THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Town mourns the death of its first mayor

The News Letter carried the sad news that Sir Thomas Wilson who had been the first mayor of the Bangor borough and the first to be elected as a freeman had passed away at his home on the Princetown Road.

The paper noted that for past 12 months Sir Thomas had been in failing health and that about three weeks before his death his illness had taken a turn for the worse.

For many years Sir Thomas had been an active worker in the unionist cause and he was a member of the Standing Committee of the Ulster Unionist Council, honorary secretary of the North Down Unionist Association and chairman of the Bangor branch.

In 1921, when the North Down Parliamentary division was rendered vacant by the appointment of Mr T W Brown KC to a judgeship in the Ulster Law Courts, Sir Thomas, who was then Mr Wilson, was proposed as the new member at a meeting of the Unionist delegates but he had suggested they should select Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson, who was afterwards returned unopposed and held the seat until his assassination by the IRA in 1922.

For many years Sir Thomas had been a member of the Bangor Urban Council of which he had been the chairman for a long period and he took a leading role in the numerous activities of the “progressive seaside resort”.

Sir Thomas was 67 years when he died and was survived by his wife Lady Wilson and their four daughters.