Mayors of Swansea

[lesleycorlett]

Have just discovered I have a relative who was a  Swansea Councillor and former Lord Mayor of Swansea but can find no record of this. He died in 2011 and his name was Charles Birss. Can anyone help please?

[Hackstaple]

Charles Birss has an unclaimed estate so you may be in line to receive a windfall if blood related.

[KGarrad]

Welcome to RootsChat!

The title of Lord Mayor of Swansea only dates from 1982 - Charles Birss isn't listed amongst them?
The title of Mayor of Swansea dates back to 1835.

See a previous post: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=205737.0

[Hackstaple]

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=35944
Bernard Lewis has a list of the Mayors and Portreeves of Swansea. He is active on Rootschat.

Charles Birss was never Lord Mayor of Swansea. He may have been a Mayor before 1982 - quite possible as he was already 60 by that year. Although he is not listed as a Lord mayor we do find this:
http://democracy.swansea.gov.uk/Data/Council/20110203/Agenda/2011Feb03_-_Minutes.pdf

[aghadowey]

Well, they seem to think he was Lord Mayor!

Minutes of the Meeting of Council of the City and County of Swansea (03.02.2011)
155. CHAIR OF COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
1) Bereavements of Former Councillors
a) Former Swansea City Councillor and Lord Mayor Charles Birss who represented the Sketty Electoral Division for many years

http://democracy.swansea.gov.uk/Data/Council/20110203/Agenda/2011Feb03_-_Minutes.pdf

[KGarrad]

I checked the list of Lords Mayor on this Wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_and_County_of_Swansea_Council#Lord_Mayors_of_Swansea

Although there are gaps?!
1988-1993 and 1982-1983

[Cell]

Hi,
You probably have this, but I'll post it anyway as it may help:
Looks like he was born in Cheshire and must have moved down to Swansea

Birth reg -
Name:
Charles Birss
Oct/NovDec 1922

reg  district -Wirral
Cheshire
volume 8a  page 592
Mother - Hughes

 What looks to be his Parents marriage:
Charles Birss - spouse  Florence Hughes

Jan/Feb/Mar 1922
Reg district:Wirral
Cheshire
Vol no 8a Page:729

1940 reg district Wirral Cheshire,a  Charles Birss  dies  born about 1867.
1960 a Florence Birss dies Wirral Cheshire, born about 1891

Kind Regards

Ps , regarding the unclaimed estate ,why haven't Heir hunters traced his family? It wouldn't take much work if they obtained any info from the certs. There are a few Birss's marrying and dying in that particular reg district.

[Cell]

Hi again,
He was Lord Mayor between 1992 and 1993
There is a list of  the Mayors and Lord Mayors at Swansea archives site .

There's info and a portrait of him  at Swansea archives  (West Glamorgan archives).
Maybe you could contact the archives in Swansea, or perhaps someone who goes there regularly can take look for you ( I'm currently in Aus, so can't take a look for you, but I would if I was back home in Swansea)

Ref no- TC 19/80 
Council yearbook. Lord Mayor: Cllr C Birss (includes portrait). 1992-1993
Extent: 1 vol
Language: English
Access Status open
http://www3.swansea.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=TC%2f19%2f81&pos=1

Back issues of the evening post in 1992 to 1993 is another avenue you may wish to explore at the library. He's bound to have been in the evening post many times during his time as mayor. I  personally can't remember him ,but I never take too  much notice of who's mayor anyway ( except for one, (who shall remain nameless)  his wife was  my brother's teacher , who was mean as hell to him 

Kind Regards

[lesleycorlett]

Hi - thanks everyone for your help.
Cell - heir hunters have contacted me but are only interested in the family tree and not in the person themselves- just felt I needed to know more about Charles Birss. Think I may have found a photo of him from 1992 at the Swansea Christmas parade although not named he is dressed  like a Mayor. Hope he was nice and not like that school teacher!
 Am going to ring the Evening Post and the archives in Sawnsea tomorrow as I don`t live near - will have to make the trip down to see where he lived and worked .
Thanks again