wooton, near Northampton but he then came to Little Lever, appointed by his uncle, then Vicar of Bolton. 

He was Vicar of Little Lever for fifty years and during that time the Church Schools were built and enlarged and the old church was superseded by the new church, consecrated in 1867. The parsonage was also built as well as St Mary's Mission School Nob End.

He was Secretary of the local Relief Committee when Little Lever was affected by the Cotton famine of 1861-65. In 1867 he was presented with a silver salver inscribed " Presented to the Rev. J Slade by the Little Lever Relief Committee as a sincere token for his untiring service as Secretary during the Cotton Famine."

He was elected to the Local Board on its formation in 1872.

In 1874 he drew attention to the defective gas supply in Little Lever and used every effort to procure a safe supply of drinking water for the town.

He was a member of the Bolton Board of Guardians School Attendance Committee and for some years was President of Little Lever Cricket Club.

There are various memorials to him in St Matthew's Church, Little Lever.