Joseph Heron


Sir Joseph Heron was a British lawyer, politician and administrator. He served as Town Clerk of Manchester for over forty years playing a dominant role in the city's growth throughout the 19th century.

Biography

Heron was born in Deansgate House, Manchester, the fourth of ten children of James Holt Heron, a cotton merchant. He came from a non-conformist family trained in Moravian schools. In 1838 he was handpicked by Thomas Potter to become the first Town Clerk of Manchester. Heron was unique amongst British municipal administrators due to his longevity and influence. He remained as Town Clerk from the inception of the role until his death in 1889 Amongst his contemporaries he was described as a consummate ruler of men, where his will was considered law in all civic matters and common public perception was that he was not only the Town Clerk but Mayor and Corporation all in one. He was instrumental in bringing clean water to Manchester by constructing the Longdendale chain of reservoirs – then the largest such project in the world.
He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1869 and in 1879 Alderman John King gifted the Manchester Corporation a bust of Heron sculpted by Warrington Wood. From 1879 he served as consultant Town Clerk, and spent his later years in Bournemouth. He died in Cannes, France in December 1889.